Development Talk

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfQvPgxJkBE]

This account of the shortage of health care and lack of doctors in Kenya and the drive of Melton, a young Kenyan doctor trained in the United State, is inspirational. Melton has a mission to bring improved health care services to Lwala = a small village in Kenya. He is the first person from his village to travel outside of Kenya… and he has chosen not to forget his village and has sworn to return and give back to his community. He recounts the high incidence of HIV/Aids in his village and the devastating consequences of the lack of adequate health care for his fellow Kenyans. His committment to his community and to doing what he can to give back is remarkable. His efforts to raise funds for and build a community clinic in Lwala is his way of giving back and working towards respecting his father’s memory, who died of HIV/Aids in 2005. Melton raises important issues of corruption in relation to people dying in his community, more importantly how politicians can ignore their constituency who are so badly in need and lack of money as a stumbling block to progress and access to health care. He has set in place a number of fundraising initatives in the US and managed to raise funds for this clinic. His remarkable vision and committment to make this vision a reality is to be admired. More importantly, his committment to making his father’s dream a reality and to not forgetting his community – regardless of his exposure to western opportunities – is remarkable. Melton is an inspiration!