Reduce Suffering in Kenya Via Health Care Services

Along the quiet banks of the Turkwel River, CHAT supported CORP Misheal, was speaking with a group of young people about reproductive health and making informed choices for their future. As the discussion ended and the group began to leave, a young man approached her, glancing toward a young girl standing nearby.

“I saw you talking to them,” he said softly. “Can you also talk to her? I want to change the story of my home.”

He pointed toward the riverbank, where young mothers sat with their children while elderly grandmothers struggled to comfort them.

“Most girls I grew up with already have children,” he explained. “And many of those children are raised by grandmothers who are already tired and overwhelmed. That’s not the future I want for us. I want us to grow first, get married when we are ready, and then have children we can properly care for.”

Misheal gently invited the young girl to share her thoughts. Quietly, she admitted her fears.

“People will talk,” she said. “And I’ve heard family planning can harm you or stop you from having children later.”

Sitting together beneath the acacia tree, Misheal patiently explained how family planning works, how it protects a woman’s health, and how it gives young people the opportunity to prepare emotionally and financially before starting a family. She reassured her that modern contraceptive methods are safe and reversible.

“And the coil?” the girl asked carefully. “Can it stay for a long time?”

“Yes,” Misheal replied. “And when you are ready to have children, it can be removed.”

For the first time, the young girl smiled with relief. Looking out across the flowing river, she spoke with quiet confidence.

“I don’t want to rush my life,” she said. “I want the coil.”

Misheal immediately filled out a referral slip and directed her to the nearest government health facility. A few days later, the young woman successfully received the contraceptive method she had chosen, giving her the chance to continue growing and planning for her future before motherhood.

When Misheal later followed up with her, she noticed a remarkable change. The young woman now carried herself with confidence, hope, and a renewed sense of control over her future.

Through access to accurate health information, compassionate counselling, and referral to healthcare services, this young couple was empowered to make informed decisions that will reduce future hardship for themselves and their families.

By supporting healthcare access in communities across Kenya, CHAT is helping young people prevent unintended pregnancies, protect maternal health, reduce economic strain on families, and build healthier futures one informed choice at a time.

Thanks to your generous support through GlobalGiving, stories like Misheal’s are becoming more common. In the past three months alone, CHAT has:

• Reached 3,136 individuals with life-saving health and FP information.
• Provided 1,022 clients with access to modern contraceptive methods of their choice.
• Enabled 895 individuals to choose long-term pregnancy protection.

Your contributions empower individualsin underserved communities to make informed decisions, rebuild their lives, and transform their lives positively. With your continued support, CHAT will keep delivering hope — one woman, one household,one informed choice at a time.

Chebet’s Journey to Health, Harmony, and Hope

Chebet (name changed for privacy), a 38-year-old mother of six from communities bordering CHAT’s Mau Forest ecosystem, once lived under constant strain. Frequent pregnancies, declining health, and unrelenting financial pressure weighed heavily on her household. What began as daily stress often escalated into conflict between Chebet and her husband, Kiprono.

“I felt overwhelmed and exhausted,” Chebet recalls. “We were always struggling, and peace in our home was disappearing.”

Everything began to change when Joseph Koskei, a CHAT CORP partner, visited Chebet’s home through CHAT’s innovative door-to-door Backpacking Strategy. For the first time, Chebet received clear, respectful information about family planning—explained in a way that connected directly to her health, her children’s future, and the wellbeing of her family.

Just as importantly, Chebet was not alone in this conversation.

Joseph intentionally included Kiprono, creating a safe space for couple counselling. Through these discussions, Kiprono began to understand how planned child spacing could ease household stress, improve their financial situation, and protect his wife’s health.

“When I understood, I supported my wife,” Kiprono explains. “Our home became calmer.”

With her husband’s support, Chebet chose a long-acting family planning method. The impact was immediate—and lasting. Her health improved. Medical expenses declined. The family was able to redirect scarce resources toward food, school fees, and a small household income-generating activity.

“Now I can plan,” Chebet says. “My children are cared for, and I am strong.”

As financial pressure eased, domestic conflict came to an end. Communication between Chebet and her husband improved, and decisions were made together rather than through tension and disagreement.

“Family planning gave us peace,” she reflects. “It brought respect back into our marriage.”

Today, Chebet’s home is stable. Her children attend school consistently, meals are more reliable, and her household is no longer defined by crisis. Quietly and confidently, she has become a voice in her community—encouraging other women and men to see family planning not as a threat, but as a pathway to dignity, health, and stability.

Chebet’s story reflects what your support makes possible every day.

Through the generous support of GlobalGiving, CHAT successfully disseminated behaviour change communication (BCC) information about integrated fp to 6,381 individuals over the last three months. Additionally, 1,342 family planning clients were provided with a contraception method of their choice, with 973 opting for long-term pregnancy protection method lasting either 3 or 5 years. This significantly reduced the risk of unintended pregnancies and strengthened household stability within these communities.

Because of you, families are healthier, homes are safer, and futures are more secure—one informed choice at a time.

“Every second, every day, every year, we fail to address demand for reproductive health and family planning services, lives are lost, and girls’ opportunities to thrive and contribute to their country’s development shrink. These are real people.” Jenny Shipley