Staff Spotlight: Jane Ouko Ondiek – Giving Back to Her Community

Written by Gabriella Gibson, UNC Chapel Hill student ‘25, with insights from Jane Ouko Ondiek

Jane Ouko Ondiek rises before the sun and arrives at CFK Africa HQ in Kibera, on the outskirts of Nairobi, by 6 a.m. Although she is a morning person, her early arrival at work is due to the spontaneity and variability of her days.

Jane (center) leads a 2024 training program for community health promoters and health care workers (nurses and clinical officers) in a Kenyan informal settlement of Kamunkunji and Makadara sub-county Nairobi on maternal, newborn, and child health. Photo Credit: CFK Africa.

Jane is the Program Officer for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) at CFK Africa. She works with the sub-county health management team, educates community members across two sub-counties in Nairobi on public health and nutrition, and leads training programs for nurses and Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to strengthen healthcare provision in informal settlements.

These programs span several days and cover many topics, including proper nutrition, sanitation, immunization, and supplementary feeding practices. Sessions begin with prayer, a brief introduction to the CFK Africa program and its goals, and the division of roles and responsibilities among the participants. During the brief break between training, participants engage through dancing and light stretches to connect with trainees. At the end of some training, such as emergency obstetric newborn care, Jane sends participants home with two booklets detailing the information they learned: one to keep and one to give to a coworker or mentee.

“This way, we can keep things going and provide education to people who cannot attend the training,” Jane said.

Jane Ouko (center) with CFK Africa staff and partners. Photo Credit: CFK Africa.

Jane’s qualifications make her the perfect candidate for this essential role.  With a diploma in community nutrition from Kenya Medical Training College, a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Kenya Methodist University, and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Glasgow, she combines academic excellence with a deep commitment to community service.

After graduating with honors, Jane applied for a Commonwealth Scholarship, initially intending to pursue advanced studies in nutrition. However, she was advised to focus on public health to gain broader skills, complementing her expertise in nutrition.  In 2020, she started volunteering at CFK Africa and returned as a full-time employee after earning her master’s degree. Jane describes her work as fulfilling because the feedback she receives from program participants and trainees is overwhelmingly positive.

One experience in the field stands out to Jane as a public health victory. While visiting a village in Kamukunji, she noticed something strange as she walked between households with CHPs. There were dirty containers with water covered in black plastic polythene bags.

 “I kept on asking them, what is happening? Why are people keeping a lot of containers outside the house?” she recalls.

She learned from the community and local CHPs that they had difficulties obtaining water, leading them to buy and store water from vendors who were regularly unavailable. Ondiek was concerned about contamination and the spread of disease from this water storage method.

Containers of water covered with black polythene were stored for days in a subcounty of Nairobi City County. Photo Credit: CFK Africa.

“This is not very safe,” she said. “The dust and everything will automatically get into that water, and they will drink that water like that.”

After speaking with CHPs and community members, Jane discovered that the community was plagued by growing cases of dysentery, likely due to contaminated water. Drinking non-potable water can directly impact the health of an expectant mother and her fetus, as water-related diseases have a specific impact on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. To reduce such cases for mothers, infants, and community members alike, she collaborated with CFK Africa’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene program to distribute over 200 Aquatabs, a water purification treatment that provides three days of protection against bacteria and viruses in water.

“A CHP told me after that, those cases went down, and those people have been asking me when I will go again to give them the Aquatabs,” Jane said. “We are looking into a sustainable way for them to keep their water clean without necessarily depending on the Aquatabs.”

Jane emphasizes the importance of funding to maintain these initiatives and invest in sustainable solutions that will keep the water in informal settlements safe and clean. She understands the importance of intersectional care for mothers, newborns, and children. Donors, volunteers, and partners are the backbone of CFK Africa’s programs and services. She encourages anyone passionate about public health to pursue their studies, get involved, and “go for it.”

In closing, Jane shared, “It is the best thing and the best way you can give back to the community and the society.”

The work of dedicated staff members like Jane Ouko saves lives. Make a donation to CFK Africa to share in this impact!

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