Health programme
We implement a range of integrated projects under its Health Programme, with a strong focus on improving the health, wellbeing, and resilience of children and young people living in Nairobi’s urban informal settlements. The programme responds to the interconnected health challenges facing young people by strengthening access to accurate information, prevention services, referrals, psychosocial support, and community-based health interventions.
Our health initiatives address critical issues including mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, HIV prevention and awareness, tuberculosis prevention and treatment support, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR). Through youth-friendly, participatory, and community-driven approaches, U-Tena creates safe spaces where young people can access trusted information, discuss sensitive health concerns, seek appropriate support, and make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.
By working closely with young people, families, community structures, health providers, and other stakeholders, we strengthen awareness, reduces stigma, and promotes greater uptake of essential health services. The programme is grounded in the belief that every young person has the right to accessible, inclusive, and quality health information and services, regardless of their socio-economic circumstances or where they live.
Projects
RISE Mental Health Project
Partner: Brown University (USA)
RISE Project is a U-TENA in partnership with Brown University (USA) students being implemented in Viwandani Nairobi among 120 adolescents.
The methodology implied is through focus group discussion (FGDs) and one- on -one psychological support model with the use of Problem Management Plus tools designed by the World Health Organization with an objective to reduce the burden of common mental health problems among people who are faced with adversity and in need not able to access appropriate care. RISE project incorporates mental health in Sexual reproductive health (SRH).
This methodology acts as a rapport creator which unpacks the challenges the mentees are facing in the community, school, and home set-up. It helps in going to the level of the mentees and conducting the sessions with them as per their heartfelt needs at hand.
Jichanue adolescent SRHR project
Partner: HIVOS
U-Tena and HIVOS partners in Enhancing access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services (SRHR) through youth responsive services in the informal settlements of Nairobi Kenya.
This project that runs from 2020 to 2021 aims at achieving access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services through youth responsive services in the informal settlements of Nairobi Kenya.
U-Tena Youth Organization deliberately works towards having improved knowledge and capacities of youth to make informed decisions on their SRHR and demand for essential SRHR services.
This will be achieved through training youth advocates, organizing for advocacy meetings, empower young people to demand for SRHR through Performing art during community outreaches, organizing for sports tournament to form a network of SRH movement that will advocate for rights and mobilize young men for SRH services, demand for SRHR through Community radio shows, organize for a community conference for SRHR services advocacy and participate in international SRHR celebration days.
Imarisha Maisha HIV Testing & Care
Partner: AIDS Healthcare Foundation Kenya
January 2007–September 2026 Impact:
102,899 Tested
3,399 Positive Cases Detected
linkage to care
linkage to care
91.7% Av.
Imarisha Maisha is a 2026 HIV testing, prevention, and treatment-linkage partnership between AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Kenya and U-Tena Youth Organization, delivering HIV Testing Services (HTS), index testing, condom distribution and demand-creation across Nairobi’s residents.
The partnership aims to provide HIV testing services, index testing and prevention commodities to reduce new infections and strengthen linkage to care. It will run from Feb 1st 2026 to Dec. 31st 2026. Implementation will take place in Nairobi County- urban informal settlements, delivered through U-Tena’s Viwandani/ Mukuru catchment.
The partnership targets residents of Nairobi’s formal and informal settlements accessing community-based HIV Testing Services, adolescent and young people (AYP), adolescent girls and young women, contacts of index clients, key and vulnerable populations (KVP) and clients along the care continuum
Angaza adolescent & young people SRHR
Partner: AIDS Healthcare Foundation Kenya
Angaza Mentorship Project is a U-Tena in partnership with Aids Healthcare Foundation Kenya being implemented in Viwandani among Adolescents & Young People (AYP). Currently, we are working with Star of Hope Secondary school specifically 15 form 1 students who are the ambassadors of their various streams.
We use different approaches and methodologies in disseminating ASRH information to the selected AYPs. Using the adolescents’ guide by the ministry of health Understanding Adolescents which has deep, vivid, and clear insights on how to combat AYPs issues, approaches, airing, and also ways to mitigate challenges they face in the community set-up.
Promote II Project
Partner: Africa Population Health and Research Centre (APHRC)
This is a study based project whose main aim is to understand the driving factors behind early pregnancy, the experiences of young mothers in healthcare facilities, the impact of adolescent child bearing on health and socio-economic wellbeing as well as how adolescent boys and girls navigate parenthood. It also aims at Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion (CPSE) and foresee Adolescents Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (ASRHR) intervention in Kenya.
This one-year project sponsored by Africa Population Health and Research Centre (APHRC) targets Parenting Adolescents across Mukuru and Korogocho slums and is designed to ensure all the parenting adolescents have the right to access formal education and build a future for themselves, either through joining TVETS or going back to senior schools.
The project foresees ease in education access among these adolescents through further support of school re-entry fees, subsidized child care free daycare access while studying as well as health and life skills mentorships provision.
Our main focus in this project is to offer health and life skills mentorship sessions to 70 parenting adolescents aged 10-19 across Mukuru (Mukuru kwa Njenga, Kwa Reuben and Viwandani) informal settlements, track their school re-entry and retention progress and also to ensure that all get subsidized childcare support and daycare access at their own free will.
We also partner with Miss Koch Kenya in this project and they are working with teen moms in the Korogocho informal settlement. This is a second phase of this study (Thus the name PROMOTE II) – our partners Miss Koch took part in its piloting phase.
We implement the ARISE project in Viwandani, Nairobi, bringing communities, local leaders and government together to address poor sanitation and promote healthier, cleaner living environments in informal settlements. Through community dialogues, sanitation committee meetings and engaging theatre performances, the project has helped residents understand the health risks of open defecation, unsafe water and poor waste disposal, while encouraging everyone to take responsibility for their surroundings.
It has also strengthened collaboration between young people, community-based organizations, landlords and government officials, creating opportunities for residents especially women and youth to speak up about their needs and hold leaders accountable. Working with the youth-led Hatua Kwa Hatua group, we support community waste collection efforts and encourage urban farming in spaces previously used for dumping rubbish. At its heart, ARISE is about empowering communities to work together, find local solutions and build a cleaner, healthier and more dignified future for everyone
DR-TB: TB Reach Wave 9
Partner: Population Services Kenya
U-Tena Youth Organization is working with Population Services Kenya through the TB Reach Wave 9 project is carrying out patient socioeconomic support services for drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients on treatment to optimize quality of care and improved treatment adherence and outcomes in 2 high DR-TB burden county_Nairobi.
Under this project U-Tena facilitates individuals on drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) treatment to access psychosocial support services and also jump-start economic recovery from the financial catastrophic effects of DR-TB on them and their families.
This is done through, supporting enrolled drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients establish psychological peer support groups act as a platform for strengthening treatment adherence among the patients during treatment and upporting enrolled DR-TB patient’s to carryout income generating activities (IGAs) in groups which will act as economic booster from the effects of the disease burden.
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