Closing out National Nurses Week 2026!
Meet Emily Akinyi Odari
Emily Akinyi Odari serves as a nurse at Mwanzo Wetu Health Services in Rabuor, Kenya, where care continues to grow and reach more families each day. At Mwanzo Wetu Health Services, Emily plays a key role in the clinic’s expanding HIV program. Her work includes providing HIV testing and counseling, supporting patients on treatment through follow-ups and medication reminders, and leading community sensitization and outreach efforts. She also assists with basic patient care, ensuring that each person who walks through the door is met with attention and dignity.
A Nurse Above Reproach
With more than five years of experience across public and private healthcare systems, Emily brings both technical skill and deep compassion to her work. She holds a Diploma in Social Work and Community Development, along with certifications in Counseling and Testing and Nursing and Palliative Care.
Emily’s experience spans Chulaimbo Sub County Hospital, Mainga Dispensary, Port Florence Community Hospital, and Siriba Dispensary, where she served as an HIV Testing and Counseling Provider and Community Health Assistant. Her commitment to this work began early. Growing up, Emily witnessed the stigma and isolation experienced by people living with HIV, including within her own extended family. Those experiences didn’t push her away from healthcare—they pulled her closer. What began as awareness became purpose. Today, that purpose shows up in the trust she builds with every patient she serves.
The Power of a Name
Emily shares the name Akinyi with me, your favorite forever intern!
My family has been calling me Akinyi since I arrived at 6:03 AM on June 1. It’s the name my mom uses more than any other of the 6 total names I have (you know MD is an overachiever in all she does 😅). As a proud member of my tribe and a student of my Luo culture, that name carries meaning for me personally. Traditionally given to a girl born in the morning, Akinyi reflects more than timing. It signals identity, connection, and belonging within community. For Emily, that connection is not symbolic; it’s lived.
As a Luo woman serving in Rabuor, she brings a level of cultural understanding that cannot be taught. She knows how conversations around health actually happen. She understands the weight of stigma, especially around HIV. She recognizes the questions that often go unspoken. That understanding builds trust. And in healthcare, trust is often the first step toward healing.
Care That Meets People Where They Are
At Mwanzo Wetu Health Services, care extends beyond one person.
Zilpa Apiyo Okumu, a registered community health nurse, is another vital part of the team. With diplomas in Community Health Nursing and Supply Chain Management and over six years of experience, she has previously served as lead nurse at Sega and Obwogre Health Centers in Siaya County.
At Mwanzo, Zilpa supports patient care from start to finish. She leads triaging, bedside nursing, and medication administration, while also managing inventory, documenting care, assisting during medical procedures, and responding to emergencies. Her work also includes patient advocacy and health education, ensuring that care is not only delivered, but understood. Together with teammates like Wycliff and others on staff, Emily and Zilpa help create a system of care that is both skilled and deeply human.
The Backbone, Everywhere
Whether in a major city in the United States or a rural community in western Kenya, one thing remains true. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. They are often the first voice a patient hears and the last person to check in before they leave. They translate complex systems into human experiences. They carry not just responsibility, but relationships. At Mwanzo Wetu Health Services, that looks like expanding access to HIV care, creating space for honest conversations, and walking alongside patients through some of life’s most vulnerable moments.
This Week and Beyond
As we come to the end of National Nurses Week, we honor Emily, Zilpa, and the many nurses who show up every day with care, consistency, and compassion. Because care does not begin with buildings.
It begins with people.
With gratitude,
AJ
Your Favorite (Forever) Intern