The Heart To Heart foundation is a Kenyan medical charity dedicated to the control prevention and treatment of heart disease in children. Heart to heart foundation was established in 1993 under the trustee’s act of the laws of Kenya and has been running four programmes namely:
The establishment of the Heart to Heart foundation was a realization of a dream of two founder trustees, Dr. B.M. Gikonyo and Dr. Dan Gikonyo. The two heart specialist’s vision arose from the realization that the local heart specialists could not treat their patients to the logical end despite their experience and expertise due to the financial constraints experienced by the affected families.
High incidences of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease coupled with high cost of treatment and the need to provide quality care to the needy children made the two cardiologists bring together a team of professional’s cardiologists and other people who shared similar concerns to establish the foundation.
Through the efforts of the two founder trustees a local solution to reduce cost for treatment of Heart patients was founded. The foundation has grown to an institution of national repute and its impact on the control and prevention of rheumatic fever, the management and treatment of heart diseases has been magnificent.
To date the foundation has assisted or been directly involved in over 300 open heart surgeries on children who had no hope as their parents were to pay.
The foundation owes its success to the support and good will of individuals and corporations, the commitments of its founders, board members and the team of volunteer professionals.
The vision of heart to heart foundation is to eradicate preventable heart disease in children under the age of 18 as well as ensuring that no child lacks access to treatment because of poverty.
A charitable organization dedicated wholly towards the advancement of the education training, prevention and relief of suffering of residents of Kenya afflicted by heart disease through:
The objectives of Heart to Heart Foundation are:-
To carry out open-heart surgery and provide financial assistance to indigent patients (+18) diagnosed of heart disease
To promote assist and establish programmes which will increase access to cardiovascular services for needy patients
To create awareness concerning risk factors in congenital and acquired heart diseases
To sponsor and avail financial support to medical and paramedical personnel who wish to specialize in cardiology and cardiovascular profession
To disseminate information to schools, children, parents, communities and relevant government agencies to organize seminars on rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseases
The current structure of the H2HF includes:
The authority of the foundation is vested in the Board of Trustees in accordance with Trustees Deed Act Cap 167 of the laws of Kenya. The founding board Trustees were namely Mr. J.J. Mageria (Chairman), Dr. D. K. Gikonyo and Dr. B.M Gikonyo.
The trustees fulfil a legal requirement and have entrusted the management of the H2HF to a Board of directors.
The board of directors formulate policies, provide general direction, guidance as well as approve projects and budgets.
An Executive Director- Mrs Juliet Nyaga who heads the Foundation and is responsible to the trustees and board of directors.
The executive director initiates, coordinates and directs programmes, fund raisings activities as well as public relations and publicity activities of the foundation. She has by a skeleton staff but supported by Board directors, philanthropists and the community at large.
The programme director, who is under the Executive Director and is responsible for programme development, project implementation, organising and coordinating fund raising functions, financial and general administration.
The administrative secretary; for logistics support and general administration.
Volunteers; to heart to heart foundation who works at no cost to the foundation
Our three key messages for the Heart Run are as below: -These are the messages we are using to develop our messaging framework and the media leveraging plan.
