Moreen’s Story

Where are you from?

Nairobi, Kenya.

What were you doing before Keheala?

I worked as a marketer for Smollan, an International retail solutions company that delivers growth for retailers and brand owners and leveraging relationships at store level. I also worked as a peer counselor for Kenya Network of Women with AIDS (KENWA) where I was responsible for providing home based care, nutrition support, counseling and community education to people living with HIV/AIDS.

What attracted you to this position?

Having a past experience with TB through a relative made me want to work with Keheala as a Support Sponsor to join the fight against TB. In my day to day work, I get opportunities to create awareness and support patients with TB and foster hope as I share my own experience with them.

What is your experience with tuberculosis?

In 2017, a close relative was diagnosed with active TB. It was a hard time for us as a family as he experienced serious side effects from the anti TBs and he was weak and fragile during the first phase of his treatment and you could literally see how the disease had taken a toll on his body. Having the family around to cheer him on during his treatment motivated him to adhere and complete his regimen for six months. I must say it was a learning curve for all of us as it made us research and learn more about TB.

Describe one of your most rewarding experiences with Keheala.

The stigma that sometimes comes with being infected among TB patients makes it difficult for patients to ask questions and get information they need to cope with their diagnosis and navigate treatment. I love that at Keheala we've been able to build trust among our patients and they open up to us sharing the challenges they are facing and ask questions. In another scenario, the patients might feel too embarrassed to ask the same questions at a clinic. Also being able to see the impact of our work on the lives of our patients through our interactions with them. You can tell they're more informed about TB and have a strong will to adhere and complete treatment.

Where do you see Keheala in the future?

I see the Keheala intervention being used to reduce TB deaths globally and also eliminating the disease.