Door-Door Hope: How the measles & Rubella Response Reached Vulnerable Families.

In the fragile landscape of humanitarian crises, access to essential health services is often the first casualty. For many displaced communities, especially in refugee settings like Ifo 2 Refugee Camp in Garissa County, even the most basic health interventions, such as childhood vaccinations, remain out of reach. This reality puts thousands of children at daily risk from preventable diseases like measles and rubella.

Fatuma, a 28-year-old mother of four, knows this reality all too well. She fled the insecurity and crumbling health systems of southern Somalia and arrived in Kenya carrying both her children and years of anxiety over their health. Her youngest children had never received a single vaccine dose before stepping into Kenya, a painful reality for many displaced families who have been cut off from essential services.

“When I came here, my two youngest children had never been vaccinated,” Fatuma shares. “Back home, we lived far from clinics, and insecurity made travel dangerous. I always feared they would fall sick, and I could do nothing about it.” Her turning point came during the Measles & Rubella Partnership. Outbreak Response Project, funded by the American Red Cross and implemented by the Kenya Red Cross Society in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and UNICEF among other agencies. Through mobile teams and door-to-door efforts, vaccinators and community health promoters brought critical health services directly to families like Fatuma’s right to their doorsteps.

“I remember that day. A nurse and two health promoters in yellow vests came to my home. They spoke gently, explained the vaccines, and even comforted my older daughter who was scared,” Fatuma recalls with a smile. “That day, both my youngest children received their first vaccines.” Her gratitude is evident as she recounts how their support went beyond immunization. “They told me what to expect, when to come for the next dose, and even reminded me to bring the older ones for other services. I felt seen like my children finally mattered.”

One of her neighbours had hesitated to allow her children to vaccinated, fearing their children’s malnourished state would worsen. After a coordinated efforts between the community health and nutrition units, KRCS outreach teams and the camp leaders who conducted Household visits, Radio Talks and sensitization using Public Address systems prior to the campaign to do advocacy and community engagement with support from AmRC. This ensured that all the myths within the community was demystified and trust was rebuilt. Personal testimonies were shared, fears were addressed, and by sunrise the next morning, those children too were protected. “It showed me I wasn’t alone. There were others like me, worried but hopeful,” says Fatuma.

Photos from the campaign show a nurse kneeling under a tree, administering a measles-rubella vaccine with care and precision, while a supervisor cross-checks tally sheets nearby. These are not just images; they are moments of dignity, service, and life-saving teamwork in action. “What I saw that week changed my view. These people really care. They walked in the sun, sat on the ground, and treated us with respect,” Fatuma says, holding up her children’s vaccination cards. Now, Fatuma has become an informal promoter within her block, encouraging other mothers to accept vaccinations and attend
health talks. “I tell them: if my children can be saved, so can yours. Don’t wait.”

Her journey shows that healthcare is a right and thus need for inclusion, confidence, and restored humanity. The Measles & Rubella Partnership Outbreak Response Project hence provided the much-needed vaccines in an inclusive manner and also rebuilt trust and saved lives, one home at a time. Through this Project, 66,330 children were immunized against measles and Rubella diseases. Additionally, 64,705 households were reached with key messages on immunization in Mandera and Garissa Counties.

“Before, I felt forgotten. Now, I feel protected. I feel proud to be a mother who did the right thing,” Fatuma says, eyes bright with hope. Fatuma’s story is just one among many, but it stands as powerful proof that with the right outreach, no child is too far to protect. In the fight against measles and rubella, every vaccine delivered through this initiative is a step toward a ealthier, safer, and more resilient community