Grace Kipas: A Maasai Patient's Personal Story

Grace Kipas: A Maasai Patient's Personal Story
The names and other identifying information about these patients have been altered to protect their privacy. Grace Kipas is a clerical staff member at the African Mission Services clinic in the area of Transmara. CCC was proud to have Grace as our first patient, to examine her, and to treat her with cryotherapy to prevent her lesions from becoming cervical cancer. Grace is 24, single, and lives in a small apartment on the clinic grounds with her two nephews, David and Dan (see photo). One nephew was placed with her so he could live near his school. The second nephew has been informally adopted by Grace because her sister’s husband rejected the boy in a fit of jealousy. Grace loves having the children around, and feels as if they are her own. Grace finds working at the AMS main clinic rewarding because of the opportunity to give back to her community. She was sponsored in school by the head of AMS, Andrew Aho, whom she sees as her father. The closeness of the clinic community and the Massai community is evident everywhere.