Forbes Africa has listed Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology student, Dr. Joan Ruguru Kimani, as one of the Top 30 under 30 class of 2022 achievers in the June edition of Forbes ranking.
Dr. Ruguru who is set to graduate with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree of JKUAT during the 38th Graduation Ceremony, slated for June 28, 2022, was outstanding in her work on Child health and Parenting.
Ruguru Kimani, as she prefers to be called, is also the 2020 winner of the Top 35 under 35 Youth of the Year Award and continues to trail the blaze, bagging accolades and recognition, courtesy of her unrelenting passion for matters Child health and Parenting.
She is arguably one of the brightest young Africans who are trailing the blaze with their outstanding work as innovative thinkers on the cusp of shaping the continent’s trajectory in various fields. And for Ruguru Kimani, it is the area of Child Health and Parenting.
Having already taken the Hippocratic Oath that was administered by the Medical Council in February this year, Doctor Ruguru has seen her star rise steadily:
She is poised to represent Kiambu County in the battle for “Ms. President, an Academy/ Competition” that is supported by the European Union, United Nations and the Canadian Government under a programme run by Media Focus on Africa.
Her passionate engagement on Child Health and Parenting issues has now catapulted her to the continent’s limelight, following her latest recognition and listing as one of the Top 30 under 30 Africans by Forbes AFRICA.
Ruguru is one of the four Kenyans who made it to the coveted list of 30 individuals from Africa, honoured by Forbes AFRICA class of 2022 for their exceptional contribution to the growth of the continent.
Ruguru Kimani topped in the Child Health and Parenting category, as her counterparts from Kenya: Elsa Majimbo was lauded for her creativity as a social media influencer, while Sylvia Gathoni was recognized for championing E-Sports in the continent, as Charlot Magayi was recognized for her endorsement of clean energy, a statement from Forbes AFRICA, stated.
According to Forbes, “The list features Africans under the age of 30 who are innovative entrepreneurs, tech geeks, sports stars and influential creatives contributing to the continent’s growth story.”
Forbes says, it has unveiled a new category – Health /Science, “to celebrate young professionals, entrepreneurs and unlikely heroes set on reinventing the healthcare sector in Africa.”
The 2022 winners were selected by a panel that included editors from Forbes Africa who vetted and evaluated thousands of nominations.
What does she feel about Forbes recognition and achievement?
“It is an inspiration to the youth that passion and hobbies can be turned into professional ventures. I feel it is a validation of my work and a lesson on consistency in projects that one is interested in,” adding, “The fact that I have been doing it pro bono, shows that people can be rewarded from giving back freely to the community. I have been blogging for 7 years and growing my audiences and numbers.”
Ruguru Kimani, 27, an alumna of Maryhill Girls, is very clear in her mind what she wants to achieve: “my main goal is to get into global health and policy making space in regard to child health.”
Ruguru whose future dream is to “hold a position at the World Health Organization focusing on improving the lives of children” says she wants to ensure her passion in Child health is achieved.
In the next five years, Ruguru’s plans, in her own words, are crystal clear: “to become a prolific writer with an expansion of my blog platform to print media and create employment for people who have a passion to write when it comes to parenting and child healthcare.”
Adding, “I hope to be a successful medical doctor and later, specialize in Paediatrics and Child Health.”
She says, “JKUAT School of Medicine has given me a rare opportunity and a conducive environment to grow as a writer and medical student. My mentors; Dr. Justus Simba and Dr. Patrick Mburugu and my parents for playing an enormous role in my success.”
In 2020, Ruguru, an articulate medical student in the School of Medicine, won the Top35Under35Youth of the Year Award in the Health Services Category for her compelling phenomenal youth engagement accomplishments, particularly her exquisite exposition of child health and parenting issues.
The Top 35Under35 Awards & Expo is a Youth Agenda’s annual initiative focused on three main programme areas of Youth Engagement in Leadership and Governance, Youth Economic Empowerment, and, Gender Development and Advocacy.
The 2020 National Youth Week and the International Youth Day was organized by the State Department of Youth Affairs in partnership with other stakeholders committed to the youth agenda.
Ruguru has consistently demonstrated her passion through writing on Child Health and Parenting issues, as demonstrated by several media articles and reviews from her fans. The annual competition targets participants under the age of 35, with compelling ideas in the areas of youth leadership, governance, economic empowerment and gender development.
The Founder/CEO of Exciting Parenting, also runs a blog (www.excitingparenting.com), a vibrant and dedicated platform where she articulates important information on children and parenting.
“I have received feedback indicating that I have been able to impact lives of young parents through creating skills and knowledge on important parenting and healthcare topics, such as danger signs of illnesses, essential First Aid skills and management of bedwetting in children.
Ruguru believes her strong writing skills were instrumental in her nomination as well as handling a technical niche of parenting and child healthcare, without the real practical experience of being a parent, has been viewed as an outstanding achievement.
As one of the Forbes class of 2022, Dr. Ruguru Kimani is “shining a light on the issues plaguing Africa’s growth in a pandemic era and is also working towards shifting the narrative in innovative ways.”
Source: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology