In today's world, access to reliable health education is crucial for empowering young people, particularly in developing countries. Organisations focused on adolescent health education play a vital role in breaking down barriers, providing accurate information, and promoting gender equality. These organisations are not just about distributing resources; they are about creating informed communities and fostering lasting changes in societal norms. With technological advancements, organisations like ZanaAfrica are now leveraging digital tools to reach more individuals effectively and efficiently.

ZanaAfrica is a Kenyan non-profit organisation dedicated to adolescent health and life skills education. Since its inception in 2008, ZanaAfrica has worked tirelessly to deliver menstrual health products and information, leading to proven, lasting outcomes in gender norms, empowerment, health knowledge, and menstrual health management. The organisation also leads local and international advocacy efforts to break the period taboo and foster a more informed and supportive environment for young people.

The cornerstone of ZanaAfrica's work is the Nia Program, a school-based health and life skills program for adolescents that runs for five school terms. This program, which has been independently evaluated, has demonstrated strong positive impacts on the communities it serves. Building on the lessons from the Nia Program, ZanaAfrica developed the Nia HealthLink; a virtual platform that serves as a digital mentor, answering questions and providing support on sexual and reproductive health and broader health and safety topics. The Nia HealthLink acts as a concierge of services, connecting individuals to vetted health services across Kenya, and can be used to run social and behaviour change campaigns.

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We spoke with Elizabeth Sidi, a program Associate with ZanaAfrica, who shared her insights about their experience using Mteja's platform.

We first came across Mteja through an acquaintance who worked at Africa’s Talking. Our primary goal was to reach adolescents with factual and rights-based information on reproductive health and other relevant topics. During our Nia Program delivery, we realised that most adolescents did not have reliable sources of information; they relied on their peers, who often provided non-factual and unverified information. Our expectation for the Nia HealthLink was to become a virtual source of information, reaching adolescents wherever they are, as long as they have access to a phone.

The Mteja platform, with its robust cloud-based call centre, has enabled us to achieve our goals and expectations. Mteja has facilitated our communication with young people, allowing us to provide timely and accurate information, thus establishing the Nia HealthLink as a trusted source of information. Additionally, we have noticed that the Nia HealthLink has become a go-to place for adults as well, who call to report and discuss various issues, including GBV and intimate partner violence.

One of the key metrics we measure is the number of successful calls, both inbound and outbound. Since we launched the project, we have made 1,100 successful calls. Other features that have improved since adopting Mteja include the ability to add notes and tags after hanging up a call. Tags enable us to track the topics discussed during the call, which is a critical indicator for our program and makes it easier to trace calls if follow-up is needed. This feature has improved the effectiveness of hotline operators – they can give their full attention to the caller while taking short notes and input more detailed information about the call after it ends.

Yes, there have been unexpected benefits. Our goal was to provide information to adolescents; however, we also received calls from adults and reports on child neglect and defilement. For these, we provide linkages and referrals for further support. For instance, through our Nia HealthLink, we have been able to support some defilement cases brought to our attention by linking them with judicial services - the cases were tried, and justice was received for survivors.

The Mteja team is very professional and always ready to help and support us with any difficulties we may be experiencing. The team has been patient during our learning moments and is willing to demonstrate how to use the app, even when it’s something they have already shown us several times before.

Yes, I would recommend the app to anyone who would be interested, and I would give it an 8. While there are still functions we would like to see operationalised, such as the conferencing feature, Mteja is an efficient way of receiving and making calls, even when offline. It enables us to document call details and allows us to access reporting analytics with just a touch of a button. We also receive excellent support from our account manager.

We would like to request the conferencing feature as a matter of urgency because we link clients to services from time to time, and having a three-way call is very helpful.

ZanaAfrica's collaboration with Mteja has been a game-changer in providing reliable health information to adolescents in Kenya. The platform has enabled ZanaAfrica to expand its reach, enhance its communication strategies, and achieve its mission of empowering young people with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. With the support of Mteja's innovative technology and dedicated customer success team, ZanaAfrica continues to impact lives positively and create a healthier, more informed future for Kenya's youth.

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