The Leo Project is a community-based nonprofit organization in Nanyuki, Kenya, committed to advancing equitable access to education and health care as fundamental human rights. It seeks to drive transformative social change across Laikipia County through holistic programs that integrate education, health care, and community empowerment.
An SNF grant supports its perinatal mental health and newborn thriving program to prevent and reduce perinatal depression among pregnant and postpartum women. It delivers tailored mental health support to expecting mothers, offers group support sessions for fathers, and facilitates baby bonding workshops for both parents with a deliberate emphasis on paternal involvement. The program equips families with practical tools to overcome depression, enhance parenting competencies, and foster stronger parent-infant relationships. Crucially, the it trains community health professionals, traditional birth companions, and local leaders to identify symptoms of perinatal depression, provide psychosocial support, and ensure timely referrals to appropriate care. By actively working to break down stigma, it promotes open conversations about mental health. Additionally, the project enhances the Leo Project’s clinic’s electronic medical records system to improve data capture and analysis related to perinatal depression, thereby supporting a comprehensive, community-centered model for maternal mental health and wellbeing.