Hi everyone! I hope all of my peers are enjoying their time in Costa Rica and soon Brazil! I’m looking forward to reading about your needs finding experiences. I am approaching the end of my first week working at Medevice in Nairobi! So far, I have established with the company what my project for the summer entails, as well as the milestones I should be completing every week. I will be working with a suction device used to remove blood, mucus, and debris that obstruct the surgeon’s view during the surgery. The need has arisen specifically from an orthopedic surgeon here (who I have not yet had the chance to speak with, but hope to very soon!) who has explained to other members of the company that they deal with clogging within the tubes/system that slows the flow of surgery. We have reviewed milestones and expectations for my role in solving this problem. This week, I was responsible for completing preliminary research, understanding why suction machines are used, how they are used, and what different models are offered here in East Africa. I have had a lot of fun diving into a new medical device that seems to get shrouded by all of the other fancy technology in the operating rooms (or theatres, as they call it here in Kenya), but still remains a key player in ensuring the most optimal outcomes for surgery. We are hoping I can meet with one of the surgeons and even view a surgery to understand how these machines are used, either this Saturday or next week. I’m very excited to be helping developa solution for this pesky problem!
The environment at work is very lovely, as well. The company is small, only about 7 employees, 9 including Emma and me, for the internship experience. The office is in the first-level sunroom of the CEO’s home (which is so extraordinarily beautiful, with luscious avocado trees and flowers, and shrubs and new birds), so everyone is quite close. It is a very friendly, helpful environment where everyone seems to be happy to be working for Medevice. I have been able to ask any questions to help me feel more comfortable with my role, and have only been met with helpfulness and smiles. Homemade lunch is provided for us, so I am able to try authentic, home-cooked Kenyan dishes without having to find them in the wild! So far, we’ve had lentils, potatoes, and cabbage, rice, green gram (mung beans), and cabbage, and ugali, goat, and greens. It’s also a shoes-off office, which gives work a comfortable, more relaxed feel.
Other than work, we have been able to experience Nairobi for all its worth; bustling streets, friendly people, and high-rise malls. We have gone to a climbing gym (in a high-rise mall), gone out to eat at a Persian restaurant (also at a mall), and to the grocery store (you guessed it). Stray kittens are littered all around our apartment building. There are security guards for most doors and gates. The hospital we visited had way too many babies sharing beds. They drive on the left side of the road, get really, really, really close to each other, and don’t really stop at red lights. Okay, bye for now. I’ll be back soon with more. Kwaheri!
