A Nigerian organisation built from lived experience
About us
Kenko is the working name of Kenko Community Health Support Initiative, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (Registration Number 8221819) as an Incorporated Trustees organisation.
OUR STORY
Kenko started on 13 April 2023 - not as a registered organisation, but as work that needed doing
On 29 January 2025, Kenko Community Health Support Initiative was incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria as a body of Incorporated Trustees. Registration did not start the work. It gave nearly two years of it a legal structure, a governed account, and the kind of accountability our partners and donors are entitled to expect before they trust us with anything.
Seeing the Gaps Firsthand....
Kenko was born from a clear observation preventable illnesses going untreated and health challenges accepted as part of everyday life, simply because communities lacked access to the right information and support.
Discovering the Knowledge Gap....
Young people in Nigerian schools were growing up without basic health education. Conversations about hygiene, preventive care and personal wellbeing were largely absent — and where information did reach them, it arrived as theory. People were being told what was healthy without ever being shown how to do it, so the knowledge did not survive contact with real life.
Understanding the Challenges....
Communities navigating healthcare on their own, with little access to reliable information, professional support, or essential services. The barriers were not just physical, they were systemic — and when someone did recognise that something was wrong, cost and distance still stood between them and care.
Today
Kenko Community Health Support Initiative was formally established to give structure, scale, and sustainability to work that was already needed. We are a mission-driven organisation bridging the gap between communities and the healthcare system through education, outreach, and evidence-based interventions.
Guided by purpose. Driven by impact.
Vision & Mission
Health-capable communities — where people have the knowledge, the practical skills and the connections to understand their health, spot a risk, know what to do about it, and reach care when they need it.
To bridge the gap between communities and the healthcare system through practical health education, outreach and referral — health taught in a way people can practise, and followed up until they reach care.
We serve underserved communities and turn nobody away. We are accountable for adolescents aged 10–19 — the group whose change we measure and report.
Our Values
Every programme, outreach, and partnership is guided by principles that keep our work accountable, community-focused, and impact-driven.
Lived Experience First
Our work is grounded in real understanding of the communities we serve. We know the challenges because we have seen them and listened to the people living them.
01
Evidence Before Assumption
We assess before we act. Every community we enter begins with listening and a needs assessment, so what we deliver answers the problem that is actually there — not the one we assumed on the way in.
02
Dignity in Every Interaction
Health conversations are personal, and often uncomfortable. We hold them openly and without judgement, and nobody who comes to us is turned away.
03
Rooted in Local Partnership
We work through school heads, community leaders and existing health facilities rather than around them. They do not just endorse our work — they train our teams.
04
Governance & Transparency
Built on Trust.
We believe accountability is at the heart of impactful community health work. Here’s how we ensure every partnership and donation is handled with integrity.
Legal Status
Kenko Community Health Support Initiative is a fully registered Non-Governmental Organisation under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria, registered as an Incorporated Trustee (RC No. 8221819, 29 January 2025). Kenko is also registered with the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) — Registration No. SC 251424650, 20 March 2025.
Board Oversight
Our operations are guided by an independent Board of Trustees comprising seasoned professionals in public health, finance, and community development to ensure strategic alignment.
Financial Integrity
We maintain strict internal controls over all grants and donations. 100% of designated program funds go directly into our outreach initiatives, backed by annual audits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions
You can also train to teach life-saving skills in schools and communities.
No. While healthcare professionals strengthen our clinical activities, most of our work — health education, school engagement, campaigns, logistics, and communications — is open to everyone. We provide orientation and guidance for every role.
ontact us by WhatsApp or email with your school's name and location. We will meet your principal, explain the programme and agree a timetable. The school gives one hour per class, per term, for JSS1, JSS2, SS1 and SS2, and a teacher at each session. We bring trained trainers, manikins and materials, at no cost to the school, and train your teachers in a one-day course.
Donations fund programme delivery: manikins and first aid training kits, printed materials, sanitary kits for our pad bank, outreach logistics, and reasonable expenses for our volunteers. We publish our results every term so supporters can see what their contribution achieves.
Distance is no barrier. Diaspora supporters contribute through donations, professional expertise, remote volunteering in content and communications, and connecting us with partners and funders. Contact us and we'll find the right fit.
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