Care Providers Meet Mama Africa: A Nurse Whose Compassionate Leadership Has Shaped Generations of Care For 30 years, Florence Mangula has been a caring and calming presence for young surgical patients and their families. And she’s not slowing down anytime soon. May 12, 2026 “My name is Florence Mangula,” says the smiling nurse, proudly. “I am retired but not tired.” Anyone who works with Mangula, affectionally referred to as Mama Africa by her colleagues, knows that it is an understatement. With over 30 years of service under her belt, Mangula has been a consistent source of comfort, wisdom and compassion for countless patients and their families over her decades of service with Operation Smile. Since the 1990s, Florence Mangula has been a constant presence in Operation Smile’s work, serving as a volunteer, educator and mentor to nurses across Kenya and Africa. Even in retirement, she continues her care in Port Reitz, Mombasa. Known as “Mama,” she lives up to the name in every sense: a mother to all.…