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Have you ever asked yourself why the dispensary in your village never seems to improve? Or who is actually responsible for pushing for its development? The answer lies closer than you think — with the Community Health Committees (CHCs).

CHCs are elected by the community to oversee the management of Community Health Units (CHUs). They are the voice of the people, whose mandate is to advocate for better health initiatives. However, many CHC members remain unaware of the weight and responsibility of their roles. Without proper training or support, these vital community leaders are often left to operate in silence, while health facilities remain stagnant and under-resourced.

At Dandelion Africa, we saw an urgent need to change this. We embarked on a mission across Baringo County to identify and empower CHC members, many of whom had never received any form of orientation or training. Shockingly, some CHUs had no active CHCs in place at all — a clear gap in community health governance.

Our goal was simple yet powerful: to train CHC members on their roles, responsibilities, and the Advocacy Toolkit, so they can take charge of their health units and become strong advocates for their communities. These trainings are not just sessions — they are moments of awakening, where local leaders realize the power they hold to influence policy, demand accountability, and bring health services closer to their people.

To date, we have successfully trained over 900 Community Health Committee members, representing over 120 Community Health Units across Baringo. More than just numbers, these represent activated voices — citizens now ready to speak, lead, and champion the health rights of their communities. Through our efforts, many previously inactive CHCs have been revived, and members are now actively engaging in health facility development and local health planning.

This is just the beginning. We envision a future where every CHC in Baringo — and beyond — is not only functional but fearlessly lobbying, planning, and mobilizing for the well-being of their communities. Because when local leadership is empowered, real change happens