Anna Qabale Duba, who was named the world’s best nurse in May 2022, has extended her hand to help build a school in her home village.
Duba, in the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award event held in Dubai, won Ksh29 million after emerging first for her works to empower women and fight against harmful cultural practices.
"The Aster award changed my life. I got 40,000 square metres of land from the community, and the construction has begun for a proper school with grades one to eight," she told The National.
The nurse explained that she was inspired to help the community because of her background in Tuba village Marsabit county.
“Financial constraints were always the issue. You have all the ideas and the heart to help, but it's futile if there is no money," she explained.
Furthermore, Duba recounted the sorry state of the school when she began her journey to provide classrooms for the children.
"When I started this school, I began from scratch. There was one classroom made of tin sheets and I could only accommodate six children," she added.
Following her unexpected win, the school can now accommodate 160 pupils. She hoped to accommodate 300 more when the school is fully completed.
However, in the drought-stricken area, the nurse noted that it was difficult to persuade the residents to stay in one place and allow their children to attend school.
"I hope the children who benefit from the school and the work we do will have a bright future and will come back to their roots and uplift their people," she hopefully remarked.
Notably, the award attracted nominations from over 24,000 nurses across the world, signifying the magnitude of Duba scooping the award.
"I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be acknowledged and celebrated in such a way. This is a win for Kenya, for Africa, and the girls in the villages," Duba stated when she received the award.
