From Darien Combs ’11:
On May 6th, 2009 tragedy struck the Wesleyan community: Johanna Justin-Jinich ’10 was murdered in a shooting at Wesleyan’s Red and Black Café. It is our belief that the best way to honor Johanna’s memory is to support causes in which she believed. We hope to name our clinic The Johanna Justin-Jinich Memorial Clinic of Kibera–allowing Johanna’s incredible spirit to live on, continuing to touch the lives of people in need. This clinic will not become a reality without your support.
The Clinic
Due to deplorable sanitary conditions and lack of access to health care, 1 out of 5 children do not live to see their fifth birthday. Women face additional health risks: the number one killer of women in Kibera is childbirth, and extreme gender discrimination creates strong barriers for women accessing health facilities or health information. In Kibera, there are no government clinics, and current clinics run by NGOs or private entities are either too expensive, overcrowded, or poorly managed. A working health clinic for Kibera is desperately needed—but it will not become a reality without your support.
Ours will be the first community health center in Kibera that is accessible for all residents. Our clinic will be a community-driven initiative staffed by an expert Kenyan nurse five days a week in tandem with community health workers and a full-time administrator. The clinic will focus on delivering effective primary care: keeping up-to-date medical records, seeing patients regularly and managing chronic problems effectively. The clinic will target the most common causes of illness and death in Kibera, including maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, diarrhea, and tuberculosis—all of which are easily treated and/or prevented.
Ultimate Impact
The Shining Hope Kibera Clinic will become an integral piece of our innovative model changing the realities of women in Kibera through the integrated links between girls education and services unavailable elsewhere. The future of women in Kibera and similarly impoverished and patriarchal environments depends on integrated links between education, health, and community elevation. Simply put: our clinic will save lives, while changing the daily realities of women in the community.
Please don’t forget to support us and help us build the Johanna Justin-Jinich Clinic of Kibera by voting for the Kibera School for Girls to Win $50,000 through the Dell Social Innovation competition. The deadline is coming up!
http://www.dellsocialinnovationcompetition.com/ideaView?id=08780000000PD3oAAG
To find out more about you can help, please check out our website:
We cannot thank you enough for your support,
The Shining Hope Staff