A Trusted Voice for Mothers
In Mutirithia, a small farming and livestock village in northern Kenya with roughly 300 households, Kaisa Legei, 64, has been responding to calls from women in the middle of the night for more than two decades.
Building Robots, Building Confidence
The Leo Project's Mind + Machine program pairs hands-on robotics with social-emotional learning for students ages 9 to 13 in rural Laikipia County, Kenya. Over five weeks, students went from never having touched a computer to building, programming, and troubleshooting their own robots. As TLP instructor Francis Macharia shared, they "didn't just build robots, they built innovation, curiosity, and confidence."
Why Every Pregnancy Requires Clinical Care
Agnes had delivered ten healthy babies at home before her eleventh pregnancy. She had no reason to believe anything would go wrong. But her baby was born with omphalocele, a congenital defect where organs form outside the body. A routine ultrasound would have detected it, and with the right planning and support, tragedy could have been avoided.
Meet TLP’s Global Health Advisory Board
The formation of The Leo Project’s Global Health Advisory Board marks an important milestone as we continue to strengthen our community-based healthcare delivery.
Strengthening the Front Line of Maternal and Newborn Health
When women who are already trusted are given accurate information, practical skills, and the confidence to act, the impact extends far beyond a single birth. It reaches families, communities, and future generations.
The Unseen Crisis: How Lack of Diagnostics and Data Are Fueling a Global Health Epidemic in Kenya
By Jess Danforth, Founder and Executive Director of The Leo Project
Across Kenya, and much of sub-Saharan Africa, the greatest health challenge is not one single disease, rather the pervasive absence of accurate diagnosis and health data.
TLP Receives Funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to Strengthen Maternal Mental Health in Kenya
We’re proud to announce new funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for our Mental Health and Newborn Thriving Program, an initiative designed to improve mental health care for mothers and newborns across Laikipia County, Kenya.
Meet Kelvin Maina: Building Systems and Strengthening Communities
As Chief of Staff at The Leo Project, Kelvin Maina ensures that operations, strategy, and programs align with the organization’s broader vision for growth and impact. He recently completed the Harvard Global Health Delivery Intensive program, which has refined his vision for building equitable healthcare and education systems in Kenya.
From Stigma to Support: The Impact of Mental Health Literacy
The Leo Project’s Community Mental Health Literacy course is creating a culture of understanding and support.
What is Missing in Global Health? Agency.
The future of global health must be co-created with patients. It will not be shaped solely by innovation or infrastructure, but by the radical idea that every human being—regardless of their geographic coordinates—deserves to actively participate in their own health.
Building Digital Literacy in Rural Kenya
Today, digital skills are more than an advantage—they’re a necessity. But in rural Kenya, many young people and adults are still missing out.
At The Leo Project, we’re bridging the digital divide through hands-on learning in local schools and our Resource Center—helping everyone from primary school students to small business owners gain the tools they need to succeed.
Meet John Ndegwa: Delivering Compassionate Care at The Leo Project
As a Clinical Officer at The Leo Project, John Ndegwa brings his wealth of experience, sharp clinical instincts, and unwavering empathy to our team. He sees each patient not just as a diagnosis, but as a whole person shaped by their mental, emotional, and social environment.
What Health Equity Looks Like
At The Leo Project, we believe healthcare is a human right. But for many families, it remains out of reach—especially when treatment costs more than they can afford, leaving them in debt for years, or when getting care means long waits, misdiagnoses, or no answers at all. This was the reality for the Ncube family here in Jua Kali, Kenya.
Men’s Mental Health Matters
At The Leo Project (TLP), men’s mental health is part of our daily work. Through clinical support and education we are breaking down stigma and creating spaces where men and boys feel seen, heard, and understood.
peace through art
Derived from the Swahili words for “peace” and “art,” The Leo Project’s Amani Sanaa program envisions a future in which peace and creativity bring people closer together.
Safisha jua kali
Since 2021, The Leo Project has hosted the annual Safisha Jua Kali event — a day dedicated to cleaning up the village of Jua Kali, home to The Caitlin O’Hara Community Health Clinic and TLP HQ. “Safisha” means “to clean” in Swahili, and the name reflects our commitment to protecting the health of the community.
Community-Rooted Nutrition Care
The Leo Project’s newly established nutrition clinic is offering another layer of care by providing tailored nutrition counselling and intervention designed to improve health outcomes for children and adults.
Together, Regina Shilibwa and Dhruti Patel are shaping a holistic and culturally grounded approach to nutrition, and we’re seeing the impact.
The power of realizing the right to education
Education is more than just a stepping stone; for some, it’s a lifeline.
THE VITAL ROLE OF TRADITIONAL BIRTH COMPANIONS
Thanks to the generous contributions of 15 individual donors, The Leo Project recently hosted a week-long training workshop for a group of Traditional Birth Companions (TBCs)