We are thrilled to share the great news that our Unite Scholar Hosiana Thomas Laitatok has accepted a full-time salaried position at the Kivulini Maternity and Fistula Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, to work with their administration and patient care staff.
I first met Hosiana in October 2017 during a visit to Unite’s Maasai Health Project in Mkuru, Maasailand (which was completed in 2019). She attended a class we were sponsoring for traditional midwives. I was immediately struck by Hosiana’s big smile, bright eyes – that locked boldly with mine — and her beautiful baby named Happiness. Hours later when my team and I went to leave, Hosiana, who was 19 years old at the time, approached me, introduced herself, and asked for help. She said that she desperately wanted to go back to school to fulfill her dream of championing the rights of girls and women and to be able to support herself and Happiness. I gave her my business card and told her to contact me. (Click HERE to see a short video about how we met.)
Hosiana and her baby Happiness at our first meeting in October 2017.
The next day, sitting snug in my KLM seat preparing to leave Kilimanjaro for Shiphol in Amsterdam, I received a text from Hosiana via What’s App. She had borrowed a friend’s phone and walked two hours to find a signal to say goodbye. From there, our communications continued.
The following March, my family and I went to visit Hosiana and her family in Mkuru to ask her father for his permission to sponsor Hosiana to study at the Tengeru Community College in Arusha where she would earn her certificate in Community Development. The Maasai are a polgymous, pastoralist tribe in which women traditionally have no rights or power. We could do nothing without Hosiana’s father’s blessing. He agreed. Since Hosiana was the only one in her large extended family (her father has three wives and more than 30 children) to have completed secondary school, it made good sense for her continue her education. Hosiana’s mother agreed to take care of Happiness while Hosiana was away studying.
The Wells family and members of Hosiana’s family in 2018.
With Hosiana, Happiness, and her father in the Chief’s home.
Hosiana with her mother Elizabeth.
During her year at Tengeru Community College in Arusha, we also worked with our friend and colleague Jude Holden to secure for Hosiana a month-long unpaid internship for Hosiana at Kivulini Hospital, which was then followed by a 10-month-long unpaid secondment following her college graduation. (Unite paid for all of Hosiana’s living expenses, food, transport, as well as an appropriate living stipend.) During these months, Hosiana assisted with the care of fistula patients and teen mothers (in Unite's teen-mama care & education program) as well as with patient registration and family planning services. From the hospital, in return for her work, Hosiana received ongoing professional training in patient-care and administration.
Hosiana and Jude Holden (the director of Kivulini until the spring of 2019 when the pandemic hit) attending to a teen-mama whose delivery and post-natal care and education was sponsored by Unite.
Hosiana helping to care for patients at a Fistula Clinic at the Kivulini Hospital.
In May 2020, Hosiana completed her secondment at Kivulini and went home to Maasailand to run a 10-week-long Boma-2-Boma COVID-19 Community Outreach Program for Unite. Hosiana traveled long distances across the extremely rural, barren landscape going door-to-door, “boma-to-boma,” with her materials. Her focus was on teaching families about COVID-19 (what is it, how people get infected, how can people protect themselves, etc.) as well as about the critical importance of proper hygiene and sanitation, hand washing, and mask wearing (in public areas.) Hosiana also distributed 250 masks made by Unite’s Brave Widows to families throughout Maasailand.
Hosiana in a family boma starting her training about COVID-19.
Hosiana setting up a hand-washing station for a Maasai family.
Hosiana distributing masks to Maasai families in Mkuru.
Hosiana started her new position at Kivulini Hospital late last month. To Unite she writes:
“I want to thank God for bringing me Unite. I never believe that there could be someone who would lift me up and make me better and more successful. Unite has welcomed me and made me a member of their family. They have showed me great love and helped me to achieve my dreams. Through Unite I have built up a lot of confidence, and I can now stand up in front of people and speak, teach, and lead. To Unite I say Asante Sana (thank you very much). I am happy. I am doing well. I am shining because of you.”
Hosiana (right) with members of her team at Kivulini Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, holding up a Certificate in Counseling she earned after successfully completing an on-site professional training.
Hosiana’s dream has always been to help educate, care for, and fight for the rights of girls, women, and young mothers, like herself. Today, she is a fully-employed single mother who is independent (nearly, Unite has paid her rent for six months to help her get started), extremely well respected, and thriving. We are so proud of her! HONGERA SANA! Congratulations Hosiana. We love you.
Click HERE and HERE to see Hosiana’s daughter Happiness doing a celebration dance for her mama.
