By Kinya Kaunjuga
What would normally be a 30 minute drive had turned into a four hour adventure. The four men who recruit clinics for BANDA’s clinic management software had spent days mapping out their route. They were hopeful that recent protests in the country would not take place on the day they had meticulously selected to launch into a new territory in the city.
As fate would have it, or as Africa chooses what to blow your way after the rooster crows, unexpected rowdy mobs were gathering randomly wherever the police presence was scanty and blocking roads and highways, looting shops and destroying property. That’s what our implementation team at BANDA drove straight into.
Weaving through market stalls connected with makeshift timber bridges that were really just footpaths, they drove through a crowd of angry demonstrators battling it out with the police. It was too late to turn back. They had made it all the way with just less than a mile left to reach their first planned stop. Each of them knew it was time to gun it through the last cluster of market stalls and they braced themselves.
No one expected what happened next. As they descended towards the edge of the last alleyway with a clear road straight ahead in sight, a vendor began to lift his mukokoteni (homemade cart) and move it forward into the alley. Everyone in the car began to shout at the vendor to move. Paul, the skinniest of the team, had almost half his body hanging outside the back window screaming and waving at the man to get his attention. In a scene that mimicked something from an Indiana Jones movie, a space suddenly appeared right beside the car and David swerved, missing the vendor by a whisker. As he slammed on the brakes, they all turned back to look at what had just transpired. A mama mboga (veggie mama) was holding a rope and waving them on with a big smile. Some of the vendors were not new to the alleyway being used as an escape route by drivers trying to avoid traffic on the main road. They secure the roofs of the makeshift stalls with ropes, which they can easily loosen or pull back to create space for cars.
When the Banda recruitment quartet (Mike, David, Lawrence and Paul) are out in new areas, they are looking for what Simon Sinek describes well as “early adopters.” These are low-resource clinics ready to try an innovation like BandaGo before everyone else. The implementers know from experience what characteristics they are looking for in these clinics. Here are a few of them:
The implementers know that once a few early adopter clinics with the right characteristics are onboard, the implementers understand that referrals will quickly become the primary driver of new clinic clients. This network effect—where one clinic refers the next—accelerates growth. They also know that BandaGo is far from fully developed. As Banda Health Co-Founder and President Dr. Steve Letchford says, “The exciting thing is that BandaGo is being built in Africa for Africa – adding value, creating impact. As we keep investing in making BandaGo more powerful, we are able to both help a wider range of frontline clinics use technology to transform healthcare, and help them do more with that technology!”
The Banda team is deeply committed to bringing hope for the world’s most vulnerable patients using technology innovations and partnerships. We cannot thank each of you enough for joining our team as donors and encouragers to make this possible.
Our dreams are ambitious, and every bit of support is helping as we raise the remaining $139,000 for this year’s budgeted development work. Julie, our volunteer operations lead, makes sure that we stay transparent and accountable with our finances and our Financial Statements and Independent Accountants’ Review Reports. We are so thankful for you!
Kinya brings passion, an infectious laugh and 15 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit world to Banda Health. A Texas A&M alumni with a degree in Journalism and Economics, she says, "I love doing things that matter!"
Margaret Gibson is the Director of Development at BLESS.world. She has spent the past 12 years helping build strategic, innovative, mission-minded organizations that impact the most complex problems of our day. Previously, she was Director of Operations at CrowdHealth, a healthcare technology startup. Her prior professional fundraising experience includes Living Water International, The Gospel Coalition, and The Source for Women.
Ann is a seasoned leader with 12+ years of experience in strategy, innovation, and operational excellence. She was the Senior Director of Strategy and Alignment for Global Impact at McDonald’s Corporation. Before that, she was a Director of Strategy & Innovation for Global Delivery, where she spearheaded new operating models and digital products. Ann began her career as a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, advising clients on growth strategies and innovation.
Julie does whatever Steve asks her to do! In the early years before joining Banda Health, Julie put her passion for helping people through technology to use as an education-focused, data systems engineer. After spending a few years volunteering as an NGO Treasurer in Kenya, she returned to the USA and fine-tuned her passion to simply focus on adult learning.
Julie’s healthcare hero is the on-call ortho surgeon whose name she can’t remember, but whose skills saved her foot after a car accident.
Clinton is a software developer with in-depth experience in software design, development, implementation, and testing. In a nutshell, solving clients’ needs is his specialty. He graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with a bachelors in computer technology.
Clinton’s personal healthcare hero is all the doctors and nurses willing to work in low resource areas.
Lawrence markets BandaGo in new areas and onboards clinics who are ready to get started. He joined Banda Health first as an Ambassador, gaining experience in surveying, IT and sales.
His personal healthcare hero is Dr. Steve Letchford at Kijabe Hospital.
Michael helps clinics get started with BandaGo. He joined Banda Health after gaining initial work experience in IT support and data management. He graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with a bachelors in mathematics and computer science.
Michael’s personal healthcare hero is Dominic Ngalo, a data analyst at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
Jeremy is our on-the-ground man, making sure the pilot sites have what they need to use our software. He previously worked as a systems analyst and team lead after getting his bachelors degree in computer science at Africa Nazarene University.
Jeremy’s personal healthcare hero is Isabella Muturi, a nurse at AIC Marira Clinic in Kenya.
David’s personal healthcare heroes are the doctors, nurses and physical therapists in his own family.
Steve is the visionary behind Banda Health. After two decades working as a doctor and hospital administrator in Africa, he has stories that will convince even the biggest skeptic of the impact that IT can have on African healthcare.
Steve’s personal healthcare hero is Irene Mundia, a licensed practical nurse at Mushima Rural Health Centre in Zambia.
Kevin is a passionate data enthusiast. He ensures that Banda Health can tell a story through their data. His vision is to serve as a gatekeeper for Banda’s data so that stakeholders can understand data and use it to make strategic business decisions. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Strathmore University.
Kevin’s personal healthcare hero is all the doctors and nurses giving it their all during the pandemic.
Kinya keeps all of the logistics working at Banda Health with 15 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit world and a lot of energy! A Texas A&M alum (Journalism and Economics), her laugh is infectious. She is passionate about expanding the global digital agenda to include social innovation in healthcare initiatives.
Kinya’s personal healthcare hero is Dr. Shelley Machuta, a Radiation Oncologist in Covington, GA.
Nelly is our “concepts expert.” She ensures that all the necessary terms for our clinical modules are mapped and submitted to CIEL (concept dictionary). She’s a clinical epidemiologist with a master’s degree in epidemiology and disease control.
Nelly’s personal healthcare hero is Dr. Steve Letchford at Kijabe Hospital.
Kevin is undoubtedly our most outgoing developer! Before joining Banda Health, he spent 5 years in software consulting, working as a developer and manager at Pariveda Solutions. He completed his bachelor’s in aerospace enginnering at the University of Texas.
Kevin’s personal healthcare hero is Kate B., a physical therapist at Evangel VVF Center in Jos, Nigeria.
Jessica keeps the team organized. Whether it’s filing tax forms or preparing board reports, she makes sure it gets done on time! Before joining Banda Health, Jessica used her organization skills at a soccer start-up in Germany. She graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s in Ethics, Politics and Economics and completed her master’s in International Relations at the Free University of Berlin.
Jessica’s personal healthcare hero is Jairos Fumpa, a cataract surgeon at Mukinge Mission Hospital in Zambia.
Andrew makes sure the Nairobi team stays on track. He may seem quiet, but don’t underestimate his passion and expertise when it comes to health technology. He’s worked with leading businesses both in Kenya and internationally.
Andrew’s personal healthcare hero is Benedetta, a cashier at AIC Marira Clinic in Kenya.
Wes oversees all things technical. If you want a sneak peek at the roadmap, he’s your man! With 15 years of programming experience in the US private sector plus 5 years of technical consulting and team leadership, he definitely knows what he’s doing.
Wes’ personal healthcare heroes are the Christian medical missionaries working around the world.