By: Sheringham Elisha Odhiambo Owiti, Advocates for Community Health Volunteers of Kenya
“For years, Community Health Promoters (CHPs) worked at the frontline of healthcare, yet our voices were rarely heard where decisions were made. ACHVO-K gave us a platform to speak, to lead, and to advocate for the recognition we deserve.” Violet Kibisu — Community Health Promoter and ACHVO-K Member
Our Beginning: From CHW-CN to ACHVO-K
The story of Advocates for Community Health Volunteers of Kenya (ACHVO-K) began in 2021 in Mathare North Area 3, Ruaraka Sub-county, Nairobi County, where a small group of Community Health Volunteers met to discuss the need for a stronger, united voice for Kenya’s frontline community health workforce. What started as a grassroots conversation quickly grew into a movement dedicated to advocacy, leadership, and professional recognition.
On 28 February 2022, the movement was formally registered as the Community Health Worker Champions Network (CHW-CN). As membership expanded across the country and the organization’s vision broadened beyond networking to national advocacy and systems strengthening, the movement evolved into the Advocates for Community Health Volunteers of Kenya (ACHVO-K) in December 2023. Today, ACHVO-K has established 45 active county chapters across Kenya’s 47 counties and continues to champion the recognition, empowerment, and professionalization of Community Health Promoters.
“We are 100,000 strong, walking house to house every day. It is time we walk together as one body, with one voice, for the health of Kenya.” Jane Nelima CHP, Bungoma County
While CHW-CN remains the organization’s legally registered Community-Based Organization, ACHVO-K was established as the national umbrella association to unite Community Health Promoters under one collective voice, strengthen advocacy, influence policy, build leadership, and advance the professionalization of the community health workforce in Kenya. This transition represented far more than a change of name. It reflected the evolution of a grassroots initiative into a growing national movement led by Community Health Promoters themselves.
Building this movement was not easy. Bringing together CHPs from different counties, backgrounds, and experiences required patience, trust, and continuous engagement. Some stakeholders questioned the need for a national association, while others feared that a united CHP movement would challenge existing structures. Despite these challenges, the founders remained committed to building an inclusive platform that belongs to Community Health Promoters.
Today, ACHVO-K continues to grow as one of Kenya’s leading voices for Community Health Promoters (CHPs), working to strengthen community health systems through advocacy, capacity building, leadership development, and policy engagement.
“For years we have worked in villages without a united voice. This national association is how we finally sit at the table where decisions about our work, and our patients, are made.” Josephine Barasa CHP, National CHP Assembly Delegate, Nairobi
Registration Challenges and Organizational Growth
Like many grassroots movements, ACHVO-K’s journey toward formal national registration has not been without challenges. After successfully establishing CHW-CN as a registered Community-Based Organization, the founders initiated the process of registering ACHVO-K as a national association to reflect its expanded mandate and national membership. The registration requirements were fulfilled, including payment of the registration fees and submission of all required documentation. However, the registration process has remained pending for more than two years due to the outstanding requirement for a Letter of No Objection from the Ministry of Health, despite repeated formal requests and continuous follow-up.
Although these delays have slowed formal registration, they have not slowed the movement. ACHVO-K has continued to mobilize Community Health Promoters across Kenya, establish county chapters, strengthen advocacy capacity, engage policymakers, participate in national legislative processes, and represent Kenyan CHPs in global community health forums. The experience has reinforced one important lesson: movements are built through commitment, persistence, and collective action—not simply through legal registration.
“This is not about politics. This is about dignity for community health workers and accountability for the health system. A national association is how we secure both.” Jane Kahura CHP, Kiambu County
Advocacy in Motion
One of ACHVO-K’s flagship initiatives is Advocacy in Motion (AIM), a movement designed to equip Community Health Promoters with advocacy skills and empower them to become effective champions for community health. Through advocacy training, digital engagement, community mobilization, policy dialogue, and leadership development, ACHVO-K has built a growing network of Community Health Worker Advocates across Kenya. To date, more than 7,000 Community Health Promoters have been trained as Community Health Worker Advocates, strengthening their ability to engage decision-makers, communicate community priorities, influence policy, and advocate for stronger community health systems.
ACHVO-K has contributed to policy discussions related to the Community Health Promoters Bill and the implementation of Kenya’s Community Health Strategy by collecting feedback from frontline Community Health Promoters across the country, consolidating their perspectives into policy recommendations, and presenting these recommendations during stakeholder engagements and public participation forums.
“From stipends, to training, through Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) registration, we have carried the system on our backs. Now we are building the house that will carry us.” Emily Mitei CHP, Kericho County
One of the notable examples is ACHVOK’s contribution to discussions surrounding the Community Health Promoters Bill. The organization reviewed successive draft of the Bill, submitted recommendations during public participation, and worked alongside sector partners to advocate for stronger legal recognition, improved remuneration, and better working conditions for Community Health Promoters.
Membership
Membership is open to Community Health Promoters in Kenya, who share the association’s vision of strengthening community health systems through unity, advocacy, and leadership. To become a registered member, applicants complete an official ACHVO-K membership registration form and make a one-time membership contribution of KSh 20 (approximately US$0.15). The membership contribution was deliberately set at an affordable level to ensure that every Community Health Promoter can participate, recognizing that many CHPs serve their communities without a regular salary.
ACHVO-K believes that every CHP deserves a voice regardless of their financial circumstances. By keeping membership affordable, the association promotes broad participation, collective ownership, and a strong national movement led by Community Health Promoters themselves.
Looking Ahead
Over the next five years, ACHVO-K envisions becoming a fully registered, sustainable, and nationally recognized association representing Community Health Promoters in every county across Kenya. The movement seeks to strengthen county chapters, expand leadership and advocacy training, increase membership, mobilize sustainable resources, deepen policy engagement, and continue building strategic partnerships nationally, regionally, and globally. Above all, ACHVO-K remains committed to ensuring that every Community Health Promoter is recognized, supported, fairly remunerated, professionally developed, adequately equipped, and fully integrated as an essential member of Kenya’s primary healthcare workforce.
“As guaranteed under Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010), every person the right to the highest attainable standard of health. To defend that right at the community level, CHPs need structure, protection, and representation. That is what this association gives us.” Benard Otieno CHP, Migori County
Lessons in Unity and Solidarity
If there is one lesson ACHVO-K would share with other Community Health Worker associations around the world, it is that change begins when frontline workers organize and speak with one voice. Building a movement takes time. It requires trust, patience, persistence, and a shared vision. Challenges are inevitable, but collective action creates opportunities that individuals cannot achieve alone.
“The journey to a national association has been long, led by CHPs themselves. Today at the CHP Assembly, we are turning that journey into a reality.” Loise Nyaboke CHP, Nyamira County
Our journey is still unfolding. We continue to learn from others while sharing our own experiences. We believe that stronger connections among CHW associations, networks, and unions globally can accelerate progress toward greater recognition, dignity, and support for frontline health workers everywhere. The story of ACHVO-K is ultimately a story of Community Health Promoters coming together to shape their future. It is a story of resilience, leadership, advocacy, and hope. And it is only just beginning.
“When one CHP speaks, it is easy to ignore. When we speak as a national association, the government, the Ministry of Health, politicians, policymakers, stakeholders, and the counties must listen. That is the power we are claiming.” CHP, National CHP Assembly Steering Committee
If you are a Community Health Promoter in Kenya, or if you are interested in learning more about ACHVO-K, collaborating with us, or supporting our work, we would be delighted to connect with you.
- Website: www.achvok.org
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- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advocates-for-community-health-volunteers-of-kenya-achvo-k/
- X (Formerly Twitter): https://x.com/achvok
This feature is the first in CHW Central’s CHW Networks and Associations Spotlight 2026 series, a global initiative highlighting the diverse ways Community Health Worker (CHW) associations, networks, unions, and other organizing bodies are strengthening and supporting the CHW workforce. Over the coming months, organizations from different countries and regions will share their stories, offering insights into how they were formed, how they are organized, what they are working to achieve, and the opportunities and challenges they face. We launched this initiative because strong CHW organizing is essential to supporting CHWs, yet the experiences of these organizations are rarely documented or shared. By creating a space for learning and exchange, we hope to strengthen connections across the global CHW community and amplify the voices of the organizations working every day to support CHWs.
About the Author
Sheringham Elisha Odhiambo Owiti serves as Secretary General of Advocates for Community Health Volunteers of Kenya (ACHVO-K), a national association working to unite and amplify the voices of Community Health Promoters across Kenya. A co-founder of the organization and a passionate advocate for community health, he works to advance CHP recognition, policy reform, leadership development, and stronger community health systems both nationally and globally.
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