Harambee for Naomi

What is a harambee?

Harambee is a Swahili word meaning "all pull together". It is also the term for a Kenyan tradition of coming together as a community to help each other in times of need.

At this point in time, my host-family from when I lived in western Kenya is in need. One of my host-sisters, Naomi, was recently diagnosed with a type of brain tumor called a craniopharyngioma. It is a benign tumor (meaning it doesn't spread) that has caused her to develop vision problems, joint pain, and significant memory loss, among other symptoms. Surgery to remove the tumor and additional masses has an 80-90% chance of restoring her to full health.

The surgery, unfortunately, is very expensive. In Kenya, the health system works on a pay-as-you-go basis. Naomi's doctor initially refused to do the surgery until full payment was received, however her father, my host-dad, convinced the doctor to do the surgery with a down payment. The remaining amount, approximately $4500 USD, is what still needs to be raised. If this amount is not paid off soon, the doctor has the right to hold Naomi in the hospital, without care, until her bills are taken care of.

My host-family in Nyamninia (a small village 1 hour outside of Kisumu) were wonderful and kind and loving to me during my time in Kenya. They took incredible care of me, and I want to be able to give back to them in their time of need. I ask you to please join me in raising money to pay off Naomi's medical bills. She is a sophomore at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya pursuing her BA in community development and social studies. With the surgery complete, she should be able to return to school soon, but only if they release her from the hospital.

I have chosen to fundraise through PayPal because of the time crunch. I have added a PayPal "Donate" button on the right side of this blog. You can make a donation by clicking on the button and following the directions provided. PayPal is a well-known and commonly used means of collecting money. Everything you donate will be put into my personal PayPal account, and I am going to cover all the associated fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). I'm hoping to raise a few hundred dollars in the next week to send to my family.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. Anything we can raise will be enormously appreciated.

All my love!