How community champions are transforming maternal, child health in Kilifi

When Norah Mulatya is not riding her boda boda through the streets of Malindi, she is talking to mothers about nutrition, safe pregnancy and the importance of seeking medical care early.

In Shella and Malindi Town wards, Norah has become a familiar voice in maternal and child health advocacy. Armed with local songs, everyday conversations and a deep understanding of her community, she has helped bring life-saving information closer to families who need it most.

She is one of dozens of grassroots champions trained and supported by Shina Foundation under the Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative, a community-centred programme, that is steadily transforming maternal and child health outcomes across Kilifi County.

The model is simple: empower ordinary residents to become trusted sources of information and support within their own communities.

For years, many families in Kilifi have faced challenges accessing timely maternal healthcare. Long distances to health facilities, limited awareness on nutrition and delayed health-seeking behaviour have contributed to poor outcomes for mothers and children.

Shina Foundation led by the chairperson Nazi Kivutha, has invested heavily in grassroots advocacy training, equipping community champions with the skills and knowledge needed to educate families on maternal health, nutrition and the importance of seeking timely medical care.

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Rather than relying solely on health workers, the initiative focuses on people already embedded in communities. Boda boda and Tuk-Tuk riders, women leaders, organised groups, village champions, and other local influencers are trained to promote healthy practices and encourage families to seek care early.

The approach is built on a simple belief that communities are often best placed to solve their own challenges.

Across Kilifi, community champions are helping families identify pregnancy danger signs, understand proper nutrition and access healthcare services before emergencies arise. Their familiarity with local realities enables them to reach households that formal systems may not easily access.

Through regular advocacy and community learning sessions spearheaded by Shina Foundation, grassroots champions like Norah are becoming powerful agents of change. Their work is helping bridge the gap between health facilities and households, ensuring critical information reaches families where they live.

The programme has also expanded its reach by bringing on board tuk-tuk operators, who are often among the first people contacted when pregnant women need transport to health facilities. By training them as advocates, the initiative is turning everyday interactions into opportunities for health education and referrals.

The Foundation has continued to champion a model that places communities at the heart of healthcare solutions. The organisation's advocacy trainings are helping create a network of local champions capable of influencing positive health-seeking behaviour long after project activities end.

While community engagement forms the backbone of the programme, county health managers continue to use data to track progress, identify gaps and improve service delivery. Regular review meetings at health facilities have helped strengthen planning and ensure interventions respond to actual needs on the ground.

The success of the initiative lies not in conferences or statistics, but in the growing number of local people taking ownership of maternal and child health in their communities.

For champions like Norah, every conversation matters. Every mother reached with the right information, every family encouraged to seek care and every child given a healthier start represents progress.

In Kilifi, the effort is proving that lasting change does not always begin in hospitals. Sometimes it starts with a boda boda rider, a tuk-tuk operator or a community leader sharing knowledge that can save a life.