On May 12, 2022, two Kenya nurses from the Gabbra and Borana communities came together to celebrate their victories in Dubai, marking a significant step towards peace in their region.
Anna Qabale Dubas, a nurse from Marsabit, won the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, taking home a whopping $250,000 (Sh25 million) after beating nine other finalists. She was selected by a jury from among the initial 24,000 nominated nurses worldwide before being shortlisted as one of the 10 finalists.
Mr. Jirma, a nurse from Marsabit, was among the finalists who received Sh500,000 each. He was nominated for his service during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2015, where he threw his life on the line to serve in the capital Freetown under the African Union (AU).
The two nurses have declared their commitment to becoming peace and socioeconomic ambassadors not only in their county but in Africa. They plan to carry out peace campaigns across Marsabit using diverse platforms such as workshops, peace rallies, social media forums, and door-to-door campaigns.
“I believe this is the best opportunity for us to bury our differences and to build a longstanding truce, knowing well that we are one people and shouldn’t allow petty differences to continue drawing wedges between us,” Mr. Jirma said.
Ms. Qabale took home a whopping $250,000 (Sh25 million) after beating nine other finalists in Dubai. She was cited for selflessly dedicating her life to serving needy girls in Marsabit County.
Mr. Jirma has also spent more than 10 years striving to improve maternal and infant health services in Marsabit as the county’s Beyond Zero campaign manager.
The Aster Guardians International Nursing Award was founded in 2021 to acknowledge and recognise the humanitarian work of nurses worldwide.
