The Karero Medical Dispensary was established by the Christian charity, Staff of Hope, whose primary goal is to help the Maasai people to develop self reliance by drilling water wells, building schools and medical clinics, and providing micro-financing to individuals and small groups of women.
Medical Issues
Karero is a remote Maasai community which is significantly underserved medically. This community suffers from infectious diseases prevalent in the area such as malaria, tuberculosis as well as parasitic infection, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, burns and wounds. In addition, the region has recently been devastated by drought conditions which have significantly impacted the general nutrition among the indigenous people brining additional negative health impacts.
The Staff
There have been a number of clinic days where visiting medical personnel have provided services to the community, but the dispensary can not begun operating on a continuous basis until permanent staff are hired and in place. In Kenya, a fully functional dispensary requires a minimum of 3 staff; a Clinic Officer, a Lab Technician, and a Pharmacist. The CareNow Foundation is providing the funds to hire the Clinical Officer while other organizations are funding the Pharmacist and Lab Technician positions. Staff of Hope is now in the process of hiring the needed healthcare professionals.
Geography
Karero, Kenya is a Maasai community located along the border of Tanzania about 8 miles Northeast of the border town of Namanga, but is only reachable via approximately 12 miles of dirt trail from the town of Mieli Tisa, 9 miles North of Namanga on the main highway from Nairobi. This community is home to between 5,000 and 8,000 Maasai depending on the amount of seasonable water and vegetation available for their livestock. The permanent population is estimated to be approximately 6,000.
