KCMC | FOKCMC - Friends of KCMC
Friends of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre
Helping the next generation of Tanzanian doctors complete their training.
FOKCMC is a small charity, run by volunteers with strong ties to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, that funds students in hardship so they can finish their studies and go on to care for millions of people across northern Tanzania.
Who are the Friends of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre?
The FOKCMC charity was set up in 2004 and is managed by a group of individuals — the Trustees — who have strong connections with KCMC from working or volunteering at the hospital.
The charity works with the Scholarship Committee at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University and the Directors of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre to identify students who are experiencing hardship and who require financial support to complete their studies.
The Trustees meet twice each year to consider requests for sponsorship. Each year the list of students in need seems to increase — and it is so hard to select students for support.
What your support makes possible
Many of the students the charity assists come from subsistence farming families and have no other way of meeting the costs of their training. A small amount of support at the right moment can change the whole course of a career — and the care available to thousands of patients.
Dr Elichilia Shao
Graduated 2007
Dr Elichilia Shao graduated in 2007 supported by the charity. Following graduation, he worked at KCMC and was offered a one-year HIV Fellowship at Harvard University. Later on he completed his MSc in Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Biology.
He currently works in KCMC's Department of Internal Medicine as a physician and infectious diseases specialist and has more than 40 published articles in peer-reviewed journals. He serves as the chair of the College Academic Staff Association (CASA) at KCMUCo.
Dr Rafiki Mjema
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Dr Rafiki Mjema was sponsored to complete her Masters to advance her professional skills. On return to the Obstetric & Gynaecology Department at KCMC she was able to implement critical improvements in obstetric care, such as establishing standardised protocols for managing high-risk pregnancies, and participating in development of a protocol for induction of labour.
She is now part of the National Trainers of Trainees programme.
Why is it important to support students?
- ➤ Tanzania has a significant shortage of healthcare professionals to serve a large population of 67.4 million people (2023).
- ➤ There is currently 1 doctor for every 23,000 people in Tanzania (WHO 2022), compared to 3 doctors for every 1,000 in the UK.
- ➤ KCMC is the main consultant-led referral hospital for 15,000,000 people in Northern Tanzania and is a national teaching hospital.
- ➤ The charity supports the hospital's aims for development by sponsoring the education of new doctors and also doctors requiring speciality training.
- ➤ In recent years a number of master's postgraduate trainees have been sponsored and, upon completion of studies and qualifying as a specialist, have been employed by KCMC to enhance healthcare services for the local population. The doctors are also a valuable teaching resource for Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University.
Doctors per head of population
- Tanzania
- 1 per 23,000 people
- United Kingdom
- 3 per 1,000 people
- Source
- WHO, 2022
Increasing speciality skills
Sponsoring a doctor through speciality training has an effect far beyond one individual. Specialists who qualify return to KCMC, raise the standard of care on the wards, and pass their knowledge on to the next cohort of students.
Dr Rafiki Mjema's story is a good example: her Master's funding led directly to new, standardised protocols in the Obstetric & Gynaecology Department — and to a role training others through the National Trainers of Trainees programme.
Impact on return to KCMC
- ✓ Standardised protocols for high-risk pregnancies
- ✓ Development of a protocol for induction of labour
- ✓ Critical improvements in obstetric care
- ✓ National Trainers of Trainees programme
How can I help?
Every year the list of students needing support grows, and the Trustees have to make impossible choices. A regular gift or a one-off donation helps a student in hardship finish their training — and helps KCMC keep specialist doctors in northern Tanzania.
Working with the Scholarship Committee at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University and the Directors of KCMC.