User:Kungukg

Graduate of a foreign medical school I was born at the peak of the civil rights movement, I grew up and went to school as the Cold war came to a close and I started my professional career towards the last decade of the 20th century. Having been born in Oakland (California), I moved as a young child with my parents to Africa from where they come from. In those early years, I was fascinated by tales from my father about college in the US. He also kept a modest library that included books on economics, politics and history. Soon I was an avid reader of biographies - Lincoln, JFK, Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr. I developed an interest in the challenges facing people living in poverty, illiteracy and poor health conditions. This led me to pursue medical school at the University of Nairobi and I graduated as a doctor. I then worked in remote areas of Kenya where epidemics were strife, resources scarce and health education in the community leaving a lot to be desired. I pride myself in having been able to deal with these challenges at a grassroots level. I talked to mothers about child health. I talked to leaders about resource allocation towards preventative health care. I also participated in Institutional Capacity Building/Child Survival and Development sponsored by UNICEF (Baringo, Kenya 1989-1991). My greatest challenge was resistance by the communities to adopt certain aspects of health care due to cultural factors. I moved back to the US in 2001 and I've lived in Massachusetts with my family since then. I soon discovered that there were challenges facing people with developmental disabilities and I was hooked. I am proud of the work I do supporting these wonderful fellow citizens. They face health problems that often require more attention than the rest of the population.