PRO.SA – Who they are and what they do:

The Foundation for the Promotion of Human Development and Health – PRO.SA NGO was established in 2001 to sustain the work of the missionaries of the Camillians Catholic religious order founded in 1582 by St. Camillus de Lellis, aimed to fight poverty.

PRO.SA Foundation operates in 30 countries through selected local partners to encourage the active involvement of the local population, and to promote inclusive and empowering processes, with specific consideration for the most vulnerable groups: children, women, elderly, ill people, and people with disabilities. The main areas of intervention are: the fight against hunger, health, education, development, and emergencies.

What NEF does with PRO.SA:

In 2024 NextEnergy Foundation is starting the partnership with Pro.sa on Health Thematic Area by funding the replacement of batteries and inverters at St. Camillus Mission Hospital in Karungu, Kenya.

St. Camillus Mission Hospital is a Level 4 private, charitable hospital with 127 beds, run by the Camillians in Migori County, Kenya. Established in 1997, it serves around 250,000 people, providing integrated, accessible, and quality healthcare to the poor, elderly, and vulnerable. The hospital faces challenges such as high poverty levels, illiteracy, and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the community.

Despite these challenges, the hospital is dedicated to offering hope, healing, and quality healthcare. It has a rich history of serving marginalized groups, including the sick, poor, widows, elderly, orphans, and those affected by HIV/AIDS. The hospital’s mission is to provide compassionate care without discrimination and also operates the St. Camillus Training School for nurses, emphasizing affordable education for girls from poor families.

The hospital currently runs on a grid tie power system which is sustained by 3 forms of energy supply: utility power from National grid during the day, diesel power generator and solar panels connected to lead acid batteries (to be replaced). Currently, all operations that rely on power can be run for only 6 hours a day and 4 hours at night and constant blackouts can affect operations even for several days.

By funding the installation of 3 lithium batteries and their inverters, NextEnergy Foundation will benefit the 4,540 in-patients and 24,331 out-patients by providing the hospital with:

• Availability of stable power at all times
• Automated power management system
• Guaranteed power backup in the event of power outages
• Reduce energy dependence and costs by up to 50% of yearly expenses
• Alignment with mission to be self-sustainable
• Reduce energy consumption by using efficient energy policies and avoiding wasteful consumption
• Contribute to a better environment by using renewable energy.

The installation will be completed over the next 2 months and an update will be provided shortly afterwards.