No mother should die while giving birth.
Fountain of Hope is a woman-led community organization working beside the people of Garissa — its health leaders, women of faith, young women and village volunteers — in health and education. Each topic below is a real story from the field.
“On to the 5th activity of the Okoa Mama na Mtoto initiative — with the CECM Health, Chief Officer Health, Director for Health, Health Committee members at the Assembly and Budget Committee members. A fruitful discussion, and deliberations we agreed upon together.”
Real stories
Born from our work and our field notes. Click a topic to read the full story — the photographs, the conversation, and what it means for Garissa.
When a budget meeting is a life-saving meeting
Garissa’s health executive and its budget-makers sit at one table to deliberate maternal and newborn health — and agree the way forward together.
Read the story
Why a girl in northern counties should never miss school because she cannot afford a pad
Menstrual health support, dignity kits and school advocacy that keep Garissa’s girls learning.
Read the story
Award for Fountain of Hope in advocacy family planning 2030
A moment of recognition for a movement that belongs to the women who carry it — and the work it represents.
Read the story
Where Okoa Mama na Mtoto first came together
A workshop with ICRHk, BMG and women grassroots sets out to implement Okoa Mama na Mtoto — reducing maternal mortality, child death and morbidity, accelerating SDG 2030.
Read the story
Women of faith on the frontline
Religious women leaders implement the second activity of Okoa Mama na Mtoto — advocating maternal and newborn health across Garissa.
Read the story
SASA: a national commitment to save mothers
The SASA Alliance launches in Nairobi to address the maternal health crisis — grassroots women champions, present to show the commitment.
Read the story
The Free Fistula Camp: healing and hope in Garissa
A week-long Free Fistula Camp in Garissa, May 2019 — corrective surgery and care for women living with obstetric fistula, and a stand that no woman should suffer its shame.
Read the story
The year Fountain of Hope began — in photographs
A first photo-archive of the founding year: sanitary towel donations for a menstrual hygiene program, community courtesy calls, and the seeds of the work Garissa’s mothers and girls would build on.
Read the story
A glass of milk, and a reason to stay in school
For ten weeks, 59 ECD pupils in Nanigi Primary and 210 in Iftin Primary received milk twice a week — a small intervention against child malnutrition, and for enrollment and retention in school.
Read the story
Four counties, one table — grassroots champions at the Gates Foundation office
Grassroots women health champions from four counties shared their experience and impact with Madam Rachel Toku-Appiah at the newly opened Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Kenya office in Nairobi, May 2024.
Read the story
A signature against gender-based violence in Garissa
Fountain of Hope witnessed the signing of an MoU between the County Government of Garissa and the National Government on Gender-Based Violence, at the Garissa Child Protection Unit — 26 November 2018.
Read the story
Porridge flour and Mackintosh covers for the wards of Garissa
On 20 April 2018, the Garissa community joined Fountain of Hope in donating Mackintosh bed covers and porridge flour to the Maternity and Pediatric Wards at Garissa Referral Hospital.
Read the story
A holistic approach in advocacy of menstrual hygiene
An exhilarating moment — Fountain of Hope at UNDP Kenya for a Holistic Approach in Advocacy of Menstrual Hygiene Management, 30 April 2018.
Read the story
The child-spacing advocacy journey in Garissa
An FP2020 Rapid Response Mechanism project, supported by the United Nations Foundation, used culture- and faith-sensitive advocacy on child spacing in a county whose modern contraceptive prevalence rate stood at 5.5% — reporting child-spacing service uptake of 11% by 2022.
Read the storyKeep reading.
New topics as we pull them from our field notes and @Fountain_FOH posts.
Where Okoa Mama na Mtoto first came together
Read the storyWomen of faith on the frontline
Read the storySASA: a national commitment to save mothers
Read the storyThe Free Fistula Camp: healing and hope in Garissa
Read the storyThe year Fountain of Hope began — in photographs
Read the storyA glass of milk, and a reason to stay in school
Read the storyFour counties, one table — grassroots champions at the Gates Foundation office
Read the storyA signature against gender-based violence in Garissa
Read the storyPorridge flour and Mackintosh covers for the wards of Garissa
Read the storyA holistic approach in advocacy of menstrual hygiene
Read the storyThe child-spacing advocacy journey in Garissa
Read the storyFounded by a daughter of Garissa, for the women of Northern Eastern.
Fardosa Osman founded Fountain of Hope in 2017 to give women and persons with disability of Garissa County a platform to advocate for health, education and community resilience. Under her leadership, the organization has grown into a community rooted based organisation — engaging women, men, youth and persons with disability — with a 2024–2029 strategic plan built on three pillars: health, education, and community resilience.
Read the full story
Years of work, measured in communities reached.
From maternal health and education to child protection and community advocacy — Fountain of Hope's work is grounded in documented interventions and community partnerships.
Women accessed PPPF services
UNFPA through FP2020 · 2019–2020Bales of sanitary towels distributed
Mission For Drugs and Supplies · 2018Macintosh distributed for women's comfort during delivery
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority · 2018Women had their dignity restored through free reconstructive surgery
AMREF, Global One · 2019Packets of milk provided as a supplementary…
NCD Alliance · 2019
Every story on this page starts with her.
Fardosa Osman founded Fountain of Hope in 2017 to give the women of Garissa County a platform to advocate for their own health, education and future. The budget meetings, the school milk, the fistula camp, the champions in Nairobi — each topic on this site is a chapter of the vision she began.
Woman-led from the very first day, the organization now works beside women of faith, young women, health workers and village volunteers — guided by a 2024–2029 strategic plan built on health, education and community resilience.
2017
Founded by a daughter of Garissa
Woman-led
A movement carried by women, for women
Three pillars
Health · education · resilience
Stand with the women who lead this change.
Your support funds health workers, school supplies and livelihoods for some of Kenya’s most vulnerable communities — and keeps this story moving.
Our valued partners
We work hand-in-hand with government, health institutions and community partners to deliver programmes that truly reach the people of Garissa.
Government of Kenya
National Partner
Government of Garissa
County Partner
Okoa Mama Initiative
Maternal Health Partner
Jhpiego
Health & Advocacy Partner