The mission of TropicalClinics is to reduce morbidity and mortality among mothers in rural communities, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and the number of rural children with vaccine-preventable diseases and malnutrition.

The first location of TropicalClinics will be located in Kakamega, in western Kenya. The 40-bed health and healing center will integrate conventional medicine with other therapies for a more comprehensive approach to healing. The targeted opening date for this location is August 2006.

The amazing woman behind this initiative is Margaret Kilibwa, PhD. A native of Kenya, she is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Women's Health Institute of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey.

Each time I have had the opportunity to speak with her, I am struck with what an incredibly delightful and gracious person she is. She feels that the work she is doing to bring basic health care to Kenya and beyond is a higher calling. I feel very lucky to know her!

So check out TropicalClinics, and help them if it's in your means. The cost of saving a child's life from a vaccine-preventable disease is about the cost of three or four lattes at Starbucks. So much for so little indeed.