Today, we introduce you to Kibet Cherongis, one of our site coordinators in East Africa.
Born in a remote village called ‘Kaptama’ located in Mt Elgon disctrict in Kenya, Kibet studied clinical medicine and surgery in Nairobi. After meeting with another staff member (Stephen Gichina), he decided to apply to work for North Star and is now managing our Burnt Forest Blue Box clinic at the north west of Kenya, between Nairobi and the border with Uganda.
Having built astonishing endurance through running marathons, and described by his friends as a great athlete, Kibet is always up for a challenge. Never backing down from one, Kibet aims to test and treat a minimum of 50 clients a day. Giving the limited amount of time spent per client and the high quality of health services provided (namely: prescribing, dispensing and administrating injections), 50 is an audacious goal. Such a medical performance could not be achieved without the grit, passion and energy that Kibet puts into his work.
At the moment, the next challenge on Kibet’s list is finding ways to get antiretroviral treatment (ART) to his clinic, so that he can treat his HIV positive clients in the best way possible. Another difficulty that Kibet often encounters is how to diligently keep track of the medical records of sex workers, as some appear to change names when they visit the clinic.
Always keeping his motto in mind, “hard work pays”, when the going gets tough, Kibet’s efforts are instantly rewarded when one of his clients feel better or has recovered.
Proud and happy to work at North Star, Kibet wishes that more people were aware of North Star’s activities across Africa, and the high quality of services distributed at each of our Blue Box clinics.
Which of North Star’s DNA values (People, Integrity, Quality, Entrepreneurial Spirit) do you most identify with, and why?
“People Matters – Because minus people I think North Star have not come into existence, we are here as a family because of people.”