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OUR STORY

With one person saying yes at a time, BethanyKids has spent the last 25 years building local capacity so children with surgical conditions can access compassionate healthcare close to home.

2001
Our Foundation
BethanyKids Founded

By 2001, Dr. Dick Bransford had already spent decades caring for children with surgical conditions from across Africa. That year, BethanyKids — officially founded as Bethany Relief and Rehabilitation International — was established to expand and sustain that work. The organization’s first board meetings took place in Washington, DC, in September 2001, while the clinical work began through a partnership with AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya.

2003
First Pediatric Surgeon
A Growing Team

Dr. Dan Poenaru joined Dr. Dick Bransford at Kijabe Hospital to care for children with surgical conditions. His arrival strengthened BethanyKids’ presence in Kenya, brought the organization’s first dedicated pediatric surgeon, and laid the foundation for what would eventually become one of Africa’s leading pediatric surgical training programs.

2007
COSECSA Accreditation
Training Launches

Dr. Dan Poenaru established the pediatric surgery training program in Kijabe under the COSECSA accrediting body. The program also became the first specialty training program within PAACS, marking a significant shift in the organization’s approach: not simply providing surgical care for children, but training African surgeons who would go on to serve generations of children across the continent.

2009
A Permanent Presence at Joytown School
Beyond Surgery

In December 2009, BethanyKids signed an MOU with The Salvation Army Joytown Primary School and stationed a rehabilitation team on campus to provide ongoing care for students. The partnership marked a pivotal moment in the organization’s history, reinforcing that BethanyKids was more than a surgical organization. By combining surgery with rehabilitation and long-term support, BethanyKids embraced a more holistic approach to caring for children with surgical conditions.

2011
Assistive Technology Study
Mobility Matters

In 2011, BethanyKids partnered with a U.S. university to conduct a comparative wheelchair outcome measures study. The research strengthened the organization’s understanding of appropriate wheelchair provision and helped lay the foundation for today’s Assistive Technology program and partnerships. Much like the earlier expansion into rehabilitation services at Joytown, this milestone broadened BethanyKids‘ vision of care beyond surgery alone to include mobility, independence, and long-term quality of life for children with surgical conditions.

2011
Training Comes Home
Our First Graduate

In 2011, Dr. Heuric Rakotomalala became the first graduate of the training program based in KIjabe and returned home to establish BethanyKids’ work in Madagascar. It was the first demonstration of the model that now defines the organization: training and supporting African surgeons as they return to serve children in their own countries. What began with one graduate in Madagascar paved the way for programs and partnerships across the continent.

2016
Purpose-Built Care
Children's Centre Opens

On April 22, 2016, BethanyKids officially dedicated and opened the BethanyKids Children’s Centre in BethanyKids Children’s Centre. The facility provided a permanent home for pediatric surgical care, training, rehabilitation, and family support services, reflecting the organization’s growth and long-term commitment to children with surgical conditions in Africa. The centre quickly became a hub for care and training that would impact children and healthcare providers from across the continent.

2025
Being Made Whole
Global Summit

In 2025, BethanyKids held its first Global Summit, bringing together board members, staff, surgeons, supporters, and partners from across Africa and around the world. For the first time, the organization gathered as a truly continental movement, with representation stretching from coast to coast across Africa. The summit also established a shared strategic vision for the next five years, but perhaps more importantly, it demonstrated how far the organization had come—from a single surgeon serving children in Kenya to a network of leaders working together across the continent.