In Embu County, Kenya ,  Hanniel Kivitu, a dedicated Community Health Promoter (CHP), is transforming how his community views hygiene and sanitation. With over 5 years of service, Hanniel has become a trusted voice in his village, leading the charge to eliminate open defecation and promote safe sanitation through the FINISH Mondial Kenya programme.
“Before the programme, many families relied on makeshift latrines or practised open defecation,” Hanniel shares. “People didn’t understand the link between sanitation and health. My role was to change that mindset—door to door.”
Through capacity building and training facilitated by FINISH Mondial Kenya, Hanniel learned how to communicate effectively about safe sanitation and handwashing. Armed with a flip chart, data collection tools, and commitment, he began conducting regular household visits, educating families on disease prevention and toilet construction options.
“One of the biggest game changers was the introduction of sanitation financing,” he says. “When people learned they could access loans or save in small groups to build decent toilets, their interest increased.”
Working closely with savings groups and local artisans trained through the programme, Hanniel helped bridge the gap between health education and real action. He has personally supported over 60 households to transition from unsafe to improved sanitation.
Recognizing the role of spiritual leaders in shaping community behavior, Hanniel also engaged church leaders within his village . Leveraging his position as a CHP, he successfully influenced these leaders to incorporate sanitation messaging into their sermons. This collaborative strategy further amplified his outreach, as congregants began receiving vital sanitation information in trusted spaces of worship.
Hanniel often speaks at chief’s barazas and community forums, but it’s this added collaboration with churches that has given his work a powerful boost. His respectful, inclusive approach—especially as a male sanitation champion in a traditionally sensitive space—has inspired both men and women in Embu to take action.
“The community is cleaner, safer, and more aware. Toilets are no longer seen as a luxury but as essential investments,” he says proudly.
Thanks to CHPs like Hanniel and the FINISH Mondial Kenya initiative, Embu is moving toward its sanitation goals.