Following qualification as a doctor and undertaking an intern year, it takes a further 6 years to train a neurosurgeon through to consultant accreditation. Training and support costs £19,000 each year. Trainees continue to work as full-time doctors during their training, with 1:3 on call, but they receive no payment for this from the hospital or government, and must rely on charitable donations to fund living expenses and training costs.

The Omara Trust, having financially supported a junior doctor successfully through her specialist paediatric training in Uganda, have chosen to support a trainee within the PAACS Kenya Neurosurgery training program. He will receive expert supervision and mentorship from USA and UK-trained consultant neurosurgeons, allowing him to offer high level neurosurgical care to his community. The PAACS training program has an incredible record for keeping highly trained medical professionals working in Africa and serving their own people. (Of 117 previously trained surgeons, 100% continue to practise in Africa, 79% in their home country. 50% remain rural surgeons for 5 years post-graduation, reducing to 35% after 5 years.)

By supporting the training of one neurosurgeon, you will impact many hundreds of patients annually, and once fully accredited the trainee will go on to become the trainer for many more neurosurgeons in Africa.