By: Sheringham Elisha

Bio
Sheringham Elisha is a passionate Community Health Worker (CHW) advocate and the current Secretary General of the Kenya Community Health Worker Champions Network (CHW-CN), a national CHPs’ (Community Health Promoters) organization representing CHPs across all 47 counties in Kenya. He is also a co-founder of the organization and leads policy and legislative advocacy efforts aimed at professionalizing CHWs in Kenya. Through his leadership, CHW-CN has successfully mobilized thousands of CHPs, influenced national health legislation, and built international collaborations to strengthen the global CHW movement.

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My name is Sheringham Elisha, a Community Health Worker (CHW) advocate and Secretary General of the Community Health Worker Champions Network (CHW-CN) in Kenya. As CHPs (Community Health Promoters), we serve as the backbone of Kenya’s primary health system—yet, for too long, our contributions have gone under-recognized. This story is about our journey to change that.

The formation of the CHW-CN was driven by one bold vision: to unite CHPs across Kenya under a single national voice that could fight for our professional recognition, better working conditions, and meaningful inclusion in health system decision-making. This story matters because organizing and professionalizing CHWs is not just about better pay—it’s about dignity, equity, and justice.

The road to national unity was anything but smooth. CHW-CN began as a grassroots movement—a small network of dedicated CHPs who believed in change. We encountered systemic resistance early on. After formally applying for registration and submitting required fees to the Ministry of Health, our documents sat idle for over a year without response. The silence was deafening and, we believe, intentional. There were forces that feared a united CHP voice.

Yet the urgency to organize was clear. Across Kenya, CHPs were overworked, underpaid, and excluded from key policy spaces that shaped their own future. We heard from CHPs who had served for over a decade without formal recognition. We knew that without a national body to advocate for them, nothing would change.

Instead of giving up, we pushed harder. CHW-CN mobilized CHPs from all 47 counties, building county chapters, leadership structures, and communication networks. We launched Advocacy in Motion (AIM), a program that has since trained over 5,000 CHPs in grassroots advocacy. These CHPs are now engaging county leaders, demanding fair working conditions, and pushing for consistent supply chains.

At the national level, we lobbied for key amendments to the 2024 Community Health Promoters Bill, especially challenging the restrictive training clauses that could exclude long-serving CHPs. We brought real stories and real data to parliament and the public, showing how these policies would harm, not help, the workforce.

Our legitimacy grew when CHW-CN was formally welcomed into the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC). That global recognition strengthened our cause, creating new opportunities for learning, advocacy, and international solidarity.

Today, CHW-CN is recognized as Kenya’s national association for CHPs, representing tens of thousands of frontline workers across all counties. Our members are now sitting at policy tables, contributing to discussions on universal health coverage, and influencing county budgeting processes.

We’ve learned that persistence pays off, but only when it’s backed by strong organization, strategic advocacy, and a shared vision. We’ve also learned that professionalizing CHPs is not just a technical fix; it requires political courage and movement-building from the ground up.

When CHWs organize, they change the system. Recognition, fair pay, and professional dignity don’t just happen—they are won through struggle. We urge governments, NGOs, and funders to invest in CHW-led associations and to listen, not just to our needs, but to our solutions.

CHPs are not volunteers. We are professionals. And we deserve to be treated as such.

CHW-CN is just getting started. Our hope is to see CHPs fully integrated into Kenya’s formal health workforce with permanent contracts, fair remuneration, quality training, and full legal protection.

Our message to policymakers is simple: Nothing for CHWs without CHWs. We are ready to co-create policies and programs that work—not just for us—but for the millions of Kenyans who rely on us.