By enhancing knowledge, changing attitudes, and improving access to healthcare and contraception, we create positive ripple effects throughout the community.
We improve health-seeking behaviour and we empower individuals to advocate for their needs. When families choose to space their children, it leads to overall better health, more time to work and economic stability, and brighter futures for children through education. Addressing stigma around family planning and promoting women's rights encourages gender equality, enabling women to thrive in a safer environment, creating harmonious communities for future generations.
“Faith leaders are very respected and influential people in society. So when they accept family planning and other sexual reproductive health issues, the rest of the congregation will be positively influenced.”
Joel Lekeni
Community Health Project Officer
Big Life Foundation
Why we promote healthier communities
Improving the health and wellbeing of the wider community
We enhance healthcare access in rural areas where there are many barriers to accessing services. Our healthcare services focus on Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health, but we improve access for all community members. Our mobile services ensure inclusivity for the elderly and disabled. We foster better health-seeking behaviours through health information provision and awareness raising.
Improving the lives of future generations
When women realise their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and can access family planning, they can invest more time in themselves and their children. This benefits their community and future generations, as educated children break the cycle of poverty and teenage girls are less likely to quit school due to early pregnancy. Women's involvement in leadership roles strengthens community bonds and promotes women's wellbeing and education.
Supporting community
cohesion
Through our projects we foster healthier, more equitable communities and enhance community cohesion by strengthening community structures. We support existing community groups to better advocate for their rights and needs to local government and stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health. We promote women's involvement in decision-making by challenging gender norms and promoting inclusivity.
How we support communities to improve their health and wellbeing
Information and awareness raising
We mobilise Community Health Workers and Youth Peer Educators to provide health information and mobilise communities. Through community dialogues, we tackle myths and misconceptions openly. We collaborate with local leaders, including pastors and tribal leaders. We target men and boys who are key decision makers. We reach children and young people through child rights clubs and youth-friendly spaces, both in and out of school.
Bridging healthcare gaps in communities who are marginalised
We serve rural communities via a range of outreach activities that make services more accessible. Nurses provide immunisations, HIV testing, antenatal care, family planning and curative treatments at gatherings in community spaces. Healthcare personnel, hired from the Ministry of Health on a locum basis, receive regular training to maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills.
Strengthening community governance structures
Our local partners support existing community structures like Village Health Committees, Natural Resource Management Committees and Savings Groups, offering training and mentorship. Through these groups, we address broader community issues like climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and peaceful coexistence between host and refugee communities. We collaborate across our network to co-create solutions.
Over 1,476,000
increase in health-seeking behaviour by local communities. Community leaders, faith leaders and traditional birth attendants trained on SRHR.
Ishmael champions family planning
Ishmael is a ‘Male Champion’, a role model in his community, who raises awareness about voluntary family planning in collaboration with Rhodha, a Community Health Worker.