Community health research in rural Kenya is equal parts science, anthropology, logistics, and relationship-building. As a field researcher with Utafiti Wellness, my days are rarely predictable but always meaningful. Join me for a typical day as I navigate the realities of community-based research in Western Kenya.
5:30 AM - The Morning Ritual
The day begins before sunrise in our field house in Kakamega Town. The first sounds are roosters crowing and the distant call to prayer from the local mosque. My morning routine is quick but essential:
- Check equipment: Tablet charged? Voice recorder working? Backup batteries ready?
- Review schedule: Confirm today's appointments and travel logistics
- Check weather: Will rain affect our travel to remote villages?
- Mental preparation: Review research protocols and community entry approaches
"The most important equipment isn't in my backpack - it's in my mindset. Patience, humility, and genuine curiosity are my most valuable tools." - Samwel
6:30 AM - Team Briefing
Our field team gathers over chai (tea) and mandazi (fried bread). Today's team includes:
- Myself: Lead researcher
- Grace: Community liaison officer
- John: Local research assistant
- Samuel: Driver and logistics coordinator
We review today's objectives: Conducting household surveys for our nutrition intervention study in three villages. We discuss potential challenges - a local funeral might affect participation, some roads may be impassable after yesterday's rain.
7:30 AM - Hitting the Road
We pile into our 4x4 research vehicle, loaded with equipment, consent forms, and small gifts for participants (soap and sanitary pads - culturally appropriate tokens of appreciation). The journey to our first village takes us through:
- Paved roads: Briefly, as we leave town
- Murram roads: Dusty, bumpy, slowing our progress
- Footpaths: The final stretch where we abandon the vehicle and walk
The scenery shifts from town to rural farmland, with sugarcane fields giving way to maize plots and vegetable gardens. We pass women walking to market with produce on their heads, children in school uniforms, and boda boda (motorcycle taxi) riders navigating the rough terrain.
9:00 AM - Village Entry and Community Engagement
We arrive at Shikomari Village, where our community health worker, Mama Atieno, meets us. Community entry protocol is crucial:
Step 1: Greet the Elders
We visit the village elder first, explaining our purpose and seeking permission to work in the community. This isn't just formality - it's respect for community structures.
Step 2: Community Assembly
Mama Atieno gathers interested community members under a large tree. We explain our research in simple terms, in the local dialect (Luhya):
- What we're studying (nutrition practices for elderly care)
- Why it matters (to improve health outcomes)
- What participation involves (surveys, possible follow-up)
- How data will be used (to inform programs and policies)
- Confidentiality assurances (names not shared, data aggregated)
Step 3: Questions and Concerns
Community members ask thoughtful questions: "Will this research lead to food aid?" "How will you ensure our privacy?" "What happens if we want to stop participating?" We answer honestly and transparently.
"The most common misconception is that research means immediate benefits. We're careful to explain that research is about generating knowledge that might lead to future improvements, not about delivering immediate services." - Grace Akinyi, Community Liaison Officer
10:30 AM - Household Surveys Begin
With community approval secured, we begin household surveys. Today I'm interviewing elderly women about their nutrition practices. Each interview follows a careful process:
The Interview Dance:
- Consent process: Reading consent form, ensuring understanding, obtaining signature/thumbprint
- Rapport building: Starting with general conversation, not jumping straight to questions
- Survey administration: Using tablet-based survey with skip logic and validation checks
- Observation: Noting non-verbal cues, household conditions, available food
- Clarification: Ensuring questions are understood (some concepts don't translate directly)
- Debriefing: Answering participant questions, providing health information as appropriate
My third interview is with Mama Aoko, 68 years old. She shares that she eats only one meal a day to save food for her grandchildren. This isn't captured in our quantitative data but will inform our qualitative understanding.
1:00 PM - Lunch and Reflection
We break for lunch under a mango tree, sharing packed meals from town. This is our daily debrief time:
- Data quality check: Reviewing completed surveys for completeness
- Challenges discussed: Some participants couldn't estimate portion sizes
- Adaptations made: We decide to use local measures (spoons, cups) instead of grams
- Team support: John is struggling with a sensitive topic - we role-play approaches
Lunch is also when we connect as a team, sharing stories and laughter. Today Samuel tells us about his daughter's school performance, lightening the mood after intense morning interviews.
2:30 PM - Afternoon Challenges
The afternoon brings unexpected challenges that test our adaptability:
Challenge 1: Language Barriers
One participant speaks only a dialect that our local assistant doesn't fully understand. Solution: We recruit a teenage granddaughter as translator, carefully briefing her on confidentiality and accurate translation.
Challenge 2: Sensitive Information
A participant reveals domestic violence when asked about food distribution in the household. We follow our ethical protocol: provide information about support services, ensure her safety isn't compromised, and document the incident appropriately.
Challenge 3: Equipment Failure
My tablet battery dies unexpectedly. Solution: We switch to paper surveys temporarily, with plans to enter data later. We always carry backup paper forms for exactly this reason.
Challenge 4: Community Event
A funeral procession passes through the village, making continued interviews inappropriate. We respectfully pause our work and help where we can, demonstrating community solidarity.
4:30 PM - Wrapping Up
As the sun begins to lower, we conclude our interviews. Today we completed:
- 15 household surveys (target was 20, but quality over quantity)
- 3 informal conversations with community leaders
- 2 observational notes on food preparation practices
- 1 emergent finding about intergenerational food sharing that needs further exploration
We thank Mama Atieno and community members, promising to return with preliminary findings. We leave small gifts with participants and contribute to the community fund for the funeral we encountered.
6:00 PM - The Journey Back
The return journey is quieter, everyone tired but satisfied. We discuss highlights:
- Grace: "Mama Aoko's story about sharing her medication with her neighbor - we need to explore medication sharing practices."
- John: "The children's knowledge about nutritious foods was impressive - maybe we should include them more."
- Samuel: "The road conditions are worsening - we need to plan alternative routes for tomorrow."
We watch the sunset over the hills, the sky painted in oranges and purples. It's moments like these that remind me why this work matters.
8:00 PM - Data Management and Reflection
Back at the field house, the work continues:
Data Backup and Security
I transfer all data from tablets to encrypted external drives and cloud storage (when internet allows). Paper surveys are stored in locked filing cabinets.
Daily Reports
I complete the daily field report, documenting:
- Number and type of data collected
- Challenges encountered and solutions found
- Ethical issues and how they were addressed
- Preliminary observations and insights
- Logistics for tomorrow
Team Check-in
We have a brief check-in to ensure everyone is coping emotionally. Today was emotionally heavy with the funeral and sensitive disclosures. We practice self-care strategies and plan a team activity for the weekend.
10:00 PM - Personal Time and Preparation
Finally, some personal time. I call my family in Nairobi, reassuring them I'm safe. Then I prepare for tomorrow:
- Charge all equipment
- Review tomorrow's research instruments
- Check weather and road conditions
- Pack snacks and water
- Set out clean clothes (appearance matters for community acceptance)
"The physical tiredness is real, but it's the emotional and mental processing that's most draining - and most rewarding. Every day I learn something that could improve someone's life." - Peter Omondi
11:00 PM - Sleep and Dreams
As I fall asleep, my mind processes the day's experiences. I dream not of data points, but of faces - Mama Aoko sharing her meal, children learning about nutrition, community members trusting us with their stories.
Lessons from the Field
Days like today teach invaluable lessons about community health research:
1. Flexibility is Non-Negotiable
Research protocols must adapt to community realities, not the other way around.
2. Relationships Trump Rigor
The most methodologically perfect study fails without community trust and participation.
3. Context is Everything
Numbers only tell part of the story; understanding context turns data into insight.
4. Self-Care is Research Integrity
Burnt-out researchers make poor decisions; team wellbeing is an ethical imperative.
5. Humility is the Best Methodology
We are learners in communities, not experts delivering solutions.
Conclusion
A day in community health research is messy, unpredictable, challenging, and profoundly rewarding. It's about balancing scientific rigor with human connection, methodological precision with cultural sensitivity, research objectives with community priorities.
As I turn off the light, I think about tomorrow's work. More households, more stories, more data points that might - just might - contribute to better health for communities like Shikomari. That possibility makes every early morning, every bumpy road, every complex interview worthwhile.
Community health research isn't just a job; it's a privilege. The privilege of entering people's lives, hearing their stories, and working together to generate knowledge that can transform health outcomes. It's hard work, but it's work that matters.