Meet Tim & Robyn, Change Fellows for 30/30 Project: Kizimani Clinic

A Quick Throwback: In the beginning of last May, two very exciting events happened. First, we completed Phase I of the 30/30 Project and reached our first goal of raising funds to build the first health clinic in Nsambe, located in the Neno District of Malawi – a place where one in ten people are HIV+.

[For updates on both our Malawi Projects, you definitely should check out project managers Tyler and Malia’s blogs]

Second, we announced that it was time for Phase II of the 30/30 Project to begin.Eight months later:We are now proud to say that with the help our wonderful donors and sponsors, we have reached our goal and are ready to break ground in Kangundo, Kenya to build a clinic for Kizimani; a clinic that will serve thousands of people in a community that lacks basic medical care. Kangundo is home to over 100,000 people, many of whom are young children with relatively young parents and caregivers, and widows who have been impacted by HIV/AIDs, other communicable diseases, and poverty.Two people who share our excitement for this project and are passionate about providing healthcare are Tim and Robyn, a newlywed couple who trained all last week and took off on Sunday for Kenya. They are our newest project managers and will over see the Kizimani Clinic.Who are Tim and Robyn? Robyn and Tim are residents of Portland, OR and were married last June. With a heart for adventure, they love activities such as hiking, climbing, biking, and snowboarding. If they aren’t at The Gorge or climbing gym, you can most likely find them enjoying a home-cooked meal and reading. These two also share a heart for helping those in need. Last year they traveled with Kizimani to volunteer in Kangundo where they helped build gardens for the widow community and run a health clinic for the locals.Tim graduated from University of Washington with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering. Since graduating, he has worked for a construction management company called Skanska USA Building and has worked on multiple large scale commercial construction projects in the greater Portland area. Tim enjoys playing soccer and is bilingual in both English and Vietnamese (he is the first generation of his family born in the US).Robyn also graduated from the UW where she earned her degree in Public Health. Her international experience includes volunteering and studying abroad in Nepal. Robyn loves working with people from different cultures and has recently facilitated support groups in Portland for refugees. She has also supported various health research projects and is excited to bring her background in health to the Kizimani Clinic.We are beyond thankful for people like Tim, Robyn, and our supporters who made it possible to be one step closer in building a clinic for the people in Kangundo and providing healthcare to the children and families in need.