History of P4P
The inspiration for Partnering for Progress began in June of 2007 when Dr. Michael Mainer, Stacey Mainer ARNP, Sandy Ivers and her son Nick Ivers traveled to Kopanga, Kenya for volunteer medical work. The volunteer experience was organized by Alice Wasila Otieno Oloo, a Kenyan nurse who has dedicated her professional career to providing medical care to the people of the Kopanga region. Alice and her staff provide treatment for people with malaria, diarrhea, various skin conditions, malnutrition, pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS.
The health care clinic was a small, rented, and poorly maintained building with no electricity or running water. While this is not an uncommon sight in rural Africa, the volunteers were stunned by the primitive conditions and were determined to help improve the clinic and the quality of healthcare provided there. Upon returning to Spokane, Washington Partnering for Progress was formed.
In 2008 Partnering for Progress became a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. Since the initial trip to Kopanga in 2007, the organization has managed to raise enough money and support to build a new medical facility, install sanitation systems, and bring medical professionals to Kopanga on a bi-annual basis. The major emphasis of these trips is to provide training for local medical providers.
Today, Partnering for Progress is helping to stabilize the Kopanga clinic through short-term financial sponsorship, access to clean water and sanitation, professional medical training and health education. In addition, partnerships are being formed with local schools to foster a continuous inflow of educated healthcare providers. The goal is for the Kopanga clinic to be self-sustaining by 2013. When this is achieved, Partnering for Progress will expand into other areas of need using the successful model from the Kopanga clinic.