Shanni Wreford-Smith

"In 1999 Shanni Wreford-Smith approached the trustees of The Mpala Wildlife Foundation with her vision to create mobile clinic services to surrounding communities who were clearly in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. The original owner of the ranch, George Small agreed to purchase a vehicle and allow the clinic to establish its home base on Mpala ranch. The most significant contributors at this time were Marie Stopes, Mr Brad Hall (from San Fransisco) and his partner Dierdre. In 1999 the Mpala Community Trust and its outreach arm, the Mpala Mobile Clinic were established. The brainchild and initiator of this organisation, Shanni Wreford-Smith, has since extended this programme beyond Mpala Ranch into central and north Laikipia and has subsequently re-visioned the activities of the Mpala Community Trust (MCT) into the Community Health Africa Trust (CHAT). In 2003 she established a sister organisation: The Nomadic Communities Trust (NCT), which provides similar services to communities in the neighbouring Samburu Region. Ms Wreford-Smith continues to seek funding for the development of these community-based organizations."