Community health promoters (CHPs) in Siaya County, like Mary Akinyi and Benta Opondo, play a critical role in supporting local healthcare, visiting households to provide essential health services. Despite their pivotal work, CHPs earn only Sh5,000 per month while being responsible for about 100 households each.
Women make up 67% of the 107,831 CHPs in Kenya, and they often struggle to balance unpaid domestic responsibilities with life-saving community health duties. Many rely on bicycles to increase their reach and patient visits, yet the work remains underpaid and often delayed.
Mary Akinyi emphasizes the moral imperative of their work: If we stop, our communities will suffer. Their role is essential to Kenya’s health system, acting as a backbone for preventive care, maternal and child health, and public health awareness at the grassroots level.