Caroline was a 20-year-old college student when she was diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB). Her diagnosis came as a relief because for two months, she had gone through instances of misdiagnosis which worsened her symptoms and put her life at risk. Caroline faced immense stigma that affected her mental health and for two years, she did not talk about her experience. It was two years later that Caroline finally opened up about her TB journey, marking the beginning of a relentless fight for health equity among vulnerable populations.
Caroline uses her personal story to educate, raise awareness and most importantly, fight TB stigma. She mainly uses social media pages where she targets young people, given that she got infected with TB while still in school. Caroline has also authored `Breaking the Silence` a TB awareness eBook that features her story and those of other TB survivors. Caroline`s advocacy efforts are not only on social media; she reaches community members in schools, churches, markets and the transport sector. She is actively involved in TB screening, referrals and conducting follow ups to ensure treatment adherence.
In 2024, Caroline joined Stop TB Partnership Kenya as the Communications Person. In this position, she leads advocacy efforts by documenting the plight of TB survivors. Caroline is also serving as the National Coordinator for the Global Coalition of TB Advocates where she leads young TB champions. Caroline also speaks at global platforms with the key message; no one should die from TB. She is also Africa CDC`s Mental Health Alumni, winner of the World TD Day 2025 photo contest and awardee of the Astrazeneca scholarship to the 31st AFS Youth Health Assembly.
As a young change maker, Caroline’s end goal is to help build communities, free from the burden of TB, HIV and Malaria.