In a momentous celebration of common compassion, unstoppable dedication, and a shared vision for the well-being of children, AIC-CURE Children’s Hospital of Kenya (CURE Kenya) marked its 25th anniversary on 17 November 2023.
CURE Kenya was established in 1998 as Kenya’s only orthopedic teaching hospital and the first hospital in CURE’s network, serving children suffering from life-limiting disabilities.
The African Inland Church (AIC) provided the initial land for the hospital premises as a gift to the people of Kenya.
To celebrate our 25 years of service, the hospital welcomed CURE International’s president/CEO, Justin Narducci, as the guest of honor for the event. The celebration also marked the official opening of the hospital’s new 21-bed ward and 14-bed long-stay hostel, designed to provide even more children with short- and long-term recovery areas. A grant from the M-PESA Foundation funded the project.
CURE Kenya’s medical director, Dr. Evelyn Mbugua, emphasized the hospital’s ability to provide desperately needed surgical and spiritual care to more children because of the new spaces. “There is a great need for our medical services, so we are thankful to serve 33 percent more children each year because of this expansion.”
A Legacy of Transformative Care
CURE Kenya’s history is a testament to the power of perseverance, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to the well-being of children.
Each year, CURE Kenya performs over 2,500 life-changing reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries for children suffering from treatable disabilities. All care is provided at no cost thanks to the generous support of our donors.
Throughout the years, the hospital has launched important initiatives to ensure patients and their families receive the help they need by making care more accessible and training future healthcare workers—all while ministering to patients’ physical and spiritual needs.
In 2006, the hospital created CURE Clubfoot in Kenya to eliminate clubfoot as a lifelong disability in the country. In 2019, the initiative became an independent nonprofit called Clubfoot Care for Kenya (CCK), which works in partnership with CURE Kenya to raise awareness about the importance of early treatment, how to treat it, and where to find qualified medical providers.
“My dream is to have no children going past the age of two years with severe clubfoot because we have taken care of it,” said Dr. Evelyn.
CURE Kenya also multiplies our efforts by serving as a regional learning institution in partnership with The College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA). The hospital’s orthopedic pediatric training program trains local surgeons to treat even more children in need of surgical care to correct life-limited disabilities.
For a quarter century, CURE Kenya has been a beacon of hope and healing, offering specialized care to children in need—patients like Milton.
Milton was among the first 1,500 patients admitted to CURE Kenya. His stints in the hospital began when he was barely one month old, and at the time, the doctors listed his condition as “multiple deformities,” which ranged from abnormalities of his hips to a missing tibia.
He had so many surgeries that he became a familiar face at CURE. The medical and ministry teams were there for every step of his long and difficult journey, about which Milton comments, “CURE to me has been like family.”
After Milton had bilateral amputations of his legs, the hospital provided him with prosthetic legs and he learned how to play sports while in a wheelchair. He became so good at wheelchair racing and other sports, like wheelchair basketball, that he now represents Kenya in the Paralympic Games.
A Glimpse into the Future
The 25th-anniversary celebration was not only a reflection of the hospital’s impressive history but also an inspiring look into its future.
While the sun cast golden hues over the hospital’s campus, history was made as CURE International’s president/CEO, Justin Narcducci, unveiled a commemorative plaque, symbolizing the beginning of the construction of a brand-new surgical suite. The space will allow CURE Kenya to treat more patients, helping us reach our goal of providing life-transforming care to 3,000 children in Kenya each year.
Justin Narducci expressed his hope for the hospital’s future. “The future is being built in our midst,” he said. “The land we are standing on will be home to a new surgical center in just a few years to come. And in that surgical center, even more children will be served and will continue to see world-class surgical care, and many more doctors will be trained to multiply the impact across the nation!”
CURE Kenya is committed to continuously improving and expanding its services. The hospital is dedicated to training doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, improving infrastructure and technology to reach more children with treatable disabilities for years to come.
Learn more about partnering with CURE Kenya to help kids heal here.
All surgeries at CURE Kenya are made possible by generous donors, click here to sponsor a child today.
About AIC-CURE Children’s Hospital of Kenya
CURE Kenya has been a place of hope since opening its doors in 1998. We were Africa’s first orthopedic teaching hospital when it opened in Kijabe. More than just providing life-changing surgeries, CURE cares for the emotional and spiritual needs of all our patients. Our teaching hospital has 47 beds, four operating rooms, and an outpatient clinic.
