A registered nurse at Tudor Sub County Hospital and founder of the Red Splash Organisation, has been named one of the top 10 global finalists for a prestigious international nursing award selected from over 100,000 nominations worldwide.
At just 29 years old, Khadija Mohamed Juma, is redefining healthcare leadership in Kenya.
The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, now in its fourth edition, celebrates outstanding nurses from around the world for their dedication, skill, and impact in healthcare
The award raises the profile of nursing in Kenya, cementing its place as a leader in innovation and a health care change agent.
The winner will be announced in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on May 26, 2025, and will take home a grand prize of USD 250000.
For Juma, the recognition is deeply personal. “I was elated and truly humbled by the nominations,” she says, reflecting on the moment she received the news. “It shows that the work we do often quietly, behind the scenes, truly matters.”
Born and raised in Mombasa, Juma has always felt the need to care for others. “Even as a child, I knew I wanted to be in a profession that made a difference,” she said.
However, her path to leadership and health care was not without obstacles and as a young woman in healthcare, she faced uncertainty regarding her age, her vision, and her role in shaping change.
“I had to prove myself constantly, but I stayed focused on my purpose and let the quality of my work speak for itself,” she noted.
Juma’s recognition as a global finalist stems from a story she submitted about her community-based blood drive initiative through Red Splash, a grassroots platform she founded after her friend lost her loved one due to a lack of timely blood access.
While the project has grown to become one of East Africa’s most impactful blood donation movements, Juma’s story is about more than the blood drive. It is about human connection, community action, and the often-invisible power of nursing.
She recounts key turning points in her career, including helping a woman survive a complicated childbirth through emergency blood mobilisation. “Her husband told me, ‘You gave my wife her life back.’ That’s the kind of impact nursing can have,” she added.
For her, being named among the top 10 globally isn’t just a personal milestone; it’s a national recognition. Juma sees it as a spotlight on Kenyan nurses and a wake-up call to the world: that nurses are more than bedside caregivers; they are leaders, innovators, and agents of change.
“If I win the prize, I want to use it to create long-term systems like a state-of-the-art blood bank and mobile units to expand access and save more lives. But even without it, this moment is already a victory for every nurse who has ever felt unseen,” she said.
She hopes her recognition will inspire the next generation, especially young girls in Kenya. “Nursing is leadership. It’s a service to humanity, and we always need another beautiful heart to carry that forward,” she said.
Her future vision is one where nurses are at the forefront of healthcare policy, technology and innovation. Elevating nursing as a respected profession, well-resourced and empowered to lead community transformation.
To the world, Juma may be a nurse, an innovator, a change maker, but she affirms that she wants to deliver blood faster than pizza.
“Nurses are the backbone of healthcare systems, and their impact is felt in every corner of the world.”
By Shamim Musa
