Kakai Joan

Joan has always been interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. She was excited to receive her CROSO scholarship in 2017 so she could begin her studies at Mbale School of Nursing and Midwifery. Joan is passionate about obtaining her certificate in midwifery because she is aware of the high rate of mothers who die during childbirth due to the lack of medical facilities and staff. Throughout her studies, she’s had great educational opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. During one of her internships, she was able to work as an assistant to a midwife, which gave Joan first hand experience assisting mothers who were in labor, or during the postpartum time. 

It is clear that Joan takes her education seriously and is eager to obtain any opportunity that may advance her professional career. While Joan is on break from school, she often chooses to find work or volunteer opportunities to fill her time. She volunteered at C.R.O’s clinic and felt very proud to effectively treat the children. She has also interned at TASO, The AIDS Support Organization, in Mbale where she worked to learn how to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to their children. In her most recent semester, Joan’s favorite classes were abnormal midwifery and pediatrics. 

Vision for the Future:

Not only has Joan wanted to become a great midwife, but she also has plans to open her own maternity clinic. Joan is extremely passionate about providing education to her community on the many different aspects of women's health, with a particular interest in family planning. 

More on Joan’s Background:

Joan became independent at a very young age. She was forced to fend for herself after her family experienced a devastating fire that resulted in the death of her father and one of her five siblings. When C.R.O. found her, Joan eagerly accepted their assistance and became an extremely active student. She participated in C.R.O’s peer educator club, and even took the initiative after a training session to organize a group of girls to create sanitary pads for other girls in their community who may need them. While in secondary school, she became involved with netball and football and was even captain of her football team which lead her to receive multiple awards. In addition to her athletics, she also was a gender and welfare student leader at her school. Joan’s powerful empathetic persona and eagerness to help others will equip her with the right tools in order to become a successful midwife.