A law is passed. A policy is developed. A commitment is made. But what happens next? For a woman seeking safe maternal care, a young person looking for reproductive health services, or a mother trying to balance work and breastfeeding, progress is not measured by promises alone. It is measured by whether those promises translate into real change in their lives. This is why the Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan (CAAP) Kenya 2026–2027 matters. During the CAAP inception meeting convened by @HennetKenya , with support from @PMNCH , one message stood out: Kenya’s challenge is no longer just about having the right policies. It is about delivering on them. The progress is real. Advocacy efforts have contributed to important milestones, including the National Assembly’s passage of the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill, 2024. Yet, maternal mortality remains high at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births. Domestic health financing remains below the Abuja target, family planning funding falls short of commitments, and adolescent health continues to be overlooked in county budgets. Behind these figures are people whose health and futures depend on decisions made today. The next chapter of CAAP must therefore be about turning commitments into action: pushing for adequate domestic financing, strengthening adolescent health investments, advancing critical health legislation and ensuring maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health priorities feature in county plans and the 2027 election manifestos. We believe that advocacy must go beyond influencing decisions; it must help ensure those decisions make a difference in people’s lives. Because progress is not just about what we promise. It is about what we deliver. #CAAPKenya #SRHR #RMNCAH #HealthForAll @IPPFAR @ippf @coimpactcollab @RutgersNL

36 school-going girls pregnant in Webuye East, Bungoma. Then the headlines moved on. We are not moving on. Our Executive Director, Ms. @nellymunyasia , joined @SulweFM FM to ask the harder questions about teenage SRHR and what must change. The election is coming. Parties are writing manifestos. Leaders are asking for votes. Adolescent health cannot be an afterthought. Young people need: Accurate information Youth-friendly services Protection and support Clear commitments, resources and accountability But it starts closer to home. At the dinner table. In a talk between a parent and a child. In the question a young person is finally safe enough to ask. So let’s ask ourselves: What are young people being taught about sexuality? What are they afraid to ask? Which conversations are we avoiding? Who answers when we stay silent? Protecting adolescents takes more than telling them what not to do. It takes honest talk, supportive families, responsive services and systems that take their needs seriously. Missed it? Watch here: facebook.com/share/v/19XaTRh… Your turn. Which conversation do you wish someone had had with you at 15? Tell us below. Let’s keep talking, not only when the headlines come, but long before they do. #TeenageSRHR #SRHR #AdolescentHealth #YouthHealth #RHNK @IPPFAR @ippf @coimpactcollab @RutgersNL @inSupplyHealth @Yvai_org

The numbers told us where to focus. The field told us why it matters. The #HHI baseline by @ICRWAfrica and @KNBStats covered Garissa, Homa Bay, Samburu, Tana River and West Pokot. In West Pokot 22.3% of adolescent girls surveyed were pregnant at the time 47.4% of sexually active girls had ever been pregnant Average age at first sex: 15.6 years But numbers cannot tell you how it feels to look for information or a service when you need it. So our team went to the field. Across six health facilities, we spoke with adolescents and young women. We met pregnant teens and young mothers seeking care. We also checked family planning commodities. What we found Prolonged stock-outs of family planning commodities Commodities in stock, but no equipment to provide them Gaps in SRHR information Weak referrals Hard school re-entry for adolescent mothers Cultural norms shaping young people’s choices Who do girls turn to for SRH information? Teachers: 52.3% Mothers: 10.1% So who should prevent teenage pregnancy? Not the health facility alone. Not parents alone. Not schools alone. Not young people alone. All of them, together. And young people must help design the solutions. That is the heart of #HealthHappensHere The baseline gave us the evidence The field is showing us the reality Now we turn both into action Who is missing from the table in your community? Tell us below. #HHI #HealthHappensHere #AdolescentHealth #EndTeenPregnancy #SRHR @IPPFAR @ippf @RutgersNL @coimpactcollab

Sometimes, a human rights conversation starts with a document. A law. A policy. A recommendation. But in the end, it comes down to a person trying to exercise a right. That was one of the reflections RHNK carried from Dakar. We wererepresented by our Advocacy and Partnerships Associate Director, Jane Nyanjom, at the NGO Forum and the 89th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) in Dakar, Senegal marking RHNK’s inaugural engagement with the Commission. Across the two forums, conversations touched on shrinking civic space, gender-based violence, digital rights, women’s rights, youth participation, human rights defenders and the rights of communities that are too often pushed to the margins. And then there was a question particularly close to RHNK’s work: What happens when a law meant to protect young people also becomes a barrier to the care they need? At the NGO Forum, RHNK, together with @HDIRwanda ,FGAE and @ReproRights, convened a side event on “Reimagining Age of Consent as a Gateway to Accelerating Youth Agency in Africa.” The conversation explored something that can easily get lost in legal language the difference between consent to sexual activity, consent to marriage and access to sexual and reproductive health services. Because for a young person, these are not simply legal concepts. They can determine whether they get information. Whether they can access contraception. Whether they feel able to seek an HIV test. Whether they walk into a health facility and receive care or walk away without it. The discussion challenged us to think beyond protection alone. From protection to agency. From evidence to action. From legal provisions to lived realities. At the @achpr_cadhp session that followed, these questions continued within broader conversations on accountability, state obligations, civil society participation and the role of regional human rights mechanisms in turning commitments into meaningful change. One message stood out across both spaces: Rights are only meaningful when people can actually experience them. For RHNK, being in Dakar was therefore about more than attending a regional forum. It was about bringing SRHR into spaces where laws, policies and human rights obligations are discussed and ensuring that the experiences of the people affected by those decisions remain part of the conversation. We returned with new connections, opportunities for collaboration and, importantly, work to continue. From advancing RHNK’s engagement with the ACHPR, to strengthening regional partnerships and continuing the conversation on adolescent SRHR and age of consent, the work does not end when the meeting closes. Sometimes, that is what meaningful advocacy looks like. You enter a room with evidence and experience. You listen. You challenge. You build relationships. And you leave with more work to do. #ACHPR #YouthAgency #HumanRights

One woman came in. Then she called her friend. Her friend came. And before long, the message was moving from one phone to another: “Come, there are services here.” It is easy to look at an outreach and count the people who walked through the door. But what happens when the people you reach start bringing others with them? That was one of the moments that stayed with us during our recent FSW in-reach at RHNK Hospital Mlolongo. Women came looking for condoms. Others wanted to talk about family planning. Many were interested in cervical cancer screening. Some needed HIV testing, treatment, ANC or laboratory services. And the conversations mattered too. Because how many people put off a health service simply because they do not know where to go? How many have questions but are unsure who they can ask? And how many are more likely to seek care when someone they trust says, “I went there. You can go too.” Across the in-reach, 245 clients accessed services. This included 78 family planning counselling sessions, 723 male and female condoms, 22 Jadelle insertions, 25 Implanon insertions, 9 IUD insertions and 4 implant removals. Sixty-nine clients also received HIV testing, alongside cervical cancer screening, laboratory services, ANC and curative care. But the numbers only tell us who came. The phone calls told us something else. They showed us how access can travel from one person to another, through a simple conversation between friends. For key populations, that matters. Because sometimes the first step towards healthcare is not a poster, a campaign or even an outreach announcement. Sometimes it is a friend saying: “I found somewhere you can get help. Come with me.” And perhaps that is one of the clearest signs that a service is reaching people when those who have found it begin making sure others can find it too.

A woman should not have to choose between showing up for her job and showing up for her baby. That is why we welcome the National Assembly’s passage of the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill, 2024, which seeks to require employers to provide appropriate lactation facilities and support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. The Bill also provides for breastfeeding breaks, flexible working arrangements and protection from discrimination related to breastfeeding. At RHNK, this is an issue we have been talking about and working on with private-sector companies for more than three years through our SRHR and Gender Equality at the Workplace initiative. Because workplace wellbeing is not only about salaries, leave days or a safe physical environment. It is also about whether a woman can return to work after having a baby and still have the support she needs to continue breastfeeding. Can she express milk somewhere private and safe? Does she have reasonable time to do it? Can workplace policies recognise the realities of pregnancy, breastfeeding and caregiving? And can she do all this without feeling that motherhood has made her less valuable as an employee? These are not just “women’s issues.” They are workplace, health, gender equality and decent work issues. Over the years, our work with private-sector employers has allowed us to have these conversations inside workplaces looking at how policies, workplace practices and support systems can better respond to employees’ SRHR and gender-related needs. Seeing this conversation move into legislation is an important step. We applaud the National Assembly for advancing the Bill and recognise the work of everyone who has advocated for stronger protections and more supportive workplaces. The next step is just as important: implementation. Because a right on paper only becomes meaningful when a woman can walk into her workplace and actually experience that right. We hope to see the Bill translated into action through clear implementation guidelines, accountability mechanisms and consistent monitoring to ensure employers meet their obligations. Every breastfeeding mother deserves to know that the support provided for in law will be available to her in practice regardless of where she works. #SRHR #GenderEquality #DecentWork #WorkplaceWellbeing @IPPFAR @ippf @SexogSamfund @coimpactcollab @RutgersNL @SheDecidesKe

Some heroes wear uniforms. Some carry stethoscopes. Others carry notebooks, megaphones, phones or simply the courage to speak up. This Mashujaa Day, we celebrate the people who keep our health system moving. The healthcare worker who opens the clinic doors and meets people where they are. The community health worker who connects a neighbour to the care they need. The young person who asks the question everyone else is afraid to ask, speaks up for their rights and refuses to be left out of decisions about their health. The advocate who keeps pushing for policies, resources and systems that work for everyone. And the many people working quietly behind the scenes to make sure sexual and reproductive health services, information and support reach the people who need them. These may seem like everyday acts. But health systems are built through everyday acts of service, leadership, courage and care. Today, we celebrate our Mashujaa not only for what they do, but for the communities that are healthier, more informed and more empowered because they show up. To everyone keeping Kenya healthy, Asante.

The reports coming out of Webuye East, Bungoma, of 36 school-going girls becoming pregnant have left many of us asking difficult questions. What are we missing? How do we make sure adolescents have accurate information about their sexual and reproductive health? How do we create spaces where young people can ask questions without fear or judgement? And how do we strengthen the protection, services and support around them so that no girl has to navigate these challenges alone? These are conversations we need to have openly, honestly and without placing the burden on young people alone. Tomorrow morning, our Executive Director, Ms. @nellymunyasia , will be on @SulweFM to discuss Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), reflecting on the issues behind the headlines and what needs to change to better protect and support adolescents. 🎙️ Tune in to Sulwe FM 🕢 7:30–8:30 AM Listen in and be part of the conversation. #TeenageSRHR #SRHR #AdolescentHealth #RHNK @IPPFAR @ippf

Sometimes, an outreach gives you more than numbers. It gives you a clearer picture of what people are experiencing. At our recent SRHR and HIV outreach for key populations at Kayole Soweto Dispensary, access to basic FP commodities was one of the immediate needs. With stock-outs affecting the availability of condoms and other commodities, having these services and supplies available free of charge gave clients an opportunity to access what they needed. But as our team spent time talking with younger key populations, another need became clear. Some had questions about their sexual and reproductive health that they had not had the opportunity to ask. There were gaps in knowledge around safer sex negotiation, SGBV and where to seek support. That conversation made us pause. Because what does access really mean if someone can get a condom, but does not have the information or confidence to negotiate its use? What does protection look like when a young person does not know how to recognise SGBV or where to turn when they experience it? And how do we make sure young people are not only receiving services, but leaving with information that helps them make informed decisions about their health? Across the outreach, 400 clients were reached. They accessed 202 family planning counselling sessions, 864 male condoms, 88 female condoms and 115 lubricants, alongside HIV testing and management, cervical cancer screening, laboratory services, ANC and treatment for common illnesses. These numbers show the services that were accessed. The conversations showed us where more work is needed. For younger key populations, access to commodities and access to information cannot be separated. Both matter. Both can influence whether a young person is able to make informed choices and protect their health. And sometimes, the most important thing someone takes away from an outreach is not what they received in their hands, but what they now know and feel confident enough to do with that knowledge. @ippf @IPPFAR @RutgersNL @coimpactcollab @UNFPA

“I didn’t want to get pregnant.” A woman we’ll call Amina had kept her implant for six months beyond its expected replacement time. She knew it was time to replace it, but she also believed it could still be helping her prevent pregnancy. And there was another reality: she could not simply remove it and walk away without a replacement. She wanted to continue using contraception. She had tried to find somewhere she could get a new implant, but where she could access the service, the cost was too high. So she waited. Her experience also comes at a time when access to contraceptive commodities remains a challenge, with stock-outs affecting the availability of some family planning methods in health facilities. Then a peer educator told her about the outreach at our RHNK Hospital Mlolongo Branch, where family planning services were being offered for FREE. That changed things. Amina came to the outreach, where she could finally have her old implant removed and a new one inserted allowing her to continue with the contraceptive method she had chosen. Amina’s story represents many women and girls who want to prevent pregnancy but find themselves navigating the gap between making a choice and being able to access the service that supports that choice. Her story shows how complicated contraceptive access can become when cost, availability and stock-outs get in the way. It is easy to say, “Just come back when your method is due for replacement.” But what happens when the service is too expensive? What happens when you cannot find it nearby? What happens when you cannot find the commodity you need? What happens when removing the method means going without contraception because you cannot immediately afford another one? For Amina, the decision was never about not wanting contraception. She wanted to prevent pregnancy. She simply needed a service she could actually access. A peer educator helped her find the outreach. The free service gave her an opportunity to finally get the care she had been waiting for. And this is why bringing family planning services closer and ensuring commodities are consistently available matters. Because when someone has already made a decision about their reproductive health, access should not be the thing that stands in the way. #FamilyPlanning #SRHR @IPPFAR @ippf @UNFPA @coimpactcollab @RutgersNL

For one day, Missions Outreach Church became a space where first-time young mothers could come together, talk, listen and take care of their health. Some came looking for a family planning method. Some had questions about their own health. Some came with their babies for immunisation. Others needed ANC, HIV services, counselling or simply information they could trust. But the day was about more than services. It was also about dialogue. Creating a space where first-time young mothers could talk about the realities they are navigating, ask questions, share concerns and have conversations about their health, relationships, family planning and wellbeing. This was the FTYM Missions Outreach, where RHNK brought free, integrated health services closer to the community. By the end of the outreach, 285 clients had accessed services. Women accessed family planning methods including pills, injectables, implants and IUCDs, as well as implant removal. HIV testing and management was available, alongside SGBV counselling. Expectant mothers accessed ANC, while children received CWC services including immunization. For HIV and STI prevention, 208 condoms 89 male and 119 female were distributed. Why take all this to a church? Because community spaces can create another doorway into healthcare. For a young mother, getting to a health facility may mean finding transport, finding time, finding someone to look after her baby or simply finding the confidence to walk through the door and ask for what she needs. Meeting people in familiar spaces can help reduce some of those barriers and create opportunities to connect them with information, services and the wider health system. And perhaps that is what made this outreach special. It was a place where a young mother could bring her baby, ask her questions, have a conversation and access care all in the same space. Because first-time motherhood comes with a lot of questions. Young mothers deserve spaces where those questions can be heard, answered and met with care. #RHNK #SRHR @ippf @IPPFAR @UNFPA

Sometimes, safer sex starts with a conversation. In this room, the conversation went beyond simply saying, “Use a condom.” A peer educator was speaking with women from key populations about condoms, safer sex and the conversations that happen before sex including how to negotiate condom use, communicate what feels safe and make informed decisions about their health. But safer sex is also about safety beyond the condom. For people who may face increased exposure to violence, coercion, exploitation or abuse, knowing what to do when something goes wrong matters too. What counts as violence? Where can you report it? Who can you talk to? Where can you get medical, psychosocial or other support? These are not always easy conversations, but having the information can make it easier to recognise when something is not okay and know where to turn for help. During one of our key population outreaches this week, these conversations happened alongside access to free HIV, SRHR and other essential health services. Because bringing services closer is about more than providing a test, a condom or a counselling session. It is about creating a space where people can ask questions, talk about what they are experiencing, understand their options and access support without judgement. Sometimes, one conversation gives someone more than information. It gives them the confidence to negotiate, the knowledge to protect themselves, and the awareness to know that support is available when they need it. @IPPFAR @ippf @UNFPA

Look at this picture for a moment. A young woman, her baby safely wrapped around her back, waiting at a health facility where free services are being offered. She could have a question she has been meaning to ask. A service she has been looking for. A health concern she finally has a chance to address. But how easy is it for everyone to get that chance? What if the service is too far away? What if transport costs are too high? What if you have a child to care for and nowhere to leave them? What if you have been putting off your own healthcare because life simply does not make it easy? For many people, these are not hypothetical barriers. They are part of deciding whether to seek care at all. That is why RHNK, in collaboration with @NairobiCityGov and @UNFPA , brought free HIV, SRHR and other essential services closer to key populations at Kayole Soweto Dispensary. And importantly, we did this with the existing government health facility working through a place that is already part of the community, while creating an opportunity for people to access services closer to where they live and work. Because bringing healthcare closer can mean fewer barriers between someone and the care they need. It can mean you don’t have to travel far. You don’t have to spend money you may not have. You can come as you are even with your child on your back. And perhaps that is what we should see when we look at this picture. Not just a mother waiting for a service. But someone who made the journey, showed up, and chose to make time for her health even while caring for someone else. That is what access should make possible. Care that comes closer. Services that meet people where they are. And a little more room for people to take care of themselves, too. #RHNK #SRHR

For a young woman becoming a mother for the first time, there can be so many questions. What is happening to my body? Who can I talk to about contraception? What should I expect after giving birth? When can I safely have sex again? What if something doesn’t feel right? And who can I trust to give me the right answers? Sometimes, the hardest part is not having questions. It is knowing who to turn to for honest, accurate information without fear of judgement. Then the baby arrives, and the attention naturally shifts. Is the baby feeding? Is the baby sleeping? Is the baby growing? But Mum is also going through a major change. Her body is recovering. Her relationships may be changing. She is learning a new role, making decisions about her health and, for some, thinking about when or whether she wants another pregnancy. She deserves care too. Whether you are pregnant with your first baby or have recently become a mother, you should have a place to ask questions, get trusted information and access the services you need. Tomorrow, Thursday 15 October, RHNK will be at Mission Outreach Church offering FREE services for first-time young mothers. Come with your questions. Come if you need information. Come if you simply want someone to listen. Because becoming a mother is a big journey and you should not have to figure it out alone. Mission Outreach Church Thursday, 15 October FREE services for first-time young mothers We’re checking on you too. #RHNK #YoungMothers #FirstTimeMothers #SRHR @IPPFAR @ippf @UNFPA @RutgersNL @coimpactcollab

Sometimes, getting the healthcare you need should not mean travelling across the city, taking time off work or making multiple trips to different facilities. Care should come closer to where people live. That is the thinking behind the upcoming integrated SRH and HIV outreach we are conducting in collaboration with @NairobiCityGov and @UNFPA . This Thursday and Friday, the outreach will bring a range of services closer to the Kayole Soweto community and the Mlolongo community, with a focus on making quality, confidential and non-judgmental care more accessible particularly for key populations. Community members will be able to access family planning and contraceptive services, HIV testing and prevention, condoms, SRH information and counselling, STI services and referrals, among other essential services. Because sometimes the barrier is not whether a service exists. It is how far someone has to go to find it, whether they feel welcome when they get there, and whether they can access the different services they need in one place. Bringing services closer creates another opportunity to reach people where they are, connect them to care and make it easier to take charge of their health. So, Kayole Soweto and Mlolongo, tell a friend to tell a friend. Kayole Soweto Dispensary Thursday -15th October RHNK Hospital Mlolongo Friday - 16th October Come for the services. Stay informed. Take care of your health. Your health. Closer to you. #RHNK #NairobiCityCounty #UNFPA #SRHR #HIVPrevention #KeyPopulations #KayoleSoweto #IntegratedHealthServices @IPPFAR @ippf @RutgersNL

For a first-time young mother, there is already so much to figure out. A new baby. A changing body. New responsibilities. Questions about breastfeeding, recovery, contraception and when she might want to have another child. But getting the information and services she needs should not be another thing she has to struggle to find. At a time when access to some contraceptive methods across Kenya has been disrupted by commodity shortages and funding pressures, having a place where young mothers can receive trusted information, counselling and care matters. That is why we are bringing services closer. This Thursday, 15 October at Mission Outreach Church, we will offer FREE services to first-time young mothers. Come and access support on family planning and other sexual and reproductive health needs in a safe, respectful and welcoming space. Mission Outreach Church Thursday, 15 October FREE services for first-time young mothers Because becoming a mother for the first time should come with support not with having to figure everything out alone. #RHNK #FirstTimeMothers #SRHR #FamilyPlanning #YoungMothers #YouthFriendlyServices @IPPFAR @ippf @UNFPAKen @UNFPA

Every story is unique. Every journey matters. A woman may walk into a health facility for a routine check-up, family planning, maternity care or another sexual and reproductive health need. Somewhere along the way, that visit can also become an opportunity to notice something that needs attention. A breast concern. A change she had not noticed before. A question she was unsure who to ask. That is why access to comprehensive healthcare matters. At RHNK, we believe sexual and reproductive healthcare should look at the whole person, creating opportunities for women to ask questions, access information, receive appropriate screening and referrals, and seek care early when something does not feel right. Because behind every screening is a person with a life, a family, hopes and plans. Her experience with care will be different from someone else’s, and her journey deserves to be met with dignity, information and support. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we recognise every woman’s story and every journey, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, recovery and beyond. Every story is unique. Every journey matters. #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #EveryStoryMatters #EveryJourneyMatters #BreastCancerAwareness #SRHR #WomensHealth #RHNK @IPPFAR @ippf @coimpactcollab @RutgersNL