Centre For Behaviour Change and Communication

25/09/2026

How Do You Wash Your Hands When the Jerrycan Is Empty?

What 603 households in Turkana taught us about climate adaptation that starts with behaviour, not hardware

How do you wash your hands when the jerrycan is empty? That's the daily reality for a household living through drought.

The SCORE II project has been at the forefront of constructing boreholes, laying water pipelines and setting up water committees across communities in Turkana County. That infrastructure work is critical. But it doesn't explain why two households drawing from the very same water point can end up with entirely different health outcomes. The difference sits in behaviour, and behaviour is where climate adaptation either takes root or quietly fails.

That was the premise behind Tuwajibike, the Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) campaign CBCC designed and delivered as the SBC component of the UNICEF-led SCORE II project, funded by KOICA and implemented in partnership with the County Government of Turkana and other partners. Tuwajibike means “let us take responsibility.” We chose it deliberately. In much of Turkana, climate shocks are received as fate, floods and droughts as things that simply happen to you. The campaign's entire theory of change rested on a single reframing: communities cannot control the rain, but they can control the response.

Four pillars, three channels

We built the campaign around four pillars, each one a behaviour cluster rather than a topic:

Tujali (We Care) — hygiene and water safety that hold up when water is scarce

Tujiandae (We Prepare) — latrines that survive floods, livestock decisions made before the drought bites

Tujulishane (We Inform) — weather alerts moving between youth with phones and elders with knowledge

Tulindane (We Protect) — water infrastructure defended, tariffs paid, girls kept in school when crisis tempts families toward early marriage

These moved through three channels simultaneously: community health promoters (CHPs) conducting several rounds of household visits across Turkana Central; school health clubs reaching learners across Turkana Central, Loima and Turkana South; and Makala ya Tumaini, a weekly radio magazine programme on Ejok Radio.

What actually changed

Across households, schools and radio audiences, understanding of climate-resilient WASH practices deepened well beyond expectations, and everyday habits followed suit: safer water storage, reinforced latrines and functional handwashing stations became the norm. Households didn't just adopt these practices, they taught their neighbours, spreading ownership through the community, despite some setbacks.

It worked through accountability, not clever messaging. Households made specific, time-bound commitments to a named community health promoter who returned to check on them. Completion rates climbed steadily, and lagging areas caught up once support was redirected. The barrier was never willpower; it was simply a reason to act now.

Most households still name water scarcity as their biggest challenge, and most said the cost of materials, not lack of skill, would stop them keeping their final commitment. When knowledge is removed as a barrier, it exposes the resource constraint beneath it, turning a diffuse problem into a specific, fundable one.

Lessons learned

The Tuwajibike campaign ran for a matter of months, not years. Conventional wisdom says behaviour change needs longer. Our experience suggests something more interesting: a short campaign with a tight accountability loop can outperform a long one with a diffuse message. Three lessons are worth carrying into the next programme:

Make the commitment specific and name the person who will check. Vague encouragement produces vague results.

Translate the frame into the local moral vocabulary. Tuwajibike worked because responsibility is already a value in Turkana we didn't import a concept; we pointed at one already there.

Measure reasoning, not recall. Asking “what do you do?” gets you social desirability. Asking “what is the correct way, and why?” gets you the truth.

A fourth lesson sits alongside these: knowledge and motivation can be built quickly, but they will always run into the limits of what a household can afford. Behaviour-change programming that succeeds on its own terms should expect to surface a resourcing gap and treat that as a sign of progress, not a shortfall.

Moving forward

People's readiness in Turkana Central is still growing. What the community is asking for and has clearly earned is the hardware and resources to keep up with it.

If you work in WASH, climate adaptation or social and behaviour change in arid and semi-arid lands, we'd welcome your perspective: what has (or hasn't) worked to close the gap between knowing and doing in your own programming? Drop a comment or get in touch we're keen to compare notes.

With thanks to UNICEF, KOICA, the County Government of Turkana, our community health promoters and every household in Turkana Central who made this campaign theirs.

30/08/2026

After months of research, community engagement, and collaborative strategy development, it was encouraging to reach another important milestone, the validation of the RMNCAH Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategies in Kilifi and Narok Counties under the Uzazi Salama Programme.
The validation workshops brought together County and Sub-County Health Management Teams, technical experts, and development partners to carefully review the strategies, strengthen the proposed approaches, and ensure they truly reflect county priorities before implementation.
One discussion that stood out was around the "Tujali" campaign direction. It was encouraging to see county teams embrace the idea as a practical way of turning a technical strategy into messages that communities can easily understand and act on. Their feedback and commitment to refining the campaign showed the value of involving stakeholders throughout the process—not just at the end.
Grateful to everyone who contributed their expertise, challenged our thinking, and remained focused on one shared goal: improving maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health outcomes through approaches that communities can own and sustain. The real work now begins—turning these strategies into action and supporting healthier families across both counties.

Amref Health Africa Amref Health Africa

29/08/2026

Strengthening Accountability to Affected Populations requires more than collecting feedback—it requires clear structures through which that feedback can inform programme decisions and action.
CBCC Africa, working with UNICEF and county-level partners, has supported the establishment and strengthening of AAP Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to provide a coordinated platform for government, humanitarian and development actors to advance accountability to communities.
The TWGs provide an opportunity for partners to share learning, strengthen referral and feedback mechanisms, identify gaps and agree on practical actions to improve how communities are informed, consulted and engaged throughout programme implementation. By bringing different actors around the same table, the TWGs are helping build a more coordinated approach where community voices are not only heard but are increasingly linked to decisions and programme improvements.

28/08/2026

At CBCC Africa, we were privileged to partner with the World Food Programme (WFP) to develop an evidence-based Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) communication package that promotes the production, preparation, and consumption of home-grown foods, including drought-tolerant crops, through the School Meals Programme supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Using a Human-Centred Design (HCD) approach, we worked closely with county governments, schools, farmers, caregivers, Community Health Promoters, refugee and host communities, and development partners to understand the behavioural, social, and structural barriers influencing food choices. These insights informed the co-creation of the "Inua Ubora" campaign—an SBC platform that encourages communities to embrace healthier diets while strengthening livelihoods and climate-resilient food systems.
The programme produced a comprehensive package of facilitator guides, community and children's booklets, posters, radio dramas, radio spots, jingles, and other communication materials that encourage the use of locally available, nutrient-dense foods such as sorghum, cowpeas, green grams, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, traditional vegetables, and fish. By linking schools with local farmers and communities, the initiative demonstrates how school feeding can improve nutrition, stimulate local markets, and build resilience in arid and semi-arid areas. Sustainable food systems are built not only by increasing food availability, but also by empowering communities with the knowledge, motivation, and confidence to make healthy, informed food choices. We are proud to have contributed to an initiative that connects nutrition, education, agriculture, and livelihoods through behaviour change.

World Food Programme Wajir Community Radio 90.9fm

19/08/2026

As part of efforts to strengthen Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), CBCC Africa, in collaboration with UNICEF and partners, conducted community consultations to better understand how communities want to receive information, raise concerns, provide feedback and participate in decisions that affect them.
The consultations provided an important opportunity to hear directly from community members about the communication and feedback channels they trust and use, as well as some of the barriers that can prevent people from speaking up or accessing timely information.
These conversations reinforced an important principle: accountability mechanisms work best when they are shaped by the people they are intended to serve. The findings will support partners to strengthen accessible, inclusive and responsive feedback systems and ensure community perspectives continue to inform programme implementation.

18/08/2026

Save the Children is a leading global child rights organisation working to ensure that children survive, learn, are protected, and thrive, including in fragile, underserved, and crisis-affected settings. In Wajir County, Wajir East and Wajir West sub counties, Save the Children is implementing the Pathways Project in partnership with the Wajir County Department of Health to improve the health, dignity, and wellbeing of mothers, particularly adolescent mothers, and children aged 0–2 years.
The Pathways Project intends to foster healthy behaviours and care-seeking by utilising DigiRedio - an SBC platform - to support community dialogue on key reproductive, maternal, new born, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) issues through community radio. The platform offers an effective channel for reaching semi-nomadic and hard-to reach populations with culturally appropriate health messages.
For the next 10 months, we will work with Wajir Community Radio to host inclusive discussions and campaigns that share accurate, culturally appropriate information on key RMNCAH topics (including ANC attendance, facility-based delivery, newborn care, postnatal follow-up, immunisation, and breastfeeding), while identifying and addressing myths and misinformation through radio dialogue and listener engagement

15/08/2026

One of the most rewarding parts of working in Social and Behaviour Change is seeing how much better solutions become when they are shaped by the people they are meant to serve.
Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to support Amref Health Africa, through the Uzazi Salama Programme, in developing RMNCAH Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategies for Kilifi and Narok Counties.
The process wasn't about writing another strategy document. It meant spending time with communities, listening to their experiences, understanding what influences their decisions, and working alongside county health teams, partners, and community members to co-create practical solutions. From Human-Centred Design (HCD) research and community immersion to strategy workshops, every step reinforced the importance of designing interventions that reflect local realities.
One outcome I'm particularly excited about is the "Tujali" campaign concept. It emerged directly from community insights and offers a simple way to communicate key RMNCAH behaviours in a language and style that people can easily relate to.
A sincere thank you to the County Governments of Kilifi and Narok, AMREF Health Africa, fellow colleagues, and everyone who generously shared their time and ideas throughout the process. Looking forward to seeing these strategies move from paper into action. Amref Health Africa

05/08/2026

Protect children through breastfeeding, immunization, growth monitoring, new born care, and early treatment when a child falls sick.​​
1. Protect the new born from the first day by keeping him/her warm and clean​.

2. Do not apply harmful substances to the new born. Seek advice from a health worker.​

3. Support the mother and protect the new born with warmth, cleanliness, and early care.​

4. The first days after birth are important for mother and baby.

Ask a health worker or CHP what signs to watch for in the new born.​​

Listen to Makala Ya Tumaini on Wajir Community Radio 90.9 FM every Thursday 9–10am and Saturday 8–9pm.​​

Feedback: 23080 toll free

Save the Children Kenya
Wajir County Makala Ya Tumaini Centre For Behaviour Change and Communication

05/08/2026

19/06/2026

Behaviour change works best when it's evidence-led, community-shaped, and locally owned.

Last week, under the Uzazi Salama Programme, the Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (CBCC), Safaricom PLC Foundation, Amref Health Africa in Kenya and the Kilifi County Government took an important step toward strengthening RMNCAH outcomes by co-developing the Kilifi County RMNCAH Social and Behaviour Change Strategy.

The workshop brought together county teams, partners, civil society, and technical experts to turn evidence into action. Using Social and Behaviour Change, Human-Centred Design, and behaviour prioritization, the process focused on the real barriers shaping health-seeking behaviour among women, adolescents, men, caregivers, communities, and providers.

These conversations moved well beyond awareness creation to the deeper drivers of change — social norms, gender dynamics, male involvement, provider attitudes, family planning misconceptions, delayed ANC attendance, referral gaps, and trust.

This is what meaningful SBC looks like: listening first, designing with communities, aligning partners, and translating evidence into practical action for healthier families and stronger health systems.

Grateful to all partners advancing this important work in Kilifi. 🤝