SEATTLE - Peter Kithene was born in Muhuru Bay in Kenya. He lost his parents and six of his 10 brothers and sisters to illness by the time he was 13.

He vowed to go to medical school to help his village, particularly the mothers and their kids.

"People come with fruit, mangoes, chickens they put that all together and raised $200 to send me to college, go to medical school," he said.

When he was just beginning his undergrad studies at the University of Washington, Kithene met special ed teacher Kristy Szablya of Bellevue, and shared his dream of building a clinic in his village so mothers wouldn't have to walk 17 miles or more for care.

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Peter Kithene lost his parents and six of his 10 brothers and sisters by the time he was 13.

"I can't imagine having to walk from Bellevue to Kirkland with a sick child, in the heat, and maybe I can afford it, maybe I can't. And when I get there, maybe my child will live, maybe not," she said.

Experts say 10 million of the world's mothers will lose a child under the age of 5 to a preventable illness in the next year.

"I said 'Well how much would a clinic cost?' Kithene calculated in his head and said 'Well maybe $5,000.' I said 'OK, let's do that. Let's raise the money let's do that,'" said Szablya.

The Mama Maria Clinic opened in 2005, and last year served 11,000 people, offering basic health care, grants for specialized care and a feeding program for orphans, and fulfilling Kithene's dream for Kenyan moms and kids.

"Just to live a happy life, be in a position to get healthcare when it's needed, just be happy kids," he said. "If their village can be touched by what we're doing, that's very satisfying."

The name "Mama Maria" is Kithene's tribute not only to mothers in general, but specifically to Kristy Szablya and her enthusiasm and dedication to the cause. Szablya's firstborn child is Maria, and therefore, in African tradition, Kristy is "Mama Maria."

Kithene will graduate from the UW next month and has been accepted to graduate school in public health.