When you meet Clare Emma Ojambo in Mayuge District, Uganda, her commitment is clear from the very first moment. She doesn’t just supervise Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), she walks beside them.

As a Community Health Supervisor with Living Goods, Clare spends her days in villages, riding down dirt paths to meet CHEWs and Village Health Teams (VHTs). Her role is not about oversight alone. It’s about mentorship, encouragement, and making sure these frontline workers feel seen, supported, and confident in their calling.

“I walk with them every step of the way,” Clare says. “My role is to make sure they feel supported, accountable and confident in their ability to serve their communities.”

This model works because the Ministry of Health in Uganda has created a strong foundation. CHEWs are trained, equipped and guided by national frameworks that legitimize their role. With smartphones, bicycles, and digital tools like the electronic community health information system (eCHIS) national platform, they can track cases in real time, connect families to facilities and act quickly when challenges emerge.

Clare remembers when data showed a spike in malaria cases in Mpungwe and Wairasa. Instead of treating it as just numbers on a dashboard, she worked with CHEWs to organize targeted refresher trainings, focusing on prevention and timely treatment. The result was clear: fewer fevers, healthier children, and stronger trust between families and their health workers.

“Data gave us the evidence,” she reflects. “But it was the CHEWs’ presence in homes that turned that evidence into action.”

Partnerships make this possible. The Ministry provides legitimacy and tools. Living Goods helps strengthen the system through training, supervision and digital health innovations that make services more efficient and user-friendly. Together, this creates a stronger safety net for families in Mayuge.

The impact is already visible. More mothers are attending antenatal visits. Immunization coverage is rising. Cases of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea are being treated faster. Step by step, healthcare is moving closer to the people who need it most.

For Clare, this work is deeply personal. Outside her official duties, she volunteers in her church to speak about hygiene, encourages neighbours to build latrines, and mentors’ young women who dream of serving in health.

“Seeing families healthier because of the CHEWs I support keeps me going,” she says. “It’s not just my job; it’s my calling.”