Mzee Geoffrey - An original AMREF Pioneer
At the age of 94, Geoffrey Gathirwa Gakuo is known by the respected title of Mzee, or elder.
He is also respected for being one of AMREF’s longest serving employees, working with the organisation in various capacities for over three decades.
When Mzee Geoffrey met AMREF founder Michael Wood in the early 1950’s, he didn’t realise that it was the beginning of his career.
“Dr. Wood used to treat people at his Limuru farm house and as I always used to take people for treatment, we often met regularly and our friendship grew up from there”, says Mzee Geoffrey. He adds, “I later met with the doctor as I was walking around the Norfolk Hotel and he suggested that I could go and see where he worked. This was later to be a big and important step in our friendship”
After several visits, Dr. Wood suggested that they work together at the Vedic House in Nairobi City Centre. He accepted the offer and moved in as a messenger.
As a result of his efforts and dedication to his job, he was rewarded with a promotion to the position of a supervisor, and he continued working with AMREF until his retirement in 1987.
He has seen AMREF grow, and more so, contributed in this tremendous growth.
“AMREF was so peaceful, from the Director General to the last person in the hierarchy. All employees were always dedicated and executed their duties with one heart, without questions or arguments. AMREF provided a very conducive working atmosphere to its employees. And that is why people working together will always deliver and achieve their targeted goals. For AMREF, this was made possible by the immense support from the management”, he says.
He also saw and believed AMREF to be an organisation meant for Africans as most of its employees were drawn from Africa. Only in two or three occasions when a non-African could be hired for a particular position for the sake of the organisations growth, which he says greatly helped improve the organisation.
He has always had a wish for AMREF. “My prayers were that AMREF would grow and spread to reach the entire disadvantaged people in the whole of Africa and the world as a whole. Our people should also be taught to recognise and know what AMREF is so that they can fully support it for effective service delivery.”
Since his retirement, Mzee Geoffrey has opted to stay at home, though he is now actively involved in church affairs.
He married Freciah Wambui, now 84, in 1937 and has been blessed with 9 children, 5 girls and 4 boys.
When not busy, he enjoys reading the bible (in Kikuyu, his mother tongue), and together with his wife, they are always assisted by their children, grandchildren and neighbours.
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