education Programs

“Matibabu is a movement”

– Dan Ogola, MFK Founder

We take a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of poverty and the barriers to healthcare. One of the major challenges faced in Kenya is the lack of medical professionals: East Africa desperately needs nurses. The World Health Organization recommends a ratio of 1 nurse to every 400 community residents (1:400). In the area that Matibabu serves, this ratio is at about 1:3800.

Matibabu College of Health Sciences (MCHS)

A natural next step for building accessible healthcare and prosperity for the community was to develop medical professionals. The Matibabu College of Health Sciences (comprising the Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing) was founded in 2014. Since its opening, 100% of graduates have passed the national exam and secured professional jobs within six months of graduation.

MCHS has proudly become one of the top-rated nursing colleges in Kenya.

MCHS offers:

Front of MCHS Nursing College building.

Diploma in Community Health Nursing (KRCHN)

Diploma in Perioperative Theatre Technology

Certificate in Perioperative Theatre Technology

It is estimated that a Kenyan nurse will work with over 100,000 patients during their career. Investing in nursing multiplies the impact on community health.

A villager who becomes a nurse is also a keystone in pivoting generational poverty. Nursing school graduates can expect to start earning $400-$600 a month –a far cry from the $60 monthly salary they could expect otherwise– allowing them to provide for their families, with a high likelihood that their children will also complete college some day.

Impact

total number of MCHS students to date

%

of MCHS graduates have passed the national exam and started a professional job within 6 months of graduation

the number of patients a nurse will serve over their career

increase in income for rural college graduates

Help Make the College Dream Come True!

The annual tuition, together with books, fees and uniforms, of $1,000 is a serious obstacle for nursing school students. Scholarship donors can commit to $3,000 ($1K per year for 3 years) or give to the Dream Catcher Fund, to support students in emergency financial situations.

*We are proud to pledge that 100% of donations go to supporting our partners in Kenya

Lifunga

Lifunga Girls High School & the Nursing Promise Program

Due to various social and cultural circumstances, most women in rural Kenya have about an 8th-grade education, so Matibabu also co-founded Lifunga Girls Secondary School with the intention of helping vulnerable girls attain a higher level of education, and consequently, create new opportunities for their life and career.

Lifunga School for Girls students dancing together in their uniforms.
Smiling school girls celebrating graduation.

The Lifunga Promise is Matibabu’s promise of a full scholarship to all Lifunga Girls who apply and are qualified to attend the MCHS college. MFK has proudly hired several Lifunga graduates who are now permanent staff at the hospital. The Nursing Promise Program connects Lifunga Secondary School, Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing, and Matibabu Hospital to create a pathway for village girls to become successful nurses.

Rita’s Story

Rita lost her parents at a young age and was raised by an elderly grandmother. She loved school but expected (like most girls in the village) to have no educational opportunity beyond 8th grade. Thanks to her hard work and Matibabu, which helped found the Lifunga Secondary School for vulnerable girls like her, Rita was able to graduate from high school, and then attend and graduate from the Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing with the help of a scholarship. Now Rita works as a nurse at Matibabu Hospital and is a role model to other young women in the community.

Rita, a MCHS graduate and now MFK nurse, tends to a infant patient.
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