The Mildred Smith Mission Health Center is a medical clinic that is located in the city of Awasi, Kenya, dedicated to the wellbeing of patients through the principles of education, prevention and wellness. It is named in honor of Mildred Nelson Smith, a missionary and food and nutrition specialist whose loving ministry to the bodies and souls of many in East Africa is still an inspiration.
I have been asked by several people what exactly I want to see accomplished by setting up this Center. That is a fair question. There are many good medical services being provided in Kenya by government, private and mission institutions which are already established. Certainly supporting any of them would be helpful. However, as a Family Physician, I do still see a need for care focused on the unique needs of the family, including an emphasis on nutrition counseling, education, and prevention, especially among the poor, who so often do not have the resources to seek care for anything except life-threatening emergencies. I also see a need for wholistic care, including dentists, behavior health specialists and social workers to be involved. Family Practice as a specialty is just emerging in Kenya, and establishing a modern center where those principles can be demonstrated, and even taught, will be a real contribution to the community.
The Mildred Smith Mission Health Center is a ministry of African Restoration Ministries, and is supported locally by the Church of Jesus Christ, Restoration Ministries, Kenya.