From: Mugo Muchiri
Los Angeles
November 22, 2008

It gives me great pleasure to inform my fellow Kenyans of Mrs. Ida Odinga’s imminent visit to Los Angeles (see attachment). Ida is the invitee of Helping Hands International (www.HHIFinc.org), a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to improve the delivery of medical services to the poor in Kenya.

At the helm of Helping Hands is Debra Akello, a Registered Nurse at a large Santa Clarita, CA hospital and a wonderful Kenyan whom I’ve been fortunate to count as a close friend for over a decade now.

The senseless violence that rocked the country in the aftermath of last year’s flawed presidential elections left a large gaping hole in Debra’s conscience. Debra was particularly moved by the widespread unavailability of health care services to the needy, a constituency that always seems to get the short end of the stick after collective catastrophes. After a series of engagements with some American friends, including some who challenged her to go beyond rhetoric, Debra took the bold step of forming HHIF.

She knew from her experience that most hospitals in Kenya are severely under-equiped especially in her field of specialty: Critical care. To date, she’s assembled a team of Physicians and Registered Nurses who have committed to go to Kenya in November 2009 on a medical mission targeting indigent, underserved communities.

The visiting team will also do a comprehensive study of the equipment needs of a number of Kenyan hospitals/medical centers with a view to procuring equipment from US hospitals that have since upgraded to newer inventories.

Our task as Kenyans in California is to now come together to support this noble initiative. Ida Odinga has accepted to be Guest Speaker at this fundraising event. Let us therefore please join MRS. IDA ODINGA, a personality I consider as the MORAL VOICE OF KENYA, to ensure the success of this noteworthy project.

EVENT: An Evening in the Night Sky Fundraiser

LOCATION: The Odyssey in Granada Hills, CA
15600 Odyssey Drive
Granada Hills, CA

DATE: December 5, 2008

SUGGESTED $: $50.00

RSVP: Debra Akello at dakello2@gmail.com

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Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:53:15 -0800 [11/22/2008 02:53:15 PM CST]
From: Mugo Muchiri
Subject: WELCOME IDA ODINGA TO LOS ANGELES – DEC 5, 2008