Health answers, spoken back, for adolescents and young people who are visually impaired.
SautiLume is an AI-powered voice platform giving blind and visually impaired young people in Kenya private, verified answers about sexual and reproductive health, mental health, menstrual hygiene, and consent, by voice alone, in English or Swahili.
No typing. No screen. No trace left behind.
"When she presses Exit, it's as if the conversation never happened."
*People with visual impairment across the WHO African Region, including 5.9 million who are blind. Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa.
"Across Africa, access to quality healthcare is often determined by more than medicine alone. Information gaps, disability, gender inequality, and systemic barriers continue to shape who receives care and who is left behind."
Millions of visually impaired young people can't reach the health information they need, because it was never made for them.
Sexual and reproductive health material, menstrual hygiene guidance, mental health support and consent education are almost always designed for people who can read text on a screen. For blind and visually impaired young people in Kenya, that leaves a gap with real consequences, and often means asking a parent, teacher, or stranger a question that should be private.
Built on lived community work
SautiLume grew out of nearly two decades of direct work with young people with visual and cognitive disabilities in Kenyan schools and communities, not a lab exercise.
Grounded in the health system
Our founder has worked within Kenya's Ministry of Health as a Health Economist and Digital Health Specialist for more than a decade, so SautiLume is designed to fit real referral pathways she has learned firsthand, not replace them.
Free for the young people who need it
SautiLume is free to users. Our plan is to sustain the platform through institutional licensing with health, education, and disability-focused partners.
SautiLume sits inside a broader mission: AI that closes health gaps, not widens them.
Our founder's work spans three interconnected areas, all aimed at building more equitable health systems across Africa through AI, digital innovation, and evidence-based research.
Inclusive AI & disability innovation
Building AI-powered solutions, like SautiLume, that improve access to verified health information and essential services for blind and visually impaired adolescents and youth.
Maternal health, gender equity & GBV prevention
Co-designing human-centered AI innovations that strengthen women's health outcomes, agency, and safety.
Digital health policy & health systems strengthening
Advancing sustainable, scalable, and equitable approaches to digital health that support Universal Health Coverage across Africa.
Ask a question out loud. Get a verified answer back.
SautiLume is designed to be used entirely by voice, because our users can't rely on a screen. Every answer comes from a knowledge base verified by health professionals before it is spoken back.
Speak your question
No login, no typing, no username. A young person simply asks about a period, a symptom, a fear, or what "consent" means.
SautiLume answers, out loud
The verified answer is spoken back right away, in the language the user is already speaking.
Real referrals when it matters
SautiLume never invents a phone number or a facility. It gives verified referrals only, covering public and private health facilities, mental health support, and pharmacies, right across the country.
Then it forgets
The conversation flows naturally while it's happening. The moment it ends, nothing is left behind on the device.
Hear SautiLume answer a real health question, right now.
This is the same voice AI experience behind the SautiLume app: no typing, no login, nothing kept after you close it. Ask a question out loud in English or Swahili and hear a verified answer spoken back.
- Works in your browser, no app install needed
- Speak in English or Swahili
- Nothing you say is saved once you close the tab
Tap the mic, ask a question, listen to the answer.
Voice in. Voice out. Nothing stored.
SautiLume cannot leak, sell, or be forced to hand over what it never keeps.
For a young person asking about abuse or contraception, a stored conversation isn't just a data risk. It can be physical danger the moment someone else picks up the phone. So SautiLume keeps no names, no audio, no transcripts, and no summaries.
Safety by design
Nothing is stored, so there is nothing for a parent, teacher, or abuser to find on the phone afterward.
Legal strength
Zero retention is our compliance posture under Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019, not just a design choice.
Trust the big platforms can't offer
Most technology is built to remember. SautiLume is built to forget, on purpose, every time.
Founded by a public health professional who has spent her career closing this gap.
Dr. Wanjirũ Kigathi
She works at the intersection of AI, public health, women's health, disability inclusion, and health systems strengthening. Over the past decade she has contributed to national, regional, and continental health initiatives spanning policy development, health financing, digital transformation, implementation research, and innovation. She draws on experience across government, research, and entrepreneurship to design solutions that are evidence-driven, scalable, and responsive to the needs of underserved communities.
Frequently asked questions
A quick, honest look at what SautiLume is, what it isn't, and how it handles your privacy.
Is SautiLume solely dependent on AI?
No. SautiLume's core answers come from a verified health knowledge base reviewed by health professionals, so it works even without AI. An optional AI layer can add more natural, conversational responses, but SautiLume is never solely dependent on it. If AI is unavailable, the verified library always has the final say.
Is my data stored when I use SautiLume?
No. SautiLume keeps no names, no audio, no transcripts, and no summaries. Once a conversation ends, nothing is left behind on the device.
What languages does SautiLume support?
SautiLume currently works in English and Swahili, with offline voice recognition for both languages in development.
Is SautiLume free to use?
Yes. SautiLume is free for all users. Our plan is to sustain the platform through institutional licensing with health, education, and disability-focused partners.
Where is SautiLume being tested?
SautiLume is being tested continuously, even at this early prototype stage, with visually impaired young people in Kitui, Kiambu, and Nairobi counties.
Does SautiLume replace a doctor or health facility?
No. SautiLume gives verified information and, when needed, verified referrals to real public and private health facilities, mental health support, and pharmacies. It never invents a phone number or a diagnosis.
Early stage, deliberately careful, building brick by brick.
SautiLume is in active development. We're building slowly and verifying every step, because our users are vulnerable and the answers have to be right.
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Now
Working voice pipeline. A voice-first Android prototype answers health questions end to end, with verified content and zero data retention.
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Next
Verified referral network. Building a database of real, verified public and private health facilities, mental health services, and pharmacies, including contact numbers, helplines, and facility locations, starting with Kitui, Kiambu, and Nairobi counties, so referrals are never guessed.
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Next
Offline voice recognition, English and Swahili. Moving to an offline speech engine so the app works reliably in both languages, regardless of phone model or connectivity.
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Pilot
Kitui County, Kiambu County, and Nairobi County. Even at this early prototype stage, we're testing continuously with the visually impaired young people SautiLume is built for.
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Seeking
Partners who share this mission. We're seeking connections with AI and technology companies, donors and foundations, governments, and disability and health organizations working in East Africa who want to help close this gap.
Building health access that actually reaches everyone.
We welcome connections with foundations and donors, AI and technology companies, government health agencies, and disability and health organizations working toward the same goal.
Get in Touch