Booker visits Tabitha Medical Clinic in Kibera, Africa’s largest informal settlement
NAIROBI, KENYA – CFK Africa, an international nonprofit with offices in Kenya and the U.S., hosted U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey on Monday afternoon at its health clinic serving residents of Kibera, Africa’s largest informal settlement situated on the outskirts of Nairobi.
Booker visited CFK Africa’s Tabitha Medical Clinic, a full-scale medical facility in the heart of Kibera, Kenya, that hosts one of the largest urban infectious disease surveillance platforms established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an informal settlement. The research findings from this platform have informed policy in Kenya and globally, including timely findings about the pathology of COVID-19 in informal settlements, such as very low mortality rates and the recent outbreak of cholera across Kenya.
“We were very excited to welcome Senator Booker as the latest in a number of distinguished guests who have come to see our health programs in action,” said CFK Africa Executive Director Jeffrey Okoro. “We value our long-term relationship with the CDC and are glad to highlight this work as champions of global health.”
A senator since 2013, Booker is currently chair of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Over the years, CFK Africa has hosted several members of Congress, including a recent bipartisan delegation led by Senator Chris Coons in 2022.
“Community engagement in developing solutions is the best way to have a lasting impact. From its humble beginnings in Tabitha’s home to providing quality health services to the Kibera community and beyond — CFK Africa is a powerful example of inclusive development in action,” said Senator Booker. “I was truly inspired by my visit to Kibera, learning about the CDC and CFK Africa’s transformative partnership, and seeing the NGO’s expansive and life-changing work.”
Named for the late CFK Africa co-founder Tabitha Atieno Festo, a certified nurse who started the clinic in 2001 with a $26 loan, Tabitha Medical Clinic offers life-saving health care to residents of Kibera. The clinic provides preventive medicine services and offers high-quality medical care, from routine vaccinations to cervical cancer screening to anti-retroviral treatment for patients with HIV. It also runs public health campaigns and educational programs within the community.
Before departing the clinic, Senator Booker received a hand-made soccer ball composed of recycled plastic bags and rope made by youth in Kibera, symbolizing the innovation of residents of informal settlements as well as CFK Africa’s earliest programs using community soccer tournaments to address ethnic violence and promote unity.
“Over the years, Tabitha Medical Clinic has grown from a small operation in one woman’s home to a major source of world-class quality health care in Kibera, serving as a model clinic for informal settlements globally,” added Okoro. “We were thrilled for Senator Booker to see our work up close and share with him the successes we’ve had in improving the health and well-being of residents in Kibera.”
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About CFK Africa
Founded in 2001, CFK Africa works to improve public health and economic prosperity in informal settlements in Kenya through integrated health and youth leadership initiatives. Using a participatory development approach, the organization works directly with community residents to develop and implement sustainable programs. After marking 20 years of service in Kibera in 2021, CFK began expanding to additional informal settlements in Nairobi County and across eight counties in Kenya, including Kajiado, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kisumu, Machakos, Mombasa, and Nakuru.
For more information, visit www.cfkafrica.org.
