Kenya

Date Started:

2008

Locations (incl. clinics and nearby communities):

New Clients Enrolled (2021):

12,766

New Clients Reached Through eServices (2021):

1,092

Mentor Mothers (2021):

Programme Specialist:

Charles Muruka

Our work in Kenya

mothers2mothers (m2m) began work in Kenya in 2008. Four years later, the East African nation became the first to adopt the Mentor Mother Model as part of its national healthcare policy. In close partnership with the Ministry of Health’s National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection Control Programme (NASCOP), and with funding from USAID and Comic Relief, m2m helped devise relevant policy to roll out the Kenya Mentor Mother Program (KMMP) nationally. Over the next seven years, m2m trained and equipped more than 20 organisations to establish and manage the KMMP. By September 2018, the Kenyan government—with funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria—expanded the KMMP to all 47 counties, demonstrating the impact our work can have through long-term, collaborative government partnership.

In 2018, with support from LGT Venture Philanthropy and Johnson & Johnson, m2m Kenya integrated nurturing care for early childhood development (ECD) into its reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH)/prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programme and rolled out digital data collection at its model site in Mathare North, Nairobi. The aim of expanding services was to reduce HIV vertical transmission and improve linkages and retention in care among children ages 0-3; improve the health and well-being of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and to create safe and stimulating environments for children within health facilities, homes, and communities.

In 2021, with support from the Swarovski Foundation, m2m Kenya launched services for children with disabilities, becoming only the second country after Uganda where we offer such services. Mentor Mothers completed specialised training to equip them to improve client screenings and to provide tailored interventions or referrals to specialised disability-related service providers in the capital city. Meanwhile, m2m Kenya continues to play a valuable role in the national HIV policy space, advocating for community health workers to be paid and regularly putting forward recommendations to overcome challenges in HIV and AIDS management.

Our Impact in Kenya

Success Story

Ruth Adhiambo, Community Mentor Mother, Mathare North—Nairobi. I first met m2m in 2017 during my first pregnancy with my daughter.

I will never forget the two Mentor Mothers—Jane and Zipporah—who supported me during the most difficult time of my life. I am so proud to be working as their colleague now—supporting our community together.

As a Community Mentor Mother, I go door to door in my community to give vital health education to women and their families. I also work with children and their caregivers in our integrated ECD programme. Part of our work is to assess a child’s developmental milestones and educate caregivers about the importance of play. We teach parents how to make toys using household items and basic household hygiene and safety.

As one of the youngest Mentor Mothers in Kenya, I can easily connect with our younger clients and adolescents. They are comfortable with me and often open up about their challenges, without fear and judgement.

Even with those challenges, interacting with my clients in the comfort of their homes is still the best part. The smiles I see on their faces when I enter their homes are really humbling.