COMMUNITY STORY · 1 MAY 2020
From Bonga Animator to Community Health Volunteer
Skills gained through women’s empowerment and Basecamp Foundation training helped Mary Masikonde take on a health-education role in her community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mary Masikonde served as an animator at the Olkimitare Bonga Centre. Her passion for community service and the knowledge she gained through training created an opportunity for her to support public-health awareness at Aitong Health Centre.
“I am currently serving as a Community Health Volunteer at Aitong Health Centre.”
Mary explained that her women’s empowerment certificate, together with training provided through Basecamp Foundation Kenya, helped her develop the communication and community-engagement skills needed for the role.
As a Community Health Volunteer, she visited households to explain how COVID-19 could spread, describe common signs of illness and share preventive measures. Her wider health-education work also included information about vaccination and family planning.
Mary’s journey shows how investing in women’s knowledge and confidence can create benefits beyond the individual. Skills developed in an empowerment programme became a resource for families across her community during a public- health emergency.
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