Community Health Workers
Our Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trusted neighbors, educators, and lifesavers, recruited from the very communities they serve. Trained, salaried, and well-equipped, they deliver essential health services directly to the doorsteps of families facing the greatest barriers to care. In areas where distance to the nearest facility, high costs, and limited health awareness prevent timely access, CHWs become the first and often only connection to the health system, improving health-seeking behavior, reducing maternal and child deaths, and ensuring that no one is left behind.
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Our Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide a wide range of lifesaving and preventive services that bring healthcare directly to families in their homes. They support maternal and child health by conducting home visits for pregnant women and newborns, encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, and referring high-risk pregnancies to health facilities. CHWs also lead growth monitoring and nutrition efforts, tracking the weight and development of under-five children, screening for malnutrition, and counseling caregivers on infant feeding practices. Their role in immunization support is vital: they mobilize families for vaccine days, identify and refer defaulters, and educate communities to overcome vaccine hesitancy. In addition, CHWs promote water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices by educating households on handwashing, safe water use, and providing chlorine and hygiene demonstrations, especially for newborn care.
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Beyond physical health, CHWs are trained to support mental health and well-being. They provide education on reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, and family planning, and offer counseling to adolescents and caregivers. Many also deliver mental health first aid and emotional support for those experiencing distress. CHWs serve as a critical link between the community and the formal health system, identifying danger signs in mothers and children, referring them to Nurses on Bikes, mobile clinics, or Health Centres, and following up to ensure treatment is received and recovery is on track. Their trusted presence ensures that care is not only accessible but also continuous and culturally relevant.
What our CHWs do
Empowered, Equipped, and Supported
Our CHWs are not volunteers, they are professionals with purpose.
At Wandikweza, we believe that those who care for others deserve to be cared for too. That is why our Community Health Workers (CHWs) are not unpaid volunteers, they are respected, salaried professionals who receive the training, tools, and support they need to serve with confidence, competence, and dignity.
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Each CHW undergoes comprehensive training based on Ministry of Health and Wandikweza guidelines, covering maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, hygiene, and more. But learning does not stop there, they receive ongoing support from our Nurses on Bikes and participate in regular refresher trainings, peer learning sessions, and field supervision to strengthen their skills.
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We equip every CHW with essential tools to do their job effectively:
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Health education materials and job aids
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Growth monitoring equipment
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Referral and data collection registers
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Uniforms and protective gear
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Mobile support for real-time communication and reporting
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To ensure they can focus fully on their mission, each CHW receives a monthly salary, recognizing their time, effort, and impact. This financial support not only enables them to care for their own families but also reinforces their role as trusted health professionals in their communities.
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Just as importantly, we invest in the emotional and psychological well-being of our CHWs. They are part of a supportive network that fosters leadership, recognizes achievements, and encourages innovation from the ground up. Because when CHWs are empowered, equipped, and supported, communities thrive, health outcomes improve, and no one is left behind.
