About Us

Fostering long-term access to subspecialty surgery through mentorship and collaboration

Empowering local surgeons to build a sustainable future for advanced surgical care in East Africa.

Our Mission

Empowering local surgeons to build a sustainable future for advanced surgical care.

Founded in 2021, the East Africa Surgical Initiative (EASI) works to create world-class subspecialty surgical services for all East Africans, regardless of their background, social status, or financial situation.

Our mission is rooted in sustainability and empowerment. Unlike organizations that rely on short-term interventions, EASI travels to East Africa in small groups of one or two clinicians. This ensures the development of meaningful, long-lasting relationships with local healthcare providers.

Through mentorship, education, and hands-on collaboration, we aim to drive lasting improvements in surgical practice. Our ultimate goal is for advanced surgeries on East African patients to be performed by East African clinicians — fostering a healthcare system that thrives independently.

Train-the-trainer mentorship in practice

What Sets Us Apart

A train-the-trainer model built for sustainability

EASI's "train the trainer" model builds the capacity of local clinicians to pass on their knowledge, creating a ripple effect of progress throughout the region. By selecting qualified individuals with strong local ties, we ensure that our efforts have a sustainable and far-reaching impact.

We fund formal fellowship training for East African surgeons, enabling them to specialize in critical fields like vascular and cardiac surgery. Our commitment to education extends to advanced technologies, such as cell salvage systems, which we introduce to address the region's unique challenges.

In the Field

Sustainable surgical change in action

Local and visiting clinicians working together to increase cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and endovascular expertise.

A Coast General Hospital surgeon working in the operating room

Local surgical team, including a female surgeon, at Coast General Hospital

Our Journey

Milestones along the way

2021
EASI is founded
An opportunity to improve subspecialty surgical services at Coast General Hospital led Dr. Sore (Mombasa) and Dr. Faulds (Vancouver) to develop a plan to train local surgeons in much-needed advanced techniques.
2022 – 2023
Building local capacity
EASI funds fellowship training for local general surgeons and begins supporting cardiac and vascular surgery cases at Coast General Hospital, sending small teams to supplement local staff.
2026
Yearly Vascular Symposium and the development of the East African Vascular Surgery Society
EASI will host the first East African Vascular Symposium in Mombasa, Kenya in November 2026. This meeting will be the initial step in the development of the East African Vascular Surgery Society.

From a single visit in 2021 to a growing surgical partnership in Mombasa.

Our Core Values

Guided by a clear sense of purpose

Collaboration

By partnering with local and international experts, we bring meaningful, lasting change to the healthcare landscape of East Africa.

Compassion

Every patient deserves not only excellent care but also the empathy and support they need to heal.

Excellence

We provide world-class education and resources, helping providers set new benchmarks for surgical practice throughout East Africa.

Accountability

100% volunteer. Fully accountable.

EASI is a 100% volunteer, non-profit organization that provides medical services without paid staff. Since its founding, we have built a strong track record of excellence in patient care and education. Our clinicians are leaders in their respective fields, affiliated with top academic institutions in Canada. We take pride in ensuring that every resource is used effectively to improve surgical care in East Africa.

Our Team

Canadian partners

Clinicians, advisors, and volunteers donating their expertise to build sustainable surgical care.

Dr. Jason Faulds

Founding Member · Vascular Surgeon, Vancouver

Dr. Faulds is a surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital and a clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of British Columbia. A founding member of EASI, he has been part of every visit since its inception in 2021. He is board certified in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, with a subspecialty focus on complex aortic surgery, and holds a Master's degree in Population and Public Health from UBC. Passionate about sustainable surgical care in East Africa, he is also improving his fluency in Swahili.

Aman Sidhu

Founding Member, Senior Certified Clinical Perfusionist

Aman leads strategic initiatives and innovation in critical care at the Provincial Health Services Authority in British Columbia. She is also a senior certified Clinical Perfusionist since 2011 at Vancouver General Hospital, she led the Perfusion Services team from 2015 to 2024. A founding member of EASI, she has volunteered in Kenya since 2023 to support long-term improvements in the cardiac program.

Dr. Iqbal Jaffer

Cardiac Surgeon · Assistant Professor of Surgery, McMaster University

Dr. Jaffer is a cardiac surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery at McMaster University. Originally from Mombasa, he completed medical school at the University of Queensland before returning to McMaster. His academic work focuses on mechanical valve thrombosis and anticoagulation strategies for prosthetic valves. He joined the Department of Surgery as a Clinical Scholar in 2020 and was appointed Assistant Professor in 2022. In July 2022, he became Residency Program Director for Cardiac Surgery. He is married to Sabira, a palliative care physician at Hamilton Health Sciences, and they have two sons, Muhammad-Jawaad and Husayn.

Dafydd Samuel

Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyer · Governance

Dafydd is a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Vancouver with expertise in business law and non-profit governance. He brings his experience in compliance and regulatory matters to EASI. Outside of work he enjoys traveling, mountain biking, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.

Sarj Dhaliwal

Chief Financial Officer

Sarj is our CFO and the CEO of Wyrk Inc. She has a history of leadership in the technology sector focusing on workforce management and worked for over 15 years at the Big 4 accounting firms, specializing in domestic and international income tax.

Rishabh Ravindran

Lead Web Developer · Digital Experience

Rishabh is a seasoned web developer with over seven years of experience architecting sophisticated, high-performance websites and digital platforms. He leads the design and development of EASI's online presence, blending clean, modern design with robust engineering to ensure our mission is told clearly, accessibly, and beautifully to supporters around the world.

Our Team

Kenyan partners

Local surgical leaders driving lasting change in their own communities.

Dr. Peter Sore

Head of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Coast General Hospital

Dr. Sore is a seasoned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon who has led the surgery department at Coast General Hospital in Mombasa since 2010. His team performs over 300 procedures annually, with a focus on addressing the shortage of cardiac anesthesia and intensivist resources in the region.

Dr. John Kinyua

Vascular Surgeon, Coast General Hospital

Dr. Kinyua was raised in Mombasa and completed his surgery training at Coast General Hospital. With the support of EASI, he completed a fellowship in Vascular Surgery in Paris, France. He is now a leader in vascular surgery in Mombasa with a busy clinical practice.

Dr. Nigel Steve Omollo

Cardiothoracic Surgeon · Head of Cardiac Surgery Program, Coast General Hospital

Dr. Nigel is a cardiothoracic surgeon and Head of the Cardiac Surgery Program at Coast General Hospital. He completed his training at Kenyatta National Hospital and his Master's Degree in Nairobi in 2022. Dr. Nigel is passionate about surgical education and increasing advanced cardiovascular surgery capacity at Coast General Hospital.

Help build a sustainable future for surgical care

Your gift funds fellowship training, surgical camps, and life-changing equipment — delivered by a 100% volunteer team. Every dollar goes where it matters most.

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