Nurse volunteers from Adventist Health provided education and training for birthing center staff and clinical providers at Maternal and Women’s Health Center in Kenya’s Masai Mara region during a recent mission trip.
Volunteers also planned and implemented the first primary-to-secondary graduation event for the local Masai Mara school and developed a program for the ceremony that can be used each year. Following the graduation event, each volunteer spent an afternoon with five local children, listening to their experiences and providing mentoring and inspiration.
The team of volunteers included labor and delivery nurses from Adventist Health Castle, Columbia Gorge and Portland.
“Beautiful things came out of this experience,” said John Schroer, Adventist Health global mission system lead. “The girls in Kenya, especially, don’t have many opportunities, and these small-group interactions provided windows of inspiration for their futures.”
Over the past five years, Adventist Health volunteers have partnered with Africa Mission Services to construct Maternal and Women’s Health Center, provided training for the staff and clinical providers, and served the community in countless ways.
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Lindy Allen, Adventist Health Columbia Gorge nurse, provides mentoring and inspiration for school children following their graduation ceremony.
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Desiree Berska, (left) Lisa Gilard, Adventist Health Castle nurse, (center) and Jill Siebel, Adventist Health Castle nurse, (right) participate in a blessing tradition.
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Adventist Health volunteers provide basic life support training for nurses and educators at the birthing center, medical center, dental clinic and local primary and secondary schools.
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Desiree Berska, (front) Lisa Gilard, Adventist Health Castle nurse, (center) and Jamie Wright, Adventist Health Portland nurse, (back) paint the old medical and dental facility, which will be turned into a larger dental care clinic.