Oyiko_Oyiko

Imagine you are walking into a clinic. You have a question. You are nervous. You have not told anyone why you came. Now, before a word is said, which of these moments would make you turn around? A question that sounds like a judgement A reaction you were not ready for A facial expression that says more than words An assumption about who you are Vote A, B, C or D in the comments. Here is the truth. Stigma rarely announces itself. It shows up in small moments, often ones we do not realise we are creating. And for someone seeking care, those moments can decide whether they ask questions, share their concerns or ever come back. So what happens when providers get the space to pause? That is the conversation RHNK is part of at the Regional Provider Share Workshop (PSW) and Training of Trainers (ToT) under the EmpowHER Project, convened by @IPPFAR. Colleagues from Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ghana, Ethiopia and Zambia, with invited participants from Nigeria. Four days of honest conversations about abortion and provider stigma. Interactive approaches like Totem and Photovoice. Reflecting on personal and professional experiences, where stigma comes from and how healthcare settings can reinforce it.But recognising stigma is only the beginning. The focus now moves from reflection to action. Participants are building the skills to run Provider Share Workshops in their own countries, through country-level cascade plans that reach more healthcare providers. The hope is that these conversations will not stay in the workshop room. They will shape how providers think, communicate and relate to the people they serve. Because access to healthcare is not only about whether a service exists or a facility has resources. It is also about whether someone can walk through the door, ask for help and be treated with dignity. The care people receive should never depend on whether a provider agrees with their choices. It should always rest on dignity, respect and compassion. #EmpowHERProject #ProviderShareWorkshop #SRHR #StigmaFreeCare #IPPF

Knowing how to provide care is one thing. Making sure someone feels safe, respected and supported while receiving it is another. Both matter. A healthcare provider can have the clinical skills to deliver a service, but the experience of the person seeking care is also shaped by the questions asked, the attitudes they encounter and whether they are treated with dignity. This was at the centre of six days of learning and practical skills development in Kilifi County, where 29 healthcare providers came together under the Kaleidoscope Initiative to strengthen their capacity in Post-Abortion Care (PAC). Beyond the clinical sessions, participants were challenged to look inward. Through Values Clarification and Attitude Transformation (VCAT), they examined how personal beliefs, assumptions and attitudes can influence the way they interact with clients. They also strengthened their practical skills through simulations and facility practicums covering PAC management, Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA), counselling and post-abortion contraception. But the training also brought another reality into focus: skills alone cannot guarantee access to care. When essential Family Planning commodities are unavailable, even a well-trained provider may struggle to offer clients the full range of services they need. Provider capacity must go hand in hand with supplies, equipment and facilities that are ready to respond. The next step is taking this learning into practice across five identified model facilities in Kilifi County, supported by continued mentorship, community engagement and efforts to improve facility readiness. Through the Kaleidoscope Consortium, RHNK is working alongside @KenyaSRHR and the Kilifi County Department of Health to strengthen services that are not only clinically sound, but also respectful and responsive to the people who need them. Because someone seeking care should not have to navigate judgement, unavailable supplies or an unprepared facility on top of everything else. Quality care means being ready to provide the service and making sure every person is treated with dignity when they seek it. #KaleidoscopeInitiative #SRHR #PostAbortionCare #RHNK

Progress, persistent gaps and what it will take to reach every woman and girl. This week, RHNK is in WEST POKOT COUNTY under our Health Happens Here Initiative, supported by @RutgersNL and @coimpactcollab We began with a courtesy call to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health. Led by our Executive Director, Nelly Munyasia , with our Programmes Director, Edison Omollo, Ph.D., our Finance Director and team, and Fidelis Ndungu from @NCPD_Kenya , our delegation then met the County Department of Health to talk about maternal health, family planning and the realities communities face across the county. The latest 2025–26 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey (KMDHS) show why this work matters: 25% of girls aged 15 to 19 in West Pokot have ever been pregnant, the highest in the country 42% of married women aged 15 to 49 have an unmet need for family planning 37% of women who had a live birth attended at least four antenatal care visits. Nationally, it is 72% These figures tell a sobering story about the barriers many women and girls still face in reaching essential health services. The county also shared encouraging progress: No maternal deaths in the last six months. Improved family planning uptake. Greater community acceptance after sustained sensitisation. Discussions stressed the need to engage men and work with communities to address the cultural barriers that shape health-seeking behaviour. Progress does not mean the work is done. These gaps still affect access to care: Long distances to health facilities Delays in seeking care Occasional shortages of family planning commodities. RHNK donated family planning commodities to support service delivery in the county: Three-month injectables. Three-year and five-year implants. Combined oral contraceptives (COCs). IUDs. Condoms. Closing these gaps takes: Sustained collaboration Community engagement Reliable availability of essential supplies. Better maternal health and wider access to family planning need more than services inside health facilities. They call for a health system that listens to communities, responds to their realities and makes essential care consistently available. Health Happens Here. And stronger health systems begin with working together. #HealthHappensHere #RHNK #WestPokot #MaternalHealth #FamilyPlanning #SRHR @IPPFAR @ippf @coimpactcollab @NCPD_Kenya

What if getting the healthcare you need was closer than you think? Imagine having questions about your health but not knowing where to go. Or putting off a check-up because finding time and accessing services can be difficult. Tomorrow, you don’t have to travel far to take that first step towards better health. RHNK, through REHNET Mlolongo, invites you to Tibiwa na Mia Tatu! A day dedicated to bringing essential health services closer to the community. From counselling, family planning and HIV and cervical cancer screening to STI services, treatment of common ailments and maternal and child health services, there’s an opportunity to prioritise your health. You can also get free blood pressure, weight and height checks. Date: Friday, 6th November 2026 Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Venue: REHNET Mlolongo, behind Ottomat Supermarket, adjacent to the Assistant Chief’s Office. Call 0715 073 960 for more information. Your health deserves attention, not postponement. Make time for that check-up, ask those questions and take a step towards a healthier you. Tibiwa na Mia Tatu. Your health matters! #RHNK #REHNETMlolongo #CommunityHealth #HealthcareForAll

When someone walks into a health facility seeking care, what happens next depends on more than the willingness of a healthcare provider to help. Are the necessary commodities available? Is the equipment in place? Does the provider have the skills and confidence to offer the care needed, without judgement? These are some of the questions behind the work taking place in @KilifiCountyGov. Through the Kaleidoscope Initiative, RHNK and consortium partners are working alongside the County Department of Health to strengthen five model health facilities through the provision of essential SRHR commodities and life-saving equipment. But preparing a facility is not just about what is on its shelves or in its treatment rooms. It is also about the people providing care. Healthcare providers are strengthening their skills through Post-Abortion Care and Values Clarification and Attitude Transformation (VCAT) training, with an emphasis on quality, compassionate and non-judgmental services. Because a woman seeking care needs more than a facility that is open. She needs a provider who is equipped to help, the right resources to support her care, and an environment where she can be treated with dignity. That is what readiness should look like: the right people, the right resources and the right support when care is needed. #KaleidoscopeInitiative #SRHR #HealthSystemsStrengthening