L - R: John Kuehnle, USAID, Director for Health Population and Nutrition Office; Andrew Mayo, MBF CEO and President; Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya Cabinet Secretary for Health.

Aerial View of New Residence Hall at Clive Irvine College.

The new dormitory will accommodate sixty additional students on the Chogoria, Kenya campus.

HOUSTON, USA, February 24, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Clive Irvine College of Nursing in Chogoria, Kenya, dedicated a new 1,050 square meter student dormitory on Friday, 11th February. The accommodation block is part of Chogoria Hospital’s multi-phase master plan to upgrade and expand the College from 200 to 500 students. Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, the Hon. Mutahi Kagwe emphasized the importance of improving Kenya’s capacity to train nurses and encouraged an expansion of the school’s vision: “I want to dare the College to adopt a futuristic approach to the courses you offer, to embrace technology, and to train students with the skills they need as premier international nursing professionals.”

Andrew Mayo, MBF CEO and President, explained that the project is a joint effort by many, especially the Kenya Ministry of Health, USAID / ASHA, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Chogoria Hospital, and the Medical Benevolence Foundation (MBF). The long-term relationships shared by these parties provide the required continuity for the multi-phase initiative at Chogoria. The PCEA Chogoria Hospital’s Clive Irvine College of Nursing has been a ministry of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa since its founding in 1951. The Nursing Council of Kenya accredited school currently enrolls 184 students. Ultimately, the school plans to add at least 2,000 additional nurses to help fill the critical nursing shortage in the healthcare workforce of Kenya by 2026.

Reflecting on the school's history and contributions, John Kuehnle, USAID, Director for Health Population and Nutrition Office, commented at the dedication that "Kenya has long been known for the high quality of its nurses. Now with this new dormitory, that quality will continue to improve. With every class of nurses graduating, Kenya is building its healthcare workforce. The goal of providing every Kenyan with access to the highest quality services that they deserve is being advanced."

The Rev. Paul Kariuki, Deputy Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church (PCEA), led the dedication ceremony. Notable guests included Ms. Beverly Opwara, Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner, Mrs. Catherine Munene, CEO of PCEA Chogoria Hospital, Jimson Kithinji, Principal Clive Irvine College, and Prof. Jotham Micheni, Chairman of the Chogoria Hospital Board. Mrs. Munene called the event "a landmark occasion" for the nearly 100-year-old hospital, celebrating its centennial in October 2022.

The new dormitory is Phase 1 of a more extensive partnership between MBF, Clive Irvine College, and PCEA Chogoria Hospital. Joint initiatives include the Mary K Scholars nursing scholarship program, made possible by a key MBF donor. Over 100 Mary K Scholars attend Clive Irvine and other international nursing colleges on full or partial scholarships each year. The newly dedicated dormitory will bear the honorary name "Mary K. Scholars Residence.” MBF is also partnered at Chogoria in an e-learning platform called GENS (Global e-Learning Nursing System) and in-service nursing education at the hospital. Said Lisa Alianiello, Director of MBF's Center for Global Nursing Development, "the dormitory will provide safe housing and a conducive environment for learning to so many students and the Mary K Scholars Residence will impact Clive Irvine Nursing College for many years to come."

MBF's Andrew Mayo echoed the theme of rapid and positive change in Kenya's health care sector that ran through the dedication ceremony. Mayo emphasized that "our goal is to help PCEA achieve sustainability and international levels of quality. While this building provides capacity for about 200 new nurses in the next 10 years, buildings are only part of the nursing development work MBF is doing in Kenya.”

For more information about the Clive Irvine College of Nursing and the work MBF is doing to help develop nursing capacity in Kenya, contact hello@mbf.net.

About Clive Irvine College of Nursing
Clive Irvine College of Nursing is a middle level college accredited by the Nursing Council of Kenya and Tvet offering Diploma in Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing for three years. Visit PCEA Chogoria Hospital’s website to learn more: https://www.pceachogoriahospital.org/nursing/college-of-nursing.

About MBF
MBF (the Medical Benevolence Foundation) is an international Christ-centered medical mission organization. MBF has served over 140 developing world hospitals, clinics, and nursing schools in 34 countries. Based in Houston, Texas, MBF is registered as a 501(c)3 organization in the USA. Visit MBF’s website to learn more: www.medicalmission.org.

Donna Childress
Medical Benevolence Foundation
+1 817-909-8919
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