Safari Doctors

Born in 1983, Omar spent her early childhood in the Lamu village of Tchundwa, and later attended primary school in Nairobi. At 17 she left Kenya to pursue her International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales. During these years she received a grant to launch an AIDS awareness initiative in Kenya, an experience that reinforced her commitment to social justice. 

Omar earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and psychology at Oberlin College in Ohio. After completing her graduate studies at the World Learning Institute in Vermont she began working as a consultant, dividing her time between Nairobi and New York City. 

On a trip to Lamu with her husband and newborn child, Omar witnessed first-hand the struggle of indigenous communities to obtain basic healthcare. The experience changed the trajectory of her career. During her visit she learned of an earlier initiative to deliver medical care to the region, which had ceased operations in the face of intensifying terrorist violence. Determined to fill the void, Omar founded Safari Doctors. 

In the beginning, Omar and her medical team traveled from village to village, conducting routine examinations, making referrals and administering vaccines. As they established greater trust with the remote communities, Omar and her team also advised indigenous men and women on family planning. Eventually, the group established a permanent clinic on Lamu Island.

Over time Safari Doctors expanded its geographical reach and its services. In 2018, the organization launched Youth Health Ambassadors, a program that trains young people to collect medical data and provide basic care within their villages. That same year, the group established Safari Vets, an initiative to treat common diseases in household pets and livestock.

By 2022, Safari Doctors offered medical care in 34 remote villages throughout Lamu County, treating more than 15,000 patients annually. The organization had also broken ground on the construction of Shungwaya Health Access, the first modern health facility in Lamu, and had developed plans to expand into neighboring Tana River and Garrisa Counties.

Meanwhile Omar’s efforts to improve health outcomes in her native region have led her into the political arena. In 2022 she ran for governor of Lamu, campaigning on a platform of universal healthcare. Although her bid fell short, Omar continues to expand her public profile, advocating tirelessly to bring quality medical services to the underserved people of Lamu County.

Contributors: Maha Tazi, Stephen Meyer, Stephen Meyer