Communities Respond First (video)
Students listened closely to the soft voice and confident words Wairimu Mungai spoke at the Monterey Institute of International Studies a few months ago. "When people began to be sick and no one knew what was happening, it was community organizations that responded. It wasn't until 2002 that the Kenyan government responded to HIV and AIDS," she told the class. Wairimu explained how her work with WEM Integrated Health Service or WEMIHS, a highly regarded community-based organization in the Central Province of Kenya, listened to members of their community and worked with them to provide qaulity care and information to those who needed it most.
Wairimu is an Advisory Council Member to Firelight Foundation. She, along with 6 other advisors, provide on-the-ground knowledge to direct grants to the areas most in need and where the greatest impact will be made. In this video she talks about the impact of her work with Firelight as a grantee partner and Advisory Council Member to help community-based organizations solve their problems.