About Us
Healthy Nyanza Initiative was started the year 2019 by Roseline Okendo who is a registered nurse in America, USA.
The healthy Nyanza is officially registered on February 8th, 2021. The Healthy Nyanza is in honor of my parents the late father Mzee Henry Ochong Nyanungo( Mrefu) and mama Pesila Ochong.
My late father Mrefu and mama Pesila were dedicated and committed to programs that improved living conditions of the Nakuru and Rae people in Kenya. My mother suffered stroke and due to lack of knowledge, my dad was massaging my mother’s face. Likely enough my brother noticed my mother’s condition and called my cousin who was nurse and my mother was taken to hospital within that time frame.
My mother survived the stroke with mild facial droop. My father had atrial fibrillation and shortness of breath that lead to heart attack and died 2012. Disease is a constant threat to our life. Every one of us or family has suffered from a disease. Educating yourself regarding disease process is key to successful outcome. In Kenya majority of people die of chronic diseases such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes due to lack of knowledge, traditional believes and superstition. Majority of the schools in the rural area have no amenities, lack school nurses and counselors to help with health promotion and disease prevention.
Helping people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds who have different medical ailments.
My dad always said “helping people is the most important thing a person can do with their lives.’’ As a child growing up in Kenya, I learnt to show compassion and being non-judgmental towards people in general and sick people in particular. As a result, I knew I would always be comfortable as a health care professional and educator in the community. I also worked in Kenya at Macadamia nut project in Thika for eight years before I moved to USA in 1996. The goal of the project was to educate farmers regarding different macadamia varieties, disease prevention, and good cultural practices to maximize productivity and marketing strategies.
Caring is the backbone of professional nursing, the experience I have gained over several years as made me to become a better critical thinker and assumed multiple roles of volunteer in the community, charge nurse, patient advocate, collaborator, fund raiser, educator and patient advocate in the community here in America and Kenya.
I have collaborated with American & Kenya volunteers in the prevention and health promotion, mental health and importance of volunteering and giving back in our communities.