The Reason for what we do

Recently I was the Acumen Fund East Africa's fellow program at Tafaria Castle for our seminar 2. I was fortunate enough to be picked as an Acumen East Africa Fellow 2015. While there, I was reflecting on my purpose and what drives me. During my early morning quiet time for prayer. I came across a really nice view and it reminded me of God's amazing grace. Trully joy comes in the morning. I remembered why I do what I do.

A few years ago, say 2 years ago, I met a young man in his late 30's who was very interesting. I was seated at the front, next to the driver, in a matatu travelling from Nairobi to Kijabe. It was around 12 pm while going down the valley on the pothole ridden road. We were talking about stuff, everything and nothing in particular. Then his voice drifts off and is looking straight ahead. I wonder whats up. He is looking at a BMW X5 driving up the hill. His gaze follows the car as it passes him. He then starts to talk animatedly about how nice the car is. He lists the features of the car and then tells me it is his dream car. He amazed me because he has a dream. Even a matatu driver has a dream of owning a BMW X5.

Almost 2 years later, I meet a another nice young man. My age. He is a pastor and had sustained a fracture of his forearm. He was seen by my colleague and scheduled for corrective surgery to fix his fracture. He was late for his surgery appointment because he walked there from quite some distance. He apologises, wipes his forehead and then reaches into his pocket to remove a plastic bag to pay for his surgery. He apologises for the late payment because he had been fundraising until the last minute and says he couldn't have time to bank the money. We say its ok. We show him the changing room where he can change into theatre attire. I give him a nerve block for his forearm surgery in the operating room and we starting chatting about life in general.

He asks me why I chose to do what I do. By this time the surgery had been going on for at least half an hour. I tell him that God blessed me with skills and I want to be a blessing to others. I told him that I have a passion to restore patients health and give affordable surgery. He says that after he fractured his hand, he couldn't go to a private hospital. He went to a goverment facility and the hand has not been better. The hand was painful and that his hand was bent. He wished that he had met us-Machakos Surgery doctors earlier, he would not have stayed at home with a painful bent hand. I told him that at least we are correcting the problem even if it was 3 months later. He went home the same day of surgery, pain free with a straight forearm. He is now doing well.

As I reflect on why we began Machakos Surgery with my collegues, I think of patients like this pastor. They remind me of my dream to give good quality affordable surgery on time to patients. The pastor too has a dream. He dreamt of going to a hospital of his choice to get the best care money can buy.

My dream is to give BMW like care to patients like Pastor at an affordable price. That is the reason I do what I do.