By: Barbara Claire Akello
Bio
Barbara Claire Akello is a Community Health Worker turned supervisor of Village Health Teams (VHTs) in Wakiso District, Uganda. In Wakiso, she supports communities in Namayumba, Masulita, Kakiri, Mende, Buusi, and Zzinga – communities that are resilient but often face significant challenges such as floods that cut off access to health facilities, heat waves that increase illness, crop failures that strain family incomes, and cultural myths that make open discussion about reproductive health difficult. She currently works with the Center for Relief Aid & Development (CERAD), where she leads mobile clinics and trains Peer Ambassadors and health workers to respond to maternal care needs, family planning, HIV, cancer screening, mental health, and gender-based violence. Her work focuses on supporting women and girls aged 10 to 49 as they navigate health needs worsened by climate change. She combines local knowledge with compassion, using mobile clinics, peer education, and eco-friendly livelihood training to make care accessible and meaningful. As a trained health educator with wide experience in community health promotion across different districts, Barbara brings both technical skill and deep community understanding to her work.
In Wakiso, climate change is part of our daily lives. Floods wash away paths, heat waves make children sick, and crop failures leave families without food. Women and girls are the most affected. I meet mothers who worry about their babies but cannot afford transport to health facilities, and I meet girls who believe menstruation means something is wrong with their bodies. For me, this work is not about running big programs but about responding as a neighbor – with facts instead of fear, open conversation instead of silence, and support instead of stigma.
Every outreach reveals new challenges. Floods, heat, and waterborne diseases put families at risk, while cultural myths deepen the problem. Some people believe contraception causes infertility, menstrual pads are cursed, or disease is a punishment. These beliefs create fear and distrust in the health system. When women finally come to a health facility, it is not only about treatment; facility visits are a time to ask the questions they have carried for years, to be reassured, and to feel heard.
I don’t do this work alone. I walk side by side with Village Health Teams, whom we call Peer Ambassadors. They are young men and women from the very villages we serve. They know the footpaths, the family histories, and the quiet struggles that people rarely share with outsiders. Together with local leaders, we meet people in places that feel safe and familiar; under mango trees, in church courtyards, at markets, or in homes where tea is already boiling. Peer Ambassadors explain health issues in Luganda, use proverbs, act out skits about gender-based violence or condom use, and gently challenge myths when speaking with elders. They follow up after outreach, check on mothers, escort girls to clinics, or help with referral forms. Because they are trusted, people open up, and through those conversations, health services finally reach those who have long been left out.
Climate shocks also cut off access to care. When floods destroy paths or families lose their income after a failed harvest, going to the clinic becomes impossible. That is why we bring care directly to the people, offering maternal and reproductive health, mental health support, and cancer screening in homes, schools, markets, and churches.
Working with CERAD, I oversee Peer Ambassadors and health workers who lead mobile clinics, respond to maternal care needs, family planning, HIV, cancer screening, mental health, and gender-based violence. I also help design education materials that use local sayings and drawings so that health messages are clear and relatable. Beyond health, I coordinate women’s savings groups where women not only save money but also share knowledge, heal together, and challenge harmful beliefs. We also train in eco-friendly livelihoods like briquette production, stove-making, and mushroom farming, because health and income are connected. After every outreach, I collect both data and stories to guide what we do next and to improve how we serve.
The results are encouraging. After 6 months of consistent community health outreaches, there has been an increase in medical service uptake. More people now attend medical outreaches, and women and youth are seeking services without fear. Conversations about menstruation, mental health, long-term contraception, cancer screening, and HPV vaccination are no longer hidden but take place in schools, markets, and homes. Peer Ambassadors are stepping into leadership roles, supporting their neighbors through education, referrals, and even conflict mediation. Women’s savings groups have become hubs for financial growth and also for solidarity, emotional healing, and advocacy.
Over my 8 years of doing community health work, I have grown personally as well. I am more confident navigating difficult social issues, addressing misinformation, and building trust across different groups. Stigma around maternal and reproductive health is reducing, and more women are able to access the services they need. The biggest lesson I have learned is that real and lasting change comes from within communities. Listening is just as powerful as medicine, and documenting our work is proof that community-led health systems work.
I believe the world must understand that community health workers are not just service providers. We are system-builders, educators, and advocates. We are the ones who know which households are grieving, which girls are too afraid to ask questions, and which mothers are skipping antenatal visits because transport costs are too high. Policymakers and organizations must invest in us not only in our programs but also in our leadership: by giving us tools, protection, and a voice.
My dream is for Wakiso to become a place where every woman and girl is safe, informed, and respected, where health services are close, trusted, and climate-resilient. I remain committed to building a health system that values dignity, knowledge, and resilience as part of everyday life. I envision stronger partnerships with the government, policies shaped by frontline voices, and expanded access to reproductive and mental health services for all communities facing the realities of climate change.