History
The vision for this project started in 2002, when a UCLA medical student named Grant Lee met a pastor named Fred Cheren Ndiema in Croatia on a medical missions trip. Fred told him of the horrifying medical conditions and inadequacies of the health care system in his home country; especially rural areas such as Mt. Elgon where the closest medical clinic is a five hour bus ride away. Knowing that Grant was going to become a physician one day, Fred asked him to come to Kenya to help out and Grant said yes. Several years later, Grant took a year off from medical school and flew to Kenya in 2005 to meet with Fred and lay down the foundations for the MESAHI Project. Since then, MESAHI Projects at Georgetown and Dartmouth University have steadily begun reaching out to the people of Kenya and have successfully provided basic healthcare to its inhabitants starting with their first trip in the summer of 2006 and continuing to this day.
In 2008, however, Grant received an urgent letter from Fred telling him of a land dispute that had come to head and the resulting violence by rebel militia forces that had displaced tens of thousands of people in the Mount Elgon region. Displaced survivors spilled into his village and already sparse resources were stretched further. The need for aid was greater than ever. Thus, Grant, with the help of some UCLA undergraduates, started another chapter for MESAHI Project at UCLA. Realizing that the people of this war torn region needed physical, mental, as well as spiritual healing, the chapter at UCLA also placed an emphasis on evangelizing to those in need of counsel to help them cope with the inexplicable tragedy and loss. With previously established connections to Kenyan pastors, doctors, and staff, the MESAHI Project at UCLA embarked on their medical mission trip in during the summer of 2009.
A two-year long preparation pioneered the way for mobile clinics to run for the first time in 2009. Six UCLA undergraduate students shadowed two Kenyan doctors and worked triage stations to provide the necessary health care to over 1,200 villagers within five days. Furthermore, HIV and AIDS education training sessions were implemented in local churches while basic hygiene care was taught to the children. A five-day long summer camp was also hosted to teach the children about the Bible and over 300 hopeful children were touched. Summer 2009 paved the foundation for future endeavors.
In the near future, UCLA and other participating universities will work together with other professionals in a combined humanitarian effort to build a permanent, fully staffed clinic for the region. Until then, annual medical missions trips will provide what aid they can as well as raise awareness and funds for our ultimate goal.
The vision for this project started in 2002, when a UCLA medical student named Grant Lee met a pastor named Fred Cheren Ndiema in Croatia on a medical missions trip. Fred told him of the horrifying medical conditions and inadequacies of the health care system in his home country; especially rural areas such as Mt. Elgon where the closest medical clinic is a five hour bus ride away. Knowing that Grant was going to become a physician one day, Fred asked him to come to Kenya to help out and Grant said yes. Several years later, Grant took a year off from medical school and flew to Kenya in 2005 to meet with Fred and lay down the foundations for the MESAHI Project. Since then, MESAHI Projects at Georgetown and Dartmouth University have steadily begun reaching out to the people of Kenya and have successfully provided basic healthcare to its inhabitants starting with their first trip in the summer of 2006 and continuing to this day.
In 2008, however, Grant received an urgent letter from Fred telling him of a land dispute that had come to head and the resulting violence by rebel militia forces that had displaced tens of thousands of people in the Mount Elgon region. Displaced survivors spilled into his village and already sparse resources were stretched further. The need for aid was greater than ever. Thus, Grant, with the help of some UCLA undergraduates, started another chapter for MESAHI Project at UCLA. Realizing that the people of this war torn region needed physical, mental, as well as spiritual healing, the chapter at UCLA also placed an emphasis on evangelizing to those in need of counsel to help them cope with the inexplicable tragedy and loss. With previously established connections to Kenyan pastors, doctors, and staff, the MESAHI Project at UCLA embarked on their medical mission trip in during the summer of 2009.
A two-year long preparation pioneered the way for mobile clinics to run for the first time in 2009. Six UCLA undergraduate students shadowed two Kenyan doctors and worked triage stations to provide the necessary health care to over 1,200 villagers within five days. Furthermore, HIV and AIDS education training sessions were implemented in local churches while basic hygiene care was taught to the children. A five-day long summer camp was also hosted to teach the children about the Bible and over 300 hopeful children were touched. Summer 2009 paved the foundation for future endeavors.
In the near future, UCLA and other participating universities will work together with other professionals in a combined humanitarian effort to build a permanent, fully staffed clinic for the region. Until then, annual medical missions trips will provide what aid they can as well as raise awareness and funds for our ultimate goal.
