When food becomes medicine; women turning gardens into lifesaving tools

By Caroline Katana

Beneath the swaying coconut palms and sun-scorched soil of Kenya’s coastal frontier, a quiet revolution is blooming — not in hospitals, but in the backyards of women determined to save lives.

With little more than seeds, soil, and the will to survive, women in remote villages of Kwale are rewriting the story of maternal health.

And leading them is Mwanasha Mwachilungo, a Community Health Promoter (CHP) from Bando village, who dared to believe that food could be medicine.

 “We started the kitchen garden project after realizing the number of pregnant women suffering from anemia was rising sharply,” Mwachilungo recalls, standing beside rows of amaranth and cowpeas.

What began as a communal nursery near Vitsangalaweni Health Centre has now become a lifeline for hundreds.

CHP Vitsangalaweni health centre, Mwanasha Mwachilungo

Mwachilungo and her team train expectant mothers and caregivers of young children to establish kitchen gardens — small, organized plots that are revolutionizing household nutrition.

“We guide them in dividing the gardens into sections to grow different vegetables. The changes have been remarkable, especially among women who previously had little nutrition knowledge,” she says.


Today, the initiative spans over 300 women across three Community Units, with six active groups under Mwachilungo’s watch — each cultivating not just food, but knowledge, confidence, and hope.


A Crisis in the Shadows

This grassroots response is a reaction to a deepening crisis. Between July 2024 and June 2025, 40% of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Kwale were diagnosed with anemia — a dangerous condition that severely heightens the risk of hemorrhage and complications during childbirth.

During that same period, 28 maternal deaths were reported in the county. Half occurred at Msambweni County Referral Hospital. The heartbreak didn’t end there — 228 babies were stillborn, and 181 died shortly after birth.

 “Anemia doesn’t just weaken the mother — it also threatens the life of the unborn baby,” explains Dr. Edward Mumbo, a reproductive health expert and advisor to the Fanikisha Foundation.

Reproductive health expert, Edward Mumbo 

Health Education Meets Cultural Reality

To stem this deadly tide, Fanikisha Foundation launched a bold outreach campaign: the Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative (OMMI) — Save Mother and Child.

From Mgombezi to Kikoneni, Vitsangalaweni, and Dzunga village in Diani, the campaign has reached some of the most underserved communities in Lungalunga and Msambweni sub-counties.

Their message? That knowledge can be as powerful as medicine:

• Attend antenatal clinics early.
• Eat iron-rich foods.
• Use mosquito nets.
• Say no to unsafe traditional practices like untrained midwives.
• Understand and enroll in health insurance schemes.
• Recognize the danger signs of pregnancy complications.

“Many women misunderstood how the SHA health insurance works. When they discovered payments were required, many dropped out. But through these forums, they are now registering in large numbers,” says Monica Umazi Ndegwa, the foundation’s Executive Director

Fanikisha Foundation director, Monica Ndegwa 

However, poverty remains a stubborn barrier.

“I registered with SHA, but I can’t keep up with the monthly payments due to my financial situation. It’s a helpful service, but we need more inclusive payment structures,” says Chizi Chikophe Mwero of Mgombezi village.


Shifting Perspectives, Saving Lives

In Dzunga village, Doreen Baraza from Sururu reflects on her transformation.

“I used to delay antenatal clinic visits and suffered a lot during pregnancy — nausea, vomiting, and weakness. I didn’t know I needed to seek help early. But now I understand how to care for myself and my baby,” she says.

At Kikoneni, father and resident Kassim Omar Sheti voices how many silently live.

“In most homes, there’s no special food for pregnant women. Everyone eats from the same pot. But this awareness has shown us that we must do better to protect mothers and babies’ lives.” He said.

Kassim Omar Sheti, Kikoneni resident 

Monica, during one of the outreach sessions, implored women to take action as soon as they notice danger signs like bleeding, fever, dizziness, or reduced fetal movement.

For too long, these signs have gone unheeded, often with fatal consequences.

When Nutrition Becomes Medicine

Yet it is not just the act of eating that matters, but how women eat — a lesson emphasized by Mejumaa Suleiman, a clinical nutritionist working with the campaign.

 “Even when pregnant mothers eat healthy foods, they may unknowingly combine them with drinks that hinder nutrient absorption,” she explains.

Vegetables growing in a farm in Kikoneni, Kwale County

Take black tea, for example — a beloved staple in many homes.

“Drinking black tea with meals reduces the body’s ability to absorb iron because of tannins. We advise women to take tea at least 30 minutes before eating and instead accompany meals with fruits to boost iron absorption.”

The lesson is simple but lifesaving.

 “Many maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage can be prevented if women apply this knowledge. Nutrition is a powerful tool,” Mejumaa says, urging even greater adoption of kitchen gardens in low-income households.

A Blueprint for Coastal Kenya

What started in the soil of Bando has spread like sunlight — an organic solution, rooted in culture, powered by women, and sustained by community trust. 

In Kwale County, where distance, poverty, and misinformation often keep care out of reach, these women have proven that survival can be homegrown.

In every cabbage head and pumpkin leaf, in every training circle and cooking demonstration, lies a bold truth: when women are equipped with the tools to nourish themselves, they can change their futures and save lives.