Selflessness would never go out of fashion. But between that and rising above personal tragedy, we do not know which is harder.
This 17-year-old Kenyan girl, Caroline Wambui, after experiencing the death of her uncle due to the lack of a kidney match on the black market, has decided to create an app, out of a personal tragedy, to save others from experiencing what she and her family had to go through.
Wambui's idea is to connect organ donors, patients and hospitals. She said,
''My uncle died due to lack of a kidney match, it took a long time to find a kidney on the black market, it was a tragedy for us, and didn't want another family go through the tragedy that we went through."
''The app would allow you to know if you are eligible to donate an organ and to check the medical requirements of the patient in need.''When Teacher Damaris Muteti who had learnt how to code on a course by Intel, understood Wambui's mission, she decided to step in and assist. In Muteti's words:
''She had a good idea, and I thought if I could help a young girl, then she would also teach other women about technology, and that would help a lot of women not only in Kenya but Africa as a whole to know how to use computers. That would be a plus for our community."
Together they built a prototype and found partners to work with even though they have been on a low key, waiting to see if the law would be passed allowing people to donate their organs after their death, if they knew they would die. The issue is that there is, currently, a thriving illegal organ sale business in Kenya, with a number of back-street dispensaries.
If the government can fix that little itch on their part, then Caroline Wambui could save lives by the touch of a button! And did you notice it is not just Wambui who is selfless here? Damaris Muteti is also a great example to follow.
What can you do for your community today? Think about it. #MotivationMonday
Excerpts from BBC
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