“Marriage is a blessing and full of challenges”

Dr Abbas Gullet is the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society. He is also the founder and Chairman of the Boma Groups of hotels in Nairobi, Eldoret and Nyeri which are fully owned by the Kenya Red Cross Society. Under his leadership, the Kenya Red Cross Society also founded the Emergency Medical Services (E PLUS) which has over 100 Ambulances – the largest fleet of Critical Care Ambulances in Kenya and Sub-Sahara Africa.

Dr. Gullet also helped established the NEPARC (New Partnership of African Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies) in Johannesburg – South Africa, a partnership aimed at African National Societies taking responsibility for their own developments.

Of all the organisations that make up East Africa’s most recognisable and respected names, called the Superbrands, the Kenya Red Cross is the only non-commercial entity, and it has received this recognition 3 years in a row. It is today a symbol of hope in the direst situations, a comforting hand in times of disaster and the steadfast guiding light in moments of panic and confusion.

Dr. Gullet defied skeptics to rebuild a strong Kenyan National Society. He continues to lobby the government and has won tremendous support as a result. Dr. Gullet is involved in rigorous fundraising to improve the Society’s financial base and brings a business approach to his work. Kenya Red Cross Society has set its sights on being self-sustaining and able to foot its core.

The Kenya Red Cross also prides itself in having a large local logistics capacity. Around the world, the Kenya Red Cross Society is recognised as one of the best performing National Red Cross societies, but it is in Africa where it is a living example of what other Societies can do.

The lesson Dr. Gullet takes away from his work is how weak and vulnerable human beings are, and the fact that they should strive to co-exist and tolerate one another. Dr. Gullet’s dream for the continent is still alive and its realisation on course. Cooperation and coordination of relief work in the Region now brings efficiency and speed to disaster response and programme implementation.