Kenyan Fighting FGM Crowned World’s Best Nurse

Chukwuebuka Festus

Kenyan-nurse, Anne Qabale Duba, has been named the World’s best nurse in the inaugural Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award at a ceremony held in Dubai.

Anna Qabale Duba, who practices at Marsabit County Referral Hospital in northern Kenya walked home with $250,000 after a panel of judges, championed her work in helping to protect vulnerable women and children in Africa.

Duba, the founder of Qabale Duba Foundation in Kenya has been championing against harmful cultural practices against women like female genital mutilation, FGM, and early/forced marriage, alongside empowering women through education, implementing peace-building activities, and advocating for girl-child education. 

The centre trains women and children and equips them with skills to enter the working world. While the foundation been open for only five years, she said she hopes it leads to more of her graduates entering the field of nursing. 

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“I am happy and proud because growing up in a rural village in Kenya, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be celebrating on a global platform like this,” she said.

“I come from a place where illiteracy levels are very high. I am the only graduate in my village and in my family.

“I do not discount boys and men but I focus my efforts on women and children, because in my country we do not get equal opportunities.

“Through my organisation, I have built a unique school in my village that teaches both children and their parents, because for me education is key to a better future.”

Ms Duba said: “With the money, I plan to open a boarding school, so more children have access to education as they won’t need to travel for hours to get there.

“I also want to start a maternity shelter.

“In my region, 99 per cent of women still deliver at home due to lack of services, so I want to bridge this gap.”

More than 24,000 nurses from 184 countries submitted their applications.

Source: BBC

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