I am a Kenyan lady in her fifties, a mother of two adult children - a son and a daughter and a grand mother of a very pretty intelligent grand daughter who is 2 years and 4 months.

I am a Kenya registered nurse, Kenya registered midwife and I have worked in many health facilities in our country in various positions. I have also gone through many short courses which I cannot list down because they are many including a 5 months nursing related course in the United Kingdom.

HOW DID I GET INTERESTED IN NURSING?

I was born in one of the rural area towns in Kenya, a third born of a humble couple. My mama was a peasant farmer while my father worked in the capital city. I grew in the village and attended local schools. After completing class 5, my father invited me to the city as he had done to my elder sister and brother for he believed education in the city was superior to the village one.

 My father worked as a house boy/cook for an Indian family. Both husband and wife were doctors and they were very busy and highly loved by their patients and relatives. They had two children, a boy of my age and a girl who was 5 years younger. We (my dad, my sister, my brother and me) lived in a single room along with them and this couple loved us so much, especially me and many times during the school holidays they would take me on trips with them along with their children. They would not show any discrimination between me and their children.

Many are the times the lady doctor would sit down with me and give stories of her life and I would listen with unbelief. One of the interesting things I remember very well even today was how she came from a very poor family in India and that her parents could not afford kerosene/paraffin for lighting for her to study. She loved studies so much and because they lived in the slums of a big city, she would wait for the street lights to be lighted and she would take a stool or something to sit on and move where the light was and she could read for hours every night without any interruption (WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY).

She would encourage me a lot telling me that I could also become a doctor like her. When I completed my high school education, I did not attain a very high grade that would allow me join medical college so these very dear "PARENTS OF MINE" had me join a nursing college where the husband was a senior consultant and he was never ashamed to say that I was his daughter. He monitored my progress regularly till I graduated. I was known as his daughter. When I went for the short course in the United Kingdom much later in life I visited "my father’s sister and her family” and we had a wonderful time together.

    "DO TO OTHERS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO YOU"

As a family woman, a mother, a wife, an employer, I find myself treating my workers and their family the same way I was treated by my Indian parents. One of the outstanding action concerns a young man I had employed to work on my small garden and also take care of my first and only cow I owned called "PIONEER". This young man was hard working, honest and obedient. Three months after being employed, I sponsored him to high school for he had completed his primary level education before coming to me. I recall when I told him that I was sponsoring him to high school, he stared at me with unbelieving eyes and he continued without talking to me for some time. He worked very hard in school and after 4 years he successfully graduated.

The hand of God was upon him for he was admitted in a School of Nursing where he successfully graduated. Today he works for the Government in one of the busy rural area health centers.

Today I have 8 girls in high school from one of the communities in this country who do not believe in educating girls but gives them out to early marriages. Among these, I only educate one. For others, I am receiving sponsors from within and the Western countries.
 
CONCLUSION:
•    GOD CAN USE ANYBODY TO BLESS ANYONE.
•    WE ARE ALL ONE CREATED BY ONE CREATOR.
•    YOUR PAST CANNOT DICTATE YOUR FUTURE.
•    THERE IS MORE JOY IN GIVING THAN IN RECEIVING.

"MY INDIAN PARENTS ARE NO MORE BUT LEGACY CONTINUES TO LIVE".

Martha Wamae
		About the author:
		Martha wamae has been serving in the field of nursing for about 35 years. She is a registered nurse, registered midwife, trained in child immunization, infection control, family planner, counseling and a few other health related courses. She has worked in various hospitals within Kenya in various positions among which she was a midwifery tutor and clinical teacher in a large maternity hospital south of Sahara. The hospital is in a small rural area town and it caters for peasant farmers and low income people.
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Comments (3)

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very nice article!
written by Nuren ... , July 09, 2008

Hello Aunty!
Very nice article..it is really inspirational!!!
You are such a motherly person...
Love,
Nuren

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AWESOME ARTICLE OF CARE
written by a guest , July 14, 2008

HI,
madam ,my situation is also like you mam, after my dad's death so many pepole helped me alot,they inspired me in all the walks of life.I learned hard work from grand father and my uncle inspired me alot when am in school days,i should not forget my brother helping me emotionally,financially.Top of all my mama she is ultimate,she swam across all the troubles to brought me to this stage.More over i really moved by your article.
wtih love
rajesh(rojiesh)

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good inspiration
written by Ramya V , August 28, 2008

i like all conclusion that u had written...,,,

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