Cohort 
2019

Wambui Karanja

Dementia Advocate

We need to address myths on dementia to reduce the stigma.

Current Work

Wambui is a volunteer at Alzheimer’s & Dementia Organisation Kenya (ADOK). She is leading efforts to increase understanding of brain health among health care workers and the general population in Kenya, with a focus on age-related, neurodegenerative disorders.

Personal Hero

Her father

Words of Strength

Building networks

Vision

To reduce the scale and impact of dementia, we need to increase the understanding of dementia through awareness initiatives that address risk factors of dementia. We also need to address myths on dementia to reduce stigma.

Strategy

Wambui is currently working to tailor awareness initiatives to fit the Kenyan context. She's doing so by creating relevant resources about brain health using a language that is simple and addresses myths about age related neuro-degenerative disorders.

Impact

As an Atlantic fellow for equity in brain health, Mary has developed a greater understanding of the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers and the available resources to support them better. She also understands the roles that different disciplines can play in advancing the quality of care of people with dementia.

Motivation

The priority is increasing awareness of dementia in Kenya and providing skills to family caregivers of persons with dementia to better support people with dementia.

Education & Experience

Wambui Karanja is holds a B.A in Psychology from Kenyatta University in Kenya. She is an Alumni of Young African Leaders initiative Regional Leadership Center East Africa and former graduate attache at the British Institute in Eastern Africa.

Kenyatta University in Kenya
Psychology
BA
Young African Leaders initiative Regional Leadership Center East Africa
Alumni
British Institute in Eastern Africa
Graduate attache

Podcasts

Near FM

Voyage Around My Brain: Wambui Karanja, Primrose Nyamayaro and Funmi Akindejoye

How is Brain Health Managed in Africa?

December 7, 2020