The power of listening and learning from one another

In this blog post, volunteer Lily shares her daily experiences in Kisii County, Kenya with Impact Global Health Alliance.

On June 12, 2026, I had the privilege of visiting a village to see KIKOP’s birthing center. I was able to meet many wonderful mothers and their adorable babies, and witness firsthand the impact this organization has made. The mothers were eager to show us around and share their experiences giving birth and receiving both prenatal and postnatal care. They all seemed eager to give birth again and praised KIKOP as a large reason why. I also had the opportunity to watch a village leader hold a workshop on safe sex practices and various methods of birth control. The mothers were visibly engaged — asking and answering questions throughout.

We then walked to a new site, where visiting midwives led a workshop on how to properly use thermometers and measure blood pressure. The presentation was given to the community health volunteers who assist with births and conduct follow-up exams on the babies and mothers. We were shown an informative video on the importance of thermometers and how to correctly read both thermometer and blood pressure results — including what constitutes healthy ranges and when a patient should be referred to the hospital. The community health volunteers then had the chance to practice taking each other’s blood pressure and ask questions of the midwives. This day showed me the importance of community, follow-ups, and ongoing training — and the power of listening and learning from one another.

On June 13, 2026, I visited met with two mothers and their babies. We provided the women with letters written by people in America offering love and support, along with a bag of salt. We then traveled to another village and met with a large group of mothers and their babies, all of whom had given birth at the KIKOP site. We gave these women letters and salt gifts as well. We then split into small groups and went to the women’s homes to build “tippy taps” — a simple handwashing device designed to help keep the women and their babies healthy. Working alongside the mothers, we were able to build four tippy taps in the village. I felt deeply honored to see where these women live, hear about their experiences, and play a small part in making their homes a little healthier.

On June 24, 2026, I visited another village for a health promoter exchange learning seminar. I was able to tour the beautiful property, see the chickens, and watch lunch being prepared — a meal of goat, cabbage, and potatoes — before meeting the family of the homeowner. The session began with a prayer at his mother’s grave, as she had passed away just a month prior. Everyone then introduced themselves.

I kicked off the training with a lesson on pneumonia, covering what it is, what the warning signs are, what to do if a child appears to have symptoms, and how to prevent pneumonia and similar illnesses. We also did an activity to practice identifying rapid breathing in children, timing their breaths per minute by dropping a stone for every ten breaths counted. Douglas then walked the group through how to properly collect data during home visits and answered questions and concerns from the health promoters. Afterward, we all shared a delicious lunch and took pictures together.

I also had the chance to meet a young girl who was born at a KIKOP facility and speak with her father about the experience. Seeing firsthand the work KIKOP is doing — and the lives it has changed — was truly inspiring and deepened my passion for this type of work.