COVER STORY
COVER STORY
By Friends
PREAMBLE
Dr Eunice Songa-Saraceno was a twin but really she was one of a kind . She epitomised the meaning of her name in that she conquered everything she set her mind to . She described herself as : “ Mum . Wife . Anaesthesist . Entrepreneur . Addicted to challenge .” But she was so much more than all of those things . She was a Doctor , she spoke French , Spanish and Italian , she played the flute and she was a business woman .
Where she identified gaps in any market , she sought to fill them . Having seen that Kenyan woman lacked quality hair products , she imported and distributed these . She saw that the Kenyan public could not get credible information about the healthcare sector and was in the process of launching Health Direct , a website dedicated to providing up-to-date and easy-to-access registers of healthcare practitioners in Kenya .
‘ Eunice started the blog the “ New Mau Mau Revolution ” because she recognised the apathy that many of us feel toward the current economic and social situations that surround us . She shared her first piece of writing on the blog “ A Call to Action : Wake up Middle and Upper Class Kenyans ” with us her closest friends on Tuesday 24 January 2017 ( three days before she passed ) and it made for uncomfortable reading and much debate amongst us .’’
She was also in the process of developing a workshop , where she would teach basic first aid and CPR classes to her community - in that way using her line of work to impact those closest to her .
These are just a few examples of the numerous projects she brought to life and had in her mind . Few people knew that Eunice was a writer and was already published . She wrote content for websites and is described as “ an outstanding member ” of the Kenyan community of freelance writers .
Eunice started the blog the “ New Mau Mau Revolution ” because she recognised the apathy that many of us feel toward the current economic and social situations that surround us . She shared her first piece of writing on the blog “ A Class to Action : Wake up Middle and Upper Class Kenyans ” with us her closest friends on Tuesday 24 January 2017 ( three days before she passed ) and it made for uncomfortable reading and much debate amongst us .
Never one to shy away from making her point , she challenged us to reflect on our own indifference and act . We cannot thank her enough for her words and we will now act on them in her memory . The fact that they have resonated with so many would have brought her tremendous joy and will be an enormous source of pride for Luca , her husband and Sofia her daughter . Rest with the angels Eunice , we will all miss you more than you know .
By Dr . Eunice Songa-Saraceno ’ s Friends : Nzilani Simu , Pauline Nyachae , Vicky Ncheeri , Ceri Njuguna , Peninah Njuguna- Auerbach and Njeri Wagacha available on mail at : Njeriww @ gmail . com .
52 MAL 16 / 17 ISSUE