The CHASE Africa Annual Partner Conference was held in Naivasha, Kenya, from 3rd to 7th March 2024.
The event focussed on sharing experience and best practice. Throughout the conference, we harnessed the collective expertise of the CHASE Africa Partner Network to strengthen the impact of our programmes.
Staff from CHASE Africa and two of our Trustees were joined by 34 participants from 14 of our local partner organisations in Kenya and Uganda.
Representatives from four other organisations who are interested in launching healthcare programmes also attended: Born Free Foundation, KMET, Maasai Women’s Development Organisation (MWEDO) and Shared Action Africa.
CHASE Africa's Chief Executive opens the annual CHASE Africa Partner Conference
We were delighted to have two speakers open the event. They provided an update on the health policies and national programmes which frame and inform the work of CHASE Africa and our partner organisations.
Dr Edward Serem, Deputy Director of Reproductive Maternal Neonatal and Child Health from the Ministry of Health in Kenya, emphasised Kenya’s commitments to ICPD25 (International Conference on Population and Development), including the elimination of preventable maternal deaths and harmful practices to women by 2030.
Fidelina Ndunge, Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health Advisor at AMREF, one of the biggest health service providers in East Africa, shared how the organisation is focussing on young people and women in their primary healthcare model, alongside tackling the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes (social determinants of health).
Jenifer Musuya from KMET presenting ’An integrated approach to addressing Gender Based Violence’
Over four days we covered topics including: Health System Strengthening, Safeguarding, Monitoring and Evaluation, how to prevent Gender Based Violence and how better to reach and engage youth and women.
We also debated how to integrate health with environment and community-based conservation work, and different ways of funding health service provision.
Overall, it was a thoroughly enriching and enjoyable few days. We shared experience and ideas, within structured sessions and during breaks, meals and free time.
The feedback so far from participants has been overwhelmingly positive with 100% of participants saying it exceeded their expectations.
Attendees collaborate during one of several breakout sessions.
Feedback from attendees
It’s amazing meeting all the other partners that are getting supported by CHASE Africa, as we learn, as we capacity build, as we express the work that we are doing and the support from CHASE Africa that is really going very far in supporting the women, the children and the communities of the hardest to reach, thank you.
Liz Njuguna, SORALO
I am really happy to be part of this conference because, first it has brought all the partners together […] but in particular today we’ve been taught about safeguarding which is really important […] for our own projects and for our own staff as well, so thank you very much.
Esther Serem, Save the Elephants
This is the first opportunity I’ve had to attend a conference and it’s been a real honour to meet all our partners and witness the wonderful work they are doing.
Claire Maxey, Trustee of CHASE Africa
We have learned a lot […] and I look forward to implementing what I have learned, and I really appreciate CHASE Africa for bringing us to the event.
Joel Lekeni, Big Life Foundation
Charity Nosim from SORALO, Georgia Burford from CHASE Africa, Liz Njuguna from SORALO and Herbert Anyama from RICE West-Nile
Chase Africa's Chief Executive, Harriet Gordon-Brown, with Eric Makori and Ruth Nderitu from Dandelion Africa