The success of any community health model lies in the heart of the community, among resilient community healthcare workers who bridge the gap between community and practice. 

In Tanzania, CHWs play a vital role in promoting safe delivery, particularly in rural and underserved areas, . serving as crucial links between communities and health facilities. This community healthcare workers are especially critical in Tanzania where maternal mortality remains high, with only 4 midwives able to serve?   10,000 people and just over half of births attended by skilled personnel. 

Under the Jamii Salama (safer communities) Project we successfully engaged CHWs. CHWs were trained by the Ministry of Health (MoH), skills for community mobilization, preventive health education and promoting health-seeking behaviour within their communities. Part of their role under the project was to support in mobilizing pregnant women to attend mobile outreach sites, through door-to-door household visits and patient followup. 

Contributing to CHWs efficiency, they were equipped with mobile phones, solar powered backpacks and bicycles and a modest allowance. 

 In July 2025, Jamii Salama Project officially handed over the project to the district council of Sikonge and Uyui, as part of sustainability of the project.

Follow up to that, Community Health Workers had the following to say.

 “We are so happy with the Jamii Salama Project in our community. We are hopeful it will continue because it has helped pregnant women tremendously. Kuachishwa kwa Jamii Salama ni sawa na kuachwa na gari kwenye kituo cha basi.” shared one of our CHWs, 

The ripple effects of the project has been experienced by all our CHWs and they had the following to say: 

• Women received timely ultrasound examination tests and blood type screenings from the Jamii Salama Project, which was not delivered at local health facilities. 
• Male engagement has risen dramatically, with husbands accompanying their partners to clinics a cultural shift that strengthens family health. 
• The bicycles continue to serve beyond the project used to transport essential vaccines like Vitamin A and support broader community health needs. 

Community members have expressed heartfelt gratitude, with many describing the project as a lifeline. Pregnant women, once isolated by geography and limited resources, now felt seen, supported, and safe. One of our CHWs, expressed her emotions. “Community members received these services with great joy. They are asking us to continue.” 

As the project is handed over to the district councils, the call from communities is clear: they want and need Jamii Salama to continue. 

Saying goodbye has never been easy, the memories always linger longer and we will miss our CHWs for their tremendous dedication in making sure Jamii Salama Project thrives. We will always remember their dedication to service to the community, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.