Our Impact 2025/26 Who we are Our vision is a Kenya where everyone with an incurable illness can live well, die with dignity and be free from pain. Our mission is to ease suffering and improve the experience of life, death and grief for children, adults and their families living with incurable illnesses. We are the only UK registered charity dedicated to supporting hospice and palliative care throughout Kenya.
Last financial year in numbers
25
4,105
1,081
Kenyan Counties reached with compassionate palliative care
people with serious illness supported through palliative care
children received child focused palliative care
34,000
72%
people reached with information on cancer and palliative care
more patients and families benefitting from hospice services
2,126 family members supported to care for loved ones and cope with loss
12
hospice partners provided with essential palliative care medicines
Tackling Inequalities Across Kenya Access to palliative care is unequal across Kenya, particularly for people living in remote communities, children and those facing social or economic disadvantage. Here we highlight just a few of our projects that worked to tackle these inequalities last year.
Turkana - Extending the reach of palliative care
Taveta and Laikipia - Dignity for women post mastectomy
Training 60 healthcare workers helped expand
We are helping women affected by breast cancer regain
palliative care beyond the county hospital,
comfort and confidence after surgery. 68 breast cancer
creating stronger referral pathways and
survivors were trained to knit soft, affordable breast
community level skills. This led to a ten-fold rise
prostheses, developing new skills and creating a strong peer
in people accessing palliative care services.
support network. So far 163 women have received free, locally made prostheses that restored comfort, dignity and wellbeing following mastectomy.
Nairobi - Joanna’s House Through Joanna's House, run
Kakamega - Supporting couples
Turkana
by our partner Tumaini La
Kenya
Maisha, we helped remove barriers to cancer treatment for families travelling long
Kakamega Laikipia
distances for care from western Kenya to Nairobi. Twenty patients received
through prostate cancer Through our partnership with St Gallen Cancer Network, we provided counselling and peer support for 100
Meru
couples affected by prostate cancer. The project reduced treatment
Siaya
Nyeri
default rates from 15% to 5%, improving continuity of care.
accommodation, meals and Nairobi
transport support, enabling them to continue treatment with dignity and support.
Kajiado
Taveta Kajiado, Siaya, Meru, Laikipia and Nyeri - Every Child Counts
Kwale
Every Child Counts is transforming access to children's palliative care across five counties in Kenya. Over the past year, 649 children with life-limiting illnesses
Kwale - Fathers as Caregivers
received care and support, a 70% increase on the
We challenged traditional caregiving roles by encouraging
previous year. By training 415 healthcare workers and
fathers to take a more active part in caring for children with
community health volunteers, the project helped more
life-limiting illnesses. Through training and community
children access quality care closer to home. By
engagement, 190 people were trained and 58 children
reaching almost 1,000 teachers and 21,000 school
linked to ongoing care and support, strengthening family
children, we created more inclusive school
support networks and improving access to care.
communities where children with serious illnesses and disabilities can learn, participate and thrive.
Partnership in practice Working alongside local organisations that understand their communities means our support can be shaped around local needs, helping to make care available to people who might otherwise struggle to access it. Last year we worked in partnership
"I never thought I could live without
with 28 Kenyan hospices, palliative care
constant pain. I now have dignity, comfort
units and community based organisations
and hope. I can spend meaningful time
across Kenya
with my family, and that is a gift I will always treasure."
851 patients attended support groups that provide
~Moraa, palliative care patient
information, encouragement and peer support 2,037 patients were provided with care in their homes across 13 counties 12 partners provided with palliative care medicines when resources were stretched and the price of morphine doubled Through our partners, we’re finding new ways to reach people We enrolled 265 patients in a pilot of a new digital platform, CareLink Kisii. Our trained Community Health Volunteers began testing the app which will support the identification, monitoring and referral of people who may need palliative care.
Empowering people for lasting change We invest in skills, knowledge and confidence so that quality palliative care can continue to reach people long after individual projects have ended. Equipped with practical skills, local health workers and volunteers take palliative care into their communities, identifying and supporting people who might otherwise never receive care. Training and awareness empowered teachers and pupils to challenge stigma and champion inclusion for children living with serious illness and disability. This created more supportive school communities and helped reduce school
437
638 community health volunteers trained
new patients referred for care
72% average increase in people using services
absenteeism among affected children by 50%. "I learnt not to ask 'When will you get cured?' but to ask 'How are you today? How can I help you play and learn?’ We have started a small support circle in our school." ~Teacher – Buuri sub-county, Meru "I used to fear sitting near because I thought I
We also trained:
533 healthcare workers
have learned that some children have a lot of pain inside, we should help them and be kind." ~School pupil, aged 7
comfort families, and connect patients to the care they thought was out of reach. Compassion truly
269 family carers
would get his disease. Now I know I cannot get cancer from playing together. He is my friend. I
"Now I can relieve pain,
1,236 community and religious leaders
changes lives." ~Veronicah, Community Health Volunteer
Sarah's Story Sarah is a widow who worked hard to support her family by selling cereals and groceries. Following her diagnosis with oesophageal cancer, the family experienced financial strain, while her children struggled with the emotional burden of seeing their mother unwell. The HCK supported Bungoma palliative care team helped Sarah to manage her pain, improve her nutrition and wellbeing, and access specialist treatment. Today, her pain is better controlled, she is eating well and she has regained enough strength to spend time outdoors. Her children are encouraged by the improvement in her wellbeing, and her stepbrother has become a crucial source of practical and emotional support after the palliative care team trained him to care for her at home. The support Sarah has received has helped her face her illness with greater comfort and dignity.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we improved the lives of more than 4,100 adults and children living with life-limiting illnesses, while also providing vital support to 2,100 family members. Through training reaching over 1,440 people, we strengthened palliative care services and referral systems, helping to ensure that many more people can access compassionate care now and in the future. We delivered this impact at an average cost of just £27 per person supported, including family members. Of every £1 donated, 90p was spent directly on delivering and strengthening palliative care in Kenya, while the remaining 10p was invested in raising future income to sustain and grow this essential work.
Donate today to support hospice care in Kenya Visit our website at www.hospicecarekenya.org.uk
Hospice Care Kenya is a registered company limited by guarantee (Company No. 07540244) and a Registered Charity in England and Wales (No. 1141469)
HCK, PO Box 995, Worcester, WR4 4LQ
hospicecarekenya.org.uk
hck@hospicecarekenya.com