“Lindah understands the importance of local context and the need for community-driven solutions. Health policy reforms in Kenya require amplifying the voices of community members as advocates of their own wellbeing.” - Christine Mugambi, Policy, Advocacy & Partnership Specialist
Before joining Lwala in 2019, Belindah Akoth Onyango spent the early years of her career working in the corporate sector, honing her professional communication skills in the banking, advertising, and hotel industries. Over time, she yearned to combine her passion for maternal and child health in Kenya with her communication skills–and when a job opened at Lwala, she knew it was time for a change. “When you work in the corporate world for a long time, you start disconnecting from the people you are serving,” Belindah says. “You look at them not as people, but as customers.”
Belindah grew up in Nairobi and was raised by her mom who is a retired teacher. While she has always lived in the big city, she has strong ties with the village where her ancestors are from–Homa Bay, one of the counties where Lwala implements community-led health. “When I first interviewed at Lwala, I had the opportunity to visit Lwala Community Hospital and accompanied a community health worker on a household visit. A mother we visited had recently experienced postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth at the hospital. Holding her baby and clearly full of gratitude, she acknowledged that it was the accessibility of Lwala Community Hospital and the doctor’s interventions that saved her life.” Witnessing this, Belindah says, “I realized then that I wanted to be a part of this life-changing work.”
Not long after becoming a full-time staff member of Lwala, Belindah suffered complications from severe bleeding during pregnancy—a leading cause of maternal deaths. Her baby, sadly, didn’t make it—but her life was saved thanks to skilled doctors and a well-equipped facility. “I know for sure that without them, I wouldn’t be here today.” In the aftermath of her loss, Belindah’s relationship to her work at Lwala took on even more meaning. “My work at Lwala is fueled by hope—that no woman will face childbirth without skilled, compassionate care. I have seen the need and know the difference we can make. That’s why I’m committed to sharing our powerful stories and rallying behind this organization to ensure every woman who walks through our doors is treated with dignity and receives the care she deserves.”
In 2022, Belindah transitioned to a new role at Lwala as the Senior Communications Coordinator. She was excited to jump into a role that helped Lwala’s stories come to life . “These stories get me out of bed in the morning,” she said. “A story gives me a window into your life–I understand you more now. I now have the ability to make a connection, no matter how different our lives may seem.” In her role, Belindah bolsters Lwala’s position as a thought leader, advances Lwala’s advocacy efforts, and gathers stories about Lwala’s impact. Belindah adds, “A key piece of communications work is meeting with the people whose lives have really been changed by this organization, soaking up their transformational stories, and re-telling them using graphs, photos, and visuals. Our partners continue to support us because we supply them with outcomes that reflect our challenges and successes.”
As a Senior Communications Coordinator who interfaces with 20-30 staff members across departments every day, Belindah leaves her mark across Lwala: from research and expertise we share at global forums to liaising with journalists, she gives structure and vision to ideas. “She knows the right people for every job, where to find the answer to any question, and somehow has a pulse on every project,” shares Merete Cowles, 2025 Communications Fellow. Facilitating dialogues among staff members and community members is the groundwork that results in capturing stories about Lwala’s programs, providing story-centric and data-driven context for government, funding, and program partners.
“My life in itself is a story,” she says. “I look forward to the day when the Kenyan government has the systems to make sure every woman can deliver safely. What’s important is not just access to the health services, but walking the journey with our communities who understand the problems. These aren’t privileges. These are our rights as women.”
