Ms. Mwanamvua Boga

Mwanamvua is a nurse manager working with the Kenya Medical Research Institute ‘s Welcome Trust Research Programme (KEMRI-WTRP) in Kilifi on the Kenyan coast. She works in an extremely busy pediatric unit at the Kilifi County Hospital that provides clinical care and conducts medical research on tropical diseases. The unit admits children ages 1-12 with various conditions, including babies born prematurely, meningitis, severe malaria, sepsis, severe pneumonia and cancer.

“The hardest part of my job has been balancing my primary responsibilities as a nurse manager and running training with being a wife and mother. It can be overwhelming, but thanks to the immense support and encouragement from my colleagues and family, I have managed. I also practice the skills I teach about managing emotions – when I feel overwhelmed balancing my responsibilities, I recognize how I feel. I take a step back from my emotions and reflect – and then strategize. I have the confidence that I do a good job and I just need to handle my emotions consciously, especially when I am tired or stressed.”