Let His Death Not Be in Vain: Maureen Miruka on Building a Community of Care in Kenya

In this episode of Where Hope Begins: The Save One Life Podcast, host Kai Sorensen sits down with Dr. Maureen Miruka, founder of the Jose Memorial Hemophilia Society of Kenya (JMHSK)—a leader whose story began with a mother’s fight to understand her son’s unexplained bleeding, and deepened through the loss of her son Jose to hemophilia complications in 2007. 

Maureen shares what it took to pursue diagnosis and care in a system with limited resources, the long bus rides families still take to reach treatment, and the isolation of not knowing another parent facing the same condition. She also explains how partnership with Save One Life helped grow advocacy, access to factor through Project SHARE, and a more holistic model of support—including peer groups, scholarships, micro-enterprise grants, and cash transfers that restore stability and dignity. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• What hemophilia diagnosis can look like in low-resource settings—and why access is still shaped by geography 
• How Maureen turned grief into advocacy and founded JMHSK so other families wouldn’t feel alone 
• Why building a patient- and caregiver-led community changes outcomes—emotionally and medically 
• How Project SHARE helped establish early access to factor in Kenya through trusted partnerships 
• Why sponsorship impact goes far beyond medicine: school attendance, transport, nutrition, and economic stability 
• How micro-enterprise grants and cash support can reduce caregiver burden—especially for mothers 
• What “hope” looks like in real life: kids walking again, families understanding bleeds, and wedding invitations from former patients 

Episode Highlights: 

• 00:00 – Kai introduces Maureen and the mission: love, loss, advocacy, and hope in Kenya 
• 00:32 – “Who’s Jose?” Maureen shares her son’s story and why she refused to let his death be in vain 
• 01:44 – The early warning signs: bruising, bleeding, and the long journey to diagnosis 
• 03:30 – “For four years I did not know another human being with hemophilia”—the isolation that sparked a movement 
• 04:28 – Founding JMHSK: meeting other parents, losing Jose, and realizing “this has to change” 
• 07:09 – Partnering with Save One Life: advocacy, media outreach, and getting the numbers to make the case 
• 08:24 – Beyond factor: support groups, school support, micro-grants, and economic empowerment 
• 11:39 – “Cash is king”—how dignity and agency grow when families can prioritize their needs 
• 12:45 – What gives Maureen hope: normal life, less pain, less fear—and former kids growing up, marrying, and thriving 
• 16:59 – Purpose-driven leadership and “paying it forward” as a justice-centered life practice 

Meet the Guest: 

Dr. Maureen Miruka is the Director of Gender Equality, Youth and Social Inclusion at CIMMYT and a global leader on gender equality and women’s rights in food systems. She previously served as Senior Director of Program Quality and Partnerships at CARE USA and was lead author of CARE’s gender-transformative Farmer Field and Business School approach. 

Maureen founded the Jose Memorial Hemophilia Society of Kenya (JMHSK) in 2008 after her son Joseph (“Jose”) died from hemophilia complications in 2007. JMHSK works to improve treatment, education, and public awareness; supports access to care through sponsorship and scholarships; provides micro-enterprise grants; and distributes factor for home infusion through a caregiver- and patient-led model. 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned: 

• Patient- and caregiver-led advocacy: ensuring families’ lived experience shapes priorities and programming 
• “Get the numbers to make the case” strategy: outreach + awareness to build visibility and influence policy 
• Project SHARE access pathway: establishing factor supply as a foundation for broader programs 
• Whole-family support model: support groups for mothers, fathers, siblings, and youth to reduce isolation 
• Economic empowerment via micro-enterprise grants: livelihood support for patients and caregivers (especially mothers) 
• Cash transfers for dignity + agency: enabling families to prioritize needs and reduce crisis-driven decisions 
• Systems-change lens: pushing hemophilia onto government agendas (essential medicines, priorities, access) 

Resource Links: 

• Sponsor a Child: https://saveonelife.net/sponsorship 
• Produced in partnership with Balancing Life's Issues: https://balancinglifesissues.com/podcast-bli/ 

In honor of Save One Life’s 25th anniversary, this podcast shares the remarkable story of how a simple act of compassion grew into a global lifeline for individuals and families living with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. 

What began with a single question — could one family help another, across borders? — has become a movement built on dignity, opportunity, and hope. 

To learn more about Save One Life and how sponsorship transforms lives, visit saveonelife.net/sponsorship.