Rose holds her youngest children—twins Kyalo and Kioko. Her journey to becoming a role model for pregnant women in her community began after she gave birth to Purity, her first to be delivered at a health facility. Photo: Roy Mwangi for CMMB.

Rose Kanini Maluki is 38 years old and lives in a rural community of Kitui County, Kenya. Life here is a constant struggle. The environment is harsh, with frequent droughts leaving the community parched. The nearest health facility is a grueling 20 kilometers (12.42 mi) away—a distance that feels even further for an expectant mother during childbirth. Home deliveries are an all too common and risky practice, driven by necessity. Just putting food on the table for Rose’s children, who range in age from one month to nineteen years, is a daily battle. Her husband, Amos, works as a charcoal burner, but their income is meager. School fees are a constant worry.

Rose’s story is one of hope thanks to CMMB’s Linda Uzazi program. This maternal and child health program intervention helped increase Rose’s knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about her health and the well-being of her children. In the past, Rose, like many women in her community, delivered her children at home.

The Linda Uzazi program transformed Rose’s perspective on childbirth when she was pregnant with her child, Purity. Through this intervention, Rose participated in group antenatal care (ANC) meetings. She learned about the importance of skilled birth attendants and the dangers of prolonged labor at home. She also received an “Antenatal Care Pack” that contained a bucket, slippers, leso (blanket), and bathing soap.

CMMB also works with community health promoters, who were previously supported by CMMB before transitioning to the county government of Kitui in 2023. Community health promoters were an important part of Rose’s pregnancy journey. They visited her at home to assess her health and sent her reminders via calls and text messages about her ANC appointments and due date of delivery.

One of the program’s most impactful interventions for Rose was her engagement with a Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) Champion. These champions are local boda-boda riders supported by CMMB to provide mothers with safe and reliable transport to health facilities during childbirth. This vital service eliminated a major barrier keeping Rose from seeking a hospital delivery.

Thanks to this locally available transport, Purity, was delivered safely at a CMMB-built maternity ward. Here, she was given a “Mama Pack” that contained a basin, diaper, baby shawl, and maternity pad. She also received crucial information on proper postnatal and newborn care. When the health workers determined it was safe for both mom and baby to go home, Rose was transported by a CMMB champion once again, easing her journey back.

Rose with her husband Amos. They hold their two newborn twins.

Rose, her supportive husband Amos, and their twins Kyalo and Kioko. Photo: Roy Mwangi for CMMB.

Empowered by her own experience, Rose has become a role model, championing the importance of hospital deliveries herself. She shares her knowledge with other expectant mothers in her community, encouraging them to deliver in hospitals and dispelling myths surrounding childbirth. The Linda Uzazi intervention has given Rose the tools and confidence to advocate for her own health and that of her children, breaking the cycle of risky home deliveries and transforming her community one mother at a time.