Lwala Community Alliance

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ABC World News Selects Ochieng’ Brothers as Persons of the Week
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

From ABC World News:ABC World News Story on Ochieng Brothers

For Milton and Fred Ochieng’, brothers from the remote village of Lwala in western Kenya, the shared dream of becoming doctors in America seemed like an impossible feat.

Growing up more than 7,000 miles away in a community with no doctors or health clinics, the brothers saw first-hand how the villagers struggled to receive care.

“You’d either have to get the person in the back of a bicycle or in a wheelbarrow if they’re bleeding and literally push them on the wheelbarrow for 45 minutes or an hour to get to the nearest paved road — then flag down a taxi,” Milton Ochieng’ said. “Sometimes, it would take two hours to get to the hospital.”

Milton Ochieng’s passion for medicine won him a full scholarship to Dartmouth College, but when he couldn’t afford the $900 plane ticket, the community stepped in. The villagers put their faith and savings into one of their own, holding a “harambe,” or fundraiser.

Posted by James Nardella / Filed under Uncategorized / Comments: 1

True.That’s perhaps the least in terms of describing the health challenges in Lwala village. Milton should have shared the deep cultural beliefs, stigma and ignorance, all of which have immensely impacted negatively on uptake of quality health interventions.More philanthropists and health experts are needed!