A drive down the dusty Mutha-Kalambani road in Kitui County, Kenya, tells a story of resilience. Along the parched paths, women walk under the blistering sun with donkeys loaded with jerrycans of water. This is Kalambani—a village shaped by hardship but now also by hope.
That hope has a name. Maina.
In Kalambani, over 200 children share this name—not out of coincidence, but gratitude. Their mothers named them after Joseph Maina, a dedicated health worker at the local Kalambani Dispensary, who helped safely deliver them into the world. In a region where childbirth used to be a gamble, Maina’s presence—and the facility’s transformation—has changed everything.
From Risk to Resilience
Faith Katete, a 40-year-old mother of ten, recalls a different past. Like many women in Kitui’s rural villages, her early childbirth experiences took place at home, far from any health facility and with only traditional birth attendants to rely on. Labor was long and painful. Complications were frequent. And sometimes, tragically, women did not survive. Faith’s turning point came when she moved to Kalambani and met a CMMB-trained Community Health Promoter (CHP). For the first time, she learned about antenatal care, skilled delivery, and the importance of health facility births. With guidance from the CHVs and the support of the local medic Joseph Maina, she gave birth to her ninth and tenth children at the health facility, naming one of them Maina in appreciation.
“I walked to Kalambani Dispensary and delivered safely under the care of a trained medic,” Faith recalls. “Even though there was no maternity wing then, the care I received changed how I viewed childbirth.”
Transforming Healthcare Access in Kitui
Kalambani Dispensary—once limited to a consultation room and shared space—has since been transformed. Through CMMB Kenya’s maternal and child health interventions, supported by generous partners, the facility now boasts of a fully equipped maternity wing, clean water and sanitation facilities. Expectant women in Kalambani also have access to Emergency transport (boda-boda riders trained as birth referral champions) and Improved nutrition, WASH, and immunization education. These improvements have given women like Faith safer delivery experiences, access to antenatal services, and dignity during one of life’s most vulnerable moments. “During my last delivery,” Faith shares, “I was transported to the hospital by a boda boda rider trained by CMMB. After delivery, I stayed for two days to recover. I took a shower in a proper bathroom. It was a new experience.”
The Bigger Picture
Faith’s story is just one among many in Kalambani. It reflects the deeper change taking root in remote parts of Kenya, driven by community engagement, targeted healthcare interventions, and partnerships that reach the most underserved.
At CMMB, we believe that maternal and child health is a right, not a privilege. In partnership with the County Government, donors, and communities, we are investing in life-saving infrastructure and community health systems to ensure that no woman has to risk her life to give birth.
In Kalambani, what was once a place of uncertainty is now a symbol of progress. And through every healthy mother and child, the message is clear: Access to maternal healthcare is a gift that keeps on giving.
Written by: Marion Malika- Senior Communications & Partnerships Officer