11 December 2026: Annual Wezesha Women Conference at KICC, Nairobi from 8:00 AM EAT Register interest

Jonica Foundation

Voice and advocacy

Sauti Ya Mama

Women's experiences and community priorities at the centre of public conversations.

Every Voice Deserves to Be Heard

Sauti Ya Mama

Overview

Sauti Ya Mama gives women a platform to share their lived experiences and shape conversations about their health, wellbeing and everyday lives. Through storytelling, community dialogue and digital conversations, the programme brings attention to experiences that often remain private or overlooked, including reproductive health challenges, motherhood, menopause, economic hardship and barriers to care. At the centre of the programme is a woman's right to tell her story in her own words.

Why this matters

Women's experiences of health, caregiving, relationships and economic hardship offer important insights into the challenges facing families and communities in Kenya. Yet sensitive experiences can be difficult to discuss openly, particularly when they involve stigma, discrimination or violence. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey found that 41% of women aged 15–49 who had ever had a husband or intimate partner had experienced economic, psychological, physical or sexual violence from their current or most recent partner.

Long-term goal

Support women to share their experiences through their chosen formats and secure six documented commitments from relevant institutions or partners to address concerns raised through the programme.

Short-term goal

Amplify 150 women's stories, host 12 public conversations and produce six media features addressing women's health, wellbeing and barriers to support by 2031.

Overall objective

Strengthen women's participation in public dialogue and advocacy by connecting their lived experiences with community audiences, media platforms and relevant decision makers.

What we set out to achieve

  1. 01 Women's participation: Support 50 women to develop and share their stories with informed consent.
  2. 02 Community dialogue: Hold 12 moderated conversations involving at least 300 participants.
  3. 03 Public awareness: Publish 24 educational or discussion pieces and achieve a combined reach of 20,000.
  4. 04 Media collaboration: Produce six interviews, episodes or features with media partners.
  5. 05 Advocacy: Develop two briefs summarising recurring concerns and present recommendations at four engagements.
  6. 06 Participant experience: Ensure at least 90% of storytellers report that they felt respected.

How we deliver

  • Invite women to participate through community networks and programme partners.
  • Hold preparation sessions to discuss story formats, consent, privacy and publication choices.
  • Record and edit interviews, written stories, audio features or videos with participants' approval.
  • Host monthly moderated conversations on themes emerging from women's experiences.
  • Publish accessible discussion content and moderate online engagement respectfully.
  • Work with Mahdi TV and other suitable partners on interviews and programme features.
  • Document recurring issues without disclosing personal details unnecessarily.

Highlights

Amplified 20 women's stories into public conversations on health and wellbeing.
Hosted five live conversations creating space to share perspectives and address stigma.
Produced two episodes with Mahdi TV, extending the reach of women's voices.
Shared stories and advocacy content across five social media platforms.

In practice

Moments from Sauti Ya Mama

Sauti Ya Mama
Sauti Ya Mama
Sauti Ya Mama

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