Faith's Story
Meet Faith
Where are you from?
Thika, Kenya.
What were you doing before Keheala?
I am a Clinical Officer and was working with a medical research institute dealing with disease surveillance - specifically flu in children.
How long have you worked for Keheala?
I have worked for Keheala since it started its operations in December 2015.
What skills do you bring to Keheala?
I have a lot of experience with handling patients, which means that I am empathetic and committed to my work. I am also a hard worker, team player and very dedicated.
“To our visitors, thank you for taking the time to stop by our website. Hope you found it informative and encouraging especially if someone you know is suffering from TB.
To our patients, hope this gives you hope. TB is curable and preventable. Take the advice given seriously and you should bounce back in no time.
At Keheala, we are passionate about community and believe we all play a part. Be part of this great cause and we believe we can live in a TB free world. ”
What attracted you to the company?
Basically, Keheala was a new concept and a game changer regarding the treatment of TB and I loved the challenge it provided. Keheala brought in new technology to tackle TB, a disease which has for long had a lot of stigma and misconceptions.
The fact that we would be able to enroll patients, follow up with them, and provide information at their fingertips was a major plus. Currently, many patients receive little to no information because some health workers want to reduce their exposure time to the patient or are overwhelmed by the large number of patients, especially in areas that have high TB burden (slum areas).
With Keheala, patients could reach us at any time to ask questions -either on the phone or on the platform.
Can you tell more about your role and background?
As a support sponsor, I walk with patients through their treatment period by enrolling them into the system, reminding and encouraging them to take their medication.
I am also a relationship manager, responsible for keeping contact with our stakeholders and notifying them of our progress as a company.
What is the most meaningful part of your job?
Achieving our goals as a company: first and foremost, helping patients adhere to their treatment for their required period (either 6 months or 1 year).
When patients express their gratitude for the help accorded and seeing some who had lost hope regain it and move on to live meaningful lives.
Demystifying TB and helping patients understand that it is not a death sentence provided that they take their medication properly.
Describe one of your most rewarding experiences with Keheala.
A patient in one of our clinics had a severe reaction to the TB medication. She was vomiting and could not hold anything in. As a result, she stopped taking the medication for 3 days. When we called to find out her progress, she explained her predicament and admitted to have skipped the medication and that she was too weak to even leave the house.
We called the clinic and they were able to get her from the house, took her to the facility, and after proper counseling, she was restarted on medication.
Today she is TB free.
Where do you see Keheala in the future?
I see us as a force to reckon with in terms of coming up with innovative solutions to diseases - especially the chronic ones, and how to approach them to better outcomes.
I also see Keheala having a global presence.