News from our local NGO partner Core Health and Wealth in Bumgoma county in Western Kenya at Mbakalo ward:

“We had a graduation ceremony for 173 people we trained in Gender and entrepreneurship. Six members of our CHW team was trained by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and certified as trainers in Gender and Entrepreneurship. This training challenges the cultural and gender biases that make people not to engage in productive activities. The training targeted farmers, members of the cooperatives, men, women, youth. We trained the people in 6 cohorts of 20 to 30 and each of group took 5 days to train. Part of the training involved Time management, how to identify opportunities and financial literacy and how to meet family needs and also business needs. This training complements very well the training on Business Coaching and Microcredit offered by the Boehringer Ingelheim employees under the making More Health Initiative.

After the training, the participants demanded a ceremony to celebrate their achievements. The governor sent Chief Officer in public service and deputy chief of staff when he was informed about it. We had the leadership of Mbakalo ward join: ward administration, chiefs and the elders and Cooperative officials attend. The participants shared the pride that the MMH activities has brought to them. As a result of the training and the Microcredit project, many people have started micro businesses…selling milk, clothes, vegetables farming…” explains Cleophas, leader of CHW.

The different trainings and activities that Making More Health has enabled CHW to offer to the community is steadily transforming the community. Everywhere in Mbakalo ward has the imprints of MMH: the clean water initiative, the skills training, the cultural exchange. This has restored pride and dignity to the vulnerable communities and the community at large. One elderly lady said, “thank you to all sponsors who have brought transformation in our homes and villages!”

We hope that the MMH-CHW Capacity Centre will hold many more graduations in different areas and we can bring the best training skills from across the world. All this is a result of our common vision, systems approach and passion to empower and co-creation with people!