Critical offerings such as our extensive Independent Living and Vocational Transition programs make an incredible difference in the lives of many of our clients. Macharia’s story is one such client journey; a path that has taken him more than 7,000 miles from his medical work in Nairobi, Kenya to the Carroll Center for the Blind. Macharia served as President and Chief Executive Officer of his own global health care company, but due to a serious hypertension crisis related to job stress, he lost sight in one eye while suffering limited vision in the other.

Macharia completed the Carroll Center’s 12-week Independent Living Program followed by Computing for Employment, the Carroll Center’s four-week workforce development program. He shares that prior to the Carroll Center and specifically working with his Carroll Center Mobility Specialist, he felt like he was living under “house arrest”.  His disability prevented him from traveling anywhere, including outside of his house and to the many airports that he visited throughout his lifetime.

Today, Macharia brags about his ability to return to both computer and cell phone use. When asked what has been his biggest take-away from the Carroll Center, he says that “what was once a barrier is now a solution.” Because of the Carroll Center, he can proudly boast, “I gained my life back!” He’s rejuvenated his work in global health access because of the training he received and created a company Actuate Biomedicine on blockchain, which is implementing work on global health equity.

Thanks to your generosity, clients like Macharia are thriving.