A Report on the Kenya School of Homeopathy, Kwale, Near Mombasa, Kenya

by Richard Pitt

I arrived in Kwale in May 2012 for the first Pan African Homeopathy Congress, being held at the Kenya School of Homeopathy. I had been working in Malawi for a few months, helping to establish a homeopathic clinic and training programme and by fateful coincidence, the conference was being organized at around the same time. And as Kenya was just “up the road” from Malawi, it seemed a really good thing to be part of.

I knew little about the Kenya school before I arrived. I had heard that a Dutch woman had established a “proper” homeopathic school, but little else. So I was very surprised when I arrived to find an amazing operation in place. There is now a 3 year full-time school, with over 50 students, all living on site and with a capacity for another one hundred students. The founder of the school is Marie Magre, a homeopath who moved to Kenya five years ago. She established an NGO called the 4kenia Trust and initially helped establish two primary schools. From there a homeopathic pilot project was created with help from Homeopathy Without Borders, which led to the vision of a homeopathy school. Fortunately she was donated some land next to a girl’s boarding school, and worked with local community organizations. She proceeded to get funding primarily from Holland, from government, private NGO’s and also individuals. Over the past five years she has developed the program, built all the facilities and worked with the government and local authorities to establish the school. As anyone can imagine, this is no small task, especially in Africa. 

The school formerly opened in October 2007. Initially it focused on offering orphaned and needy girls an education but since then they have opened up the opportunity to all male and female students who have graduated high school. However, the vast majority of students need sponsorship as they have little money and this comes from NGOs and individuals in Europe and elsewhere. As higher education in Kenya and most of Africa is not cheap, it is not accessible for most people. After three years of studying full-time, graduates receive a Diploma accredited by the Kenyan Government and also the Faculty of Homeopathy, UK. The faculty has been involved with the school since the beginning helping to establish a thorough evaluation and examination process.

The level of education achieved increases their chance of a job, although, similar to the challenges in establishing a practice in other countries, it is not easy. One of the main challenges is to raise the profile of homeopathy in Kenya and pursue more governmental recognition. However, having established such a comprehensive education at the Kenia school is a great foundation for the development of homeopathy in the country. Students are encouraged to open their own clinics and the school is now looking to help in this by developing franchise clinics where students and graduates can work, with the school helping to set up the facilities. Students are also encouraged to take their experience back to their home village and region they originally came from. 

Students already work somewhat autonomously in their 3rd year of schooling, practising in clinics outside of the school and being supervised by graduates and other teachers. So by the time they have graduated, they have acquired significant clinical training. 

The Kenya School is financially supported through the 4Kenia Trust (4kenia.nl). Fundraising for the school is done through the trust, which allows for many Europeans to get tax deductible donations. The school is very active in the local community, giving free healthcare to orphans from the local high school and also offering free mobile clinics to Kwale Boys Secondary School, the School for the Mentally Challenged Children and the nearby orphanage. Over two thousand children are reached this way. 

Teachers at the school consist of five graduates of the school, other ancillary teachers in subjects such as medical sciences and allied health subjects and a number of visiting guest teachers from Europe and elsewhere, giving students a wide range of access to teachers. There are currently twenty-two full-time local employees, as well as international guests and teachers. 

One of the most impressive things about the school is the facilities. All the buildings are well designed and built, using local materials and the roofs are in the beautiful Makuti-style. There is a library and computer room lecture hall, a new restaurant with amazing food, a central meeting area in traditional Kenyan style and also a vegetable garden and flowers everywhere. There is a laboratory and pharmacy and homeopathic clinic on site as well as the mobile and external clinics and this has all been done in the last five years. 

There are training facilities available for international students and homeopaths. Homeopathic graduates and fifth-and sixth-year students can obtain experience of tropical diseases and practicing in Africa. The permanent clinic at the Centre offers training facilities under supervision of an experienced team of international homeopaths, clinical officers and public health officers. Students can also gain experience at the four 4Kenia intern clinics, within a three hour drive of the main Centre in Kwale. Each branch has its own particular challenges. Interns are actively involved, and treat under supervision. They are also welcome to attend the daily lectures.

The laboratory conducts research of the effects of homeopathic treatment. A recent study of 5000 patients revealed that people mainly attend with the following complaints: headache, cough, back pain, asthma, high blood pressure, abdominal and chest complaints, and problems with teeth, skin and joints. These symptoms are often related to HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Staff take case histories and save these in an especially developed 4Kenia database. This allows them to share information with relevant third parties. The case histories are recorded by video. In the pharmacy, 4Kenia provides homeopathic remedies in tablet form using mother tinctures from reputable Indian homeopathic pharmacies. Since October 2010, these remedies are also available for the graduates to use in their own clinics.

In order to sustain all these activities and to develop the school further, fundraising is needed and is an ongoing challenge for Marie. A new dormitory has just been built and funds are needed to complete a number of other projects, including a new library and internet resource, a new generator for the lower campus to deal with the very frequent power cuts, the renovation of roofs and also to build five new pit latrines for the dormitory. There is also an important need to sponsor the growing number of students coming to the school. Marie is hoping that in three years, the school will be sustaining itself from tuition of students alone if the number of students increases towards its maximum of one hundred and fifty.

In the meantime funds are needed for the projects mentioned. In order to help with the school Marie can be contacted at marie@kenia.nl. I was very impressed by what Marie and all of the people working there at the school have achieved. As part of a Pan African vision, the Kenya school can be a model of education for other African countries and also foreign students from other countries who can come and get educated and take the knowledge back to their own country. There is a huge amount of potential and it is inspiring to see homeopathy contributing to the health needs of the Kenyan people. I recommend checking out the website of the school and to be in touch with Marie if you are interested in visiting or financially supporting the school.