International Safe Abortion Day may have passed, but the message we carried still echoes loudly: no shame, just support. Every year on September 28th, the world comes together to affirm that access to safe abortion is not only a healthcare issue, but also a human right.

This year, Aunty Jane stood proudly alongside partners and young people to mark the day with one bold goal: kick abortion stigma out. Through community dialogues, storytelling, and even a spirited girls’ football tournament, we celebrated care, respect, and choice, the values at the heart of the Aunty Jane Hotline.

Why link a hotline with a football tournament? Because stigma doesn’t just live in clinics or laws, it lives in conversations, in whispers, in judgmental looks. We wanted to take that conversation to the field, literally, where girls could run free, speak freely, and show that dignity and confidence belong to everyone.

For many women and girls, Aunty Jane has become more than a hotline. It’s a safe friend on the other end of the line, one who listens without judgment, provides accurate information, and offers options for safe, supported, and dignified abortion care, including self-managed abortions. When stigma isolates, Aunty Jane reminds women that they are not alone.

One young woman shared, “I was stuck with a man I didn’t love, and after a failed emergency pill, I felt hopeless. A friend told me about Aunty Jane. I got counseling, a referral to a kind provider, and even post-abortion contraception. I found more than help, I found healing.” Another caller wrote, “Thank you for taking me through the journey. My results are negative, and I’m really happy. You listened without judgment. I’ll tell other women about you.”

Moments like these remind us that access isn’t just about services, it’s about humanity. It’s about care, compassion, and community.

At events like the “Kick Abortion Stigma” tournament, young people interacted with Aunty Jane directly, testing the hotline, asking questions, and realizing that yes, the platform works. It’s responsive, confidential, and most importantly, it’s for them. Through #BongaNaAuntyJane, young people learned that abortion conversations can happen openly in the languages they use, English, Kiswahili, and even the slang of Nairobi’s informal settlements.

One participant summed it up perfectly: “Abortions ni reality kwa ground. Form ni kujua options safe na kupata information correct. Hivi ndio Aunty Jane anacome through.”

But Aunty Jane’s approach goes beyond information, it’s about changing culture. By engaging with local leaders, from chiefs to nyumba kumi elders and service providers, we’re creating honest, community-centered conversations that question how our beliefs either reinforce or dismantle stigma. We don’t shame; we listen. We don’t impose; we empower.

Storytelling is central to that change. Because behind every statistic is someone we know, a friend, a sister, a neighbor. These are not distant stories; they are realities. When we tell them with empathy, we make it impossible to ignore that safe abortion saves lives.

Unlike traditional health messaging that can feel distant or clinical, #BongaNaAuntyJane humanizes every experience. Every call, every text, every heartbeat matters. Each woman’s story reminds us why compassion, not judgment, must be at the core of reproductive healthcare.

And the work doesn’t end with Safe Abortion Day. Aunty Jane will continue walking with every abortion seeker who needs a safe space, both online and offline, through the hotline, through community dialogues, and through constant advocacy for dignity, choice, and care.

The future we’re working toward is one where no woman or girl feels fear or shame when she needs support. A society where lives are saved, second chances are found, and a simple dial connects you to understanding, information, and hope.

Because you choose and we support you.

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