Table 5 CHWs understanding of IPT-G intervention

Addresses loss and grief for CHWs

“Me too it has helped me. Now that I can talk to them. I used to see a pregnant woman and I take another route that I don't want to meet. Where there were children, I could not go, but now I even carry your kids so it has helped me that's why you can see how strong I am.”(LN,age 34,CHA,Kangemi)

Empowered PPAs to live a better life

“It has been a nice thing, every time I see you. I normally get impressed and just smile because at least there is progress in our lives, we are not the same as the way we used to be okay?” (EO, age 24,CHV, Kariobangi)

“I think that will help a lot because you see for the young girls you might find that when they do HIV test the husband is negative and the lady is positive so you see the girl gets stressed because she is harassed by the husband "where did you get the virus?" And whatever, it will help a lot [Silence].” (JA,age 24,CHV,Kangemi)

Building capacity and acknowledging the team

“Follow-up of that client, you have done IPT for this client and you have done termination session; you have referred that client from facility to the community, who will do that follow-up? The community health workers. They are the linkage between the facility and the community and community to the facility.” (LN,age 34,CHA,Kangemi)

Third IPT session is when disclosure happens

“- -yes, they exist; when we started, we had a challenge because one we had not been trained, we had a challenge but we reached where we reached. I can say that even those girls when we start with them there are usually problems but the good thing is that mid-way they pick and can listen to you and sessions go well.” (JA,age 24,CHV,Kangemi)

IPT Impact in the community

“In fact we always talk about that group (IPT participants) wherever I go and maybe I meet a partner. I am still looking for a partner to support them. I always talk about it because we felt that we changed them and we wouldn't like them to get lost on the way, we would love them to come back and help the others.” (LN,age 34,Kangemi)

“I think there is a time when we began IPT, those girls most of them were locking themselves in the house.…. but now after the sessions in Kariobangi, we realized that they went back to work. Most of them have gone back to work, some other have started businesses, MA got a job and also has a business, EL has a business. So, people have gone back to work, there is SA has gone back to work; people are going back to work, people have started businesses but for one or two we are still following.” (EO, age 24, Kariobangi)

Group strengthens cohesion and empowers

“She (PPA) realizes that she is not the only one and that they are several, don't you even see that the first thing they were accepting so much whenever she hears that this one is also like me, even this one and the other one so she feels that 'we are many.” (NG,age,CHV.43,Kangemi)

“It used to help them to unwind because maybe somebody has an issue and feels like 'maybe it is only me who has this issue' so when she finds somebody in the group who says almost like similar to hers then she also opens her heart and speaks.” (EO, age 24,CHV. Kariobangi)