About The Shikuri Project
We are a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, community workers, and volunteers united by a single mission: saving children’s lives from sickle cell disease in Homa Bay, Kenya.
Our Story
The Shikuri Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children living with sickle cell disease, particularly in underserved communities. Founded on compassion, advocacy, and action, the project works to ensure that children affected by sickle cell receive timely diagnosis, quality medical care, and the support they need to live healthier, fuller lives.
Operating primarily in Kenya, The Shikuri Project partners with local hospitals, healthcare providers, and community leaders to strengthen sickle cell screening, establish specialized clinics, and improve access to essential treatment and medication. By focusing on early diagnosis and continuous care, the organization helps reduce preventable complications and mortality associated with sickle cell disease.
Our Mission
Reduce child mortality from sickle cell disease in Homa Bay through comprehensive screening, treatment, and family education.
Our Vision
A future where no child in Homa Bay dies from sickle cell disease where every affected child has access to care and can thrive.
Our Goal
Reduce child mortality from sickle cell in Homa Bay by 40% by 2029.
our team
CEO/president
Founder and President, Gail Sealy, is a retired United Nations official and the mother of Shikuri Sealy, for whom The Shikuri Project is named. She brings over 30 years of experience with the United Nations in international development and human resources management, including service as Senior Advisor for Institutional Development with the World Health Organization / Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO) from 2006 to 2008. Gail contributes deep expertise, long-standing commitment, and a global network to the planning and delivery of human development and health services. Her personal experience as a parent of a child living with sickle cell disease profoundly shaped her resolve to extend life-saving care to Kenyan children with SCD who lack access to essential medical services. This commitment lies at the very heart of The Shikuri Project.
professor dr william m macharia
The Hassan Ali Dhanari Professor and Chair
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health,
Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Babette Barbash Weksler, M.D.
Professor Emerita of Medicine (Hematology)
Weill Cornell Medical College
Retired Attending Physician
New York - Presbyterian Hospital
New York, NY, USA
Dr. Vincent Akoko Orinda
Retired Senior Health Advisor (Child Health), UNICEF,
Uganda and New York
Member of Scientific Advisory Committee of the DHS (Demographic and Health Survey)
Kenya
Adviser and Project Manager (pro bono) Dr Meshack Liru
Director of Curative and Preventative Services for Homa Bay county
Consultant Paediatrician and Child Health Specialist
Homa Bay County Referral Hospital,
Lead pediatrician and Head of Sickle Cell,
Homabay County Referral Hospital (Kenya)
2021-present Board member, Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association
2020-present Technical Director/Board member, Sickle cell Federation of Kenya
2020-present Deputy Director, Curative and Rehabilitative services, Homabay County
2019-present Adjunct Lecturer, University of Nairobi, School of medicine, Kenya
2019-2021 Acting Chief Executive Officer, Homabay County referral Hospital
2011-present Consultant Paediatrician at Homabay County Referral Hospital, Kenya
2011- present Head , Sickle Cell Care programme , Homabay County
2023- present Lecturer , School of Medicine, Kabarak University, Kenya
Project Coordinator and Project Clinician,Letrica Nasimiyu Wamalwa
Clinical Officer (BSc Clinical Medicine & Surgery) | Study Clinician |Project Coordinator - with experience in HIV programming, clinical research, and project coordination. Former Study Clinician under the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme Evaluation (MVIP) and currently Project Coordinator and Clinician running a sickle cell clinic at Ndhiwa Sub-County Hospital. Passionate about community health, research, and improving outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Our Partners
We work hand-in-hand with local government, healthcare facilities, and community organizations to create lasting impact.
Homa Bay County Refferal Hospital
Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital is a Level 5 public referral and teaching facility serving Homa Bay County and neighboring regions. Established in 1969, the hospital offers specialized and comprehensive medical services, including surgery, emergency care, maternal and child health, diagnostics, and clinical training, making it the main referral center in the county.
Ndhiwa Sub County Hospital
Ndhiwa Sub-County Hospital is a Level 4 public health facility located in Ndhiwa Sub-County, Homa Bay County. The hospital provides essential healthcare services including outpatient and inpatient care, maternity and child health services, laboratory diagnostics, pharmacy, and emergency care, serving as a key healthcare provider for the surrounding communities.
Join us in writing a new chapter for children with sickle cell disease in Homa Bay. Your support can help save lives..