About Health Initiatives MissionHealth Initiatives Mission (HIM) was founded in October 2013 by Dr. Alex Lokeno, a pharmacist, and his wife, Mwana Lokeno, a Registered Nurse. Both Alex and Mwana are of the Pokot tribe. HIM is a non-profit organization registered in the State of Washington and is 501(C)3 tax exempt.
Health Initiatives Mission (HIM) is focused on funding medical and educational projects for the impoverished people of the Pokot tribe in Northwestern Kenya. The efforts of HIM will focus especially on alleviating the suffering of the Pokot women and children; the two groups that face the biggest health threats in Pokot community. |
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Kenya, located in East Africa, is roughly the size of Texas and is home to more than forty tribes. The Pokot are nomadic herdsman and their survival depends largely on herds of cattle, camels, and goats. Finding water and grass to sustain these herds is another challenge for the Pokot. Additionally, these herds must be protected from cattle raids by neighboring tribes. The Pokot tribe is one of the most marginalized and one of the least developed tribes in Kenya.
Both Alex and Mwana come from prominent families within the Pokot tribe. Alex’s father was the Chief and Mwana’s father was the Assistant Chief of the tribe long before Kenya gained its independence in the 1960’s. The status of Alex and Mwana’s families provided them with the opportunity to attend school when education was first introduced to their village. They were lucky enough to pass their High School Examinations and qualified for further College training. Alex is now working at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Tacoma, Washington as a clinical pharmacist. Mwana is currently working as a Registered Nurse (RN) at the Western State Hospital Tacoma, Washington.
Both Alex and Mwana believe that the United States of America has provided them with opportunities that were once beyond their wildest dreams. They both strive to give back to their communities by working in public hospitals and providing the best care possible for their patients. However, they also have a passionate desire to make life better in Kenya for those less fortunate members of their native Pokot tribe. That is why they formed a non-profit organization called Health Initiatives Mission (HIM). Through HIM, Alex and Mwana hope to help with the problems of female genital mutilation (FGM), pediatric malaria, and clean water.
Both Alex and Mwana come from prominent families within the Pokot tribe. Alex’s father was the Chief and Mwana’s father was the Assistant Chief of the tribe long before Kenya gained its independence in the 1960’s. The status of Alex and Mwana’s families provided them with the opportunity to attend school when education was first introduced to their village. They were lucky enough to pass their High School Examinations and qualified for further College training. Alex is now working at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Tacoma, Washington as a clinical pharmacist. Mwana is currently working as a Registered Nurse (RN) at the Western State Hospital Tacoma, Washington.
Both Alex and Mwana believe that the United States of America has provided them with opportunities that were once beyond their wildest dreams. They both strive to give back to their communities by working in public hospitals and providing the best care possible for their patients. However, they also have a passionate desire to make life better in Kenya for those less fortunate members of their native Pokot tribe. That is why they formed a non-profit organization called Health Initiatives Mission (HIM). Through HIM, Alex and Mwana hope to help with the problems of female genital mutilation (FGM), pediatric malaria, and clean water.
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