25/09/2025
“Bule Mwanangu…” 🥹
Every time an elderly Swahili woman in her ‘buibui na mtandio’ walks in my consultation room and calls me “mwanangu” at the end of every sentence, my heart melts. I see my own mother in Faza and I am reminded why I chose this path.
Our Swahili women don’t just walk into the hospital, they carry stories, beliefs and the weight of culture with them. Before they sit across from me, they have already consulted sisters, cousins, neighbors (and their cousins too) and tried every traditional remedy passed down generations. Many come reluctantly, “pushed” by their millennial son or daughter, not necessarily ready to act on my advice.
But I have learned that my role is bigger than treatment. It is to convince without condemning, debunk misconceptions without dismissing, listen with empathy and above all to educate without arrogance.
Yes, they are a bit slower. Yes, English medical terms twist on their tongues until they shrub miserably. Yes, many cling stubbornly to dawa za kienyeji “kwa sababu hazina side effects”. But if you speak to their hearts and values, they listen. And when they do, healing happens both physically and mentally.
The joy of seeing them recover, smile, walk lighter and improve their quality of life is unmatched. And their gratitude? It often comes wrapped in labania, mabuyu and kashata often carried as sweet tokens of appreciation on their next visit!
This is what healthcare tailored to culture looks like. Wholesome. Healing. Human. Because to love our people means to understand them to the core. This is my calling. To serve them, to understand them and to treat them.
