In the Newborn Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), every second matters. It's a place where tiny lives fight big battles – and nurses like Joanne Kemunto show what care really looks like.
Joanne is a neonatal nurse and a Post-RN Bachelor of Science in Nursing student at the Aga Khan University (AKU). Her role extends far beyond clinical precision. Alongside leading quality improvement initiatives, ranging from infection prevention and staff training to strengthening links between maternity and neonatal care, she brings something deeply human into the unit: art.
Her journey into health care was shaped early, inspired by her late father. But so was her creativity. Growing up, she loved to draw- cartoons paired with Bible verses, anything that let her express herself. That quiet passion followed her into nursing, where she excelled in anatomical drawing.
But somewhere along the way, she drifted away from her artistic side. That changed when she joined AKU.
Through the University's Art Club, Joanne found her way back. What began as a hesitant step into a room full of young, talented artists quickly became a turning point. Encouraged by her peers during a simple drawing session, Joanne rediscovered her confidence and committed to growing her craft, even seeking lessons outside of school despite financial challenges.
Today, her art is part of the healing environment at KNH.
Joanne's paintings, particularly her work on Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), serve as visual tools that educate families, simplify complex practices, and offer comfort in a highly sensitive space. They help break the intensity of the clinical setting, replacing fear with understanding and hope. Her work has caused quite the stir, that she was recently featured on one of Kenya's largest television stations, NTV.
For Joanne, art is not separate from nursing; it is an extension of it.
She credits AKU for nurturing both her professional and creative identity, emphasizing the role of spaces like the Art Club in unlocking hidden potential.
Her message to mothers in the newborn unit is simple but powerful: no matter how fragile the beginning, there is hope at the end.
Through her work as a nurse and as an artist, Joan continues to make that hope visible every day.
