BUILDING ON 50 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP WITH KENYANS IN CIVIL SOCIETY, THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT JUNE 2014
USAID KENYA/SOLOMON ONYATA
QUARTERLY UPDATE
INCREASING HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE The majority of Kenya’s rural families rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. They farm on small plots with limited access to resources. They are vulnerable to a range of shocks - weather, high food prices, and other threats. USAID promotes appropriate farm inputs and agricultural best practices and policies to improve the food security and resilience of smallholder families. Examples of inputs include early-maturing and high-yielding varieties of cassava, shown here by Helen Okwara of Mungatsi Village in Busia County. Farmers have christened her Mama Ndizi “mother of plantains” because of her enthusiastic work to promote improved varieties of staple foods.
USAID KENYA/RAYMOND JUMAH
More than
440,000
Kenyan smallholder farmers have embraced new ideas and farming practices promoted by USAID
2,000
USAID KENYA/IRI
citizens interacting with county government through a new SMS platform
SUPPORTING ACCOUNTABLE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS A mother in Wabera Ward texts her views on the budget to the Isiolo County Assembly. USAID supports an SMS platform that gives citizens a free, easy-to-use tool for providing feedback to county assemblies. Kilifi County Assembly used it to collect citizens’ views on coconut crop legislation. Citizen responses will help inform policy. USAID is focused on helping make county governments more transparent, open, and responsive to citizens.
USAID KENYA/RICCARDO GANGALE
657,081
Kenyans on U.S. Government-supported HIV treatment
INCREASING USE OF QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES A water taxi ferries HIV drugs on the final leg of a trip to Sena Health Center on Mfangano Island in Lake Victoria. USAID supports integrated health services delivery, including HIV/AIDS care and treatment at the county level and below, focusing service delivery support on high-need areas. To reach remote Mfangano Island, USAID partners with the private delivery service DHL, which contracts with local laborers and private ferries. This procurement and supply-chain investment provides readily available, high-quality treatment that is helping millions of Kenyans committed to achieving an AIDS-free generation in Kenya.
MORE RESILIENT PEOPLE AND ECOSYSTEMS Conservation and sustainable management of Kenya’s rich biodiversity are essential to improving the resiliency and livelihoods of people who live in the rangelands surrounding Kenya’s national parks and reserves. To help communities benefit from protecting natural resources, USAID supported the formation of 26 conservancies through the Northern Rangelands Trust.
USAID KENYA/ROBIN JOHNSON
Sera Conservancy Trust recently became Kenya’s first community-owned sanctuary for black rhinos. The sanctuary draws income from tourism, which provides an incentive for the community to manage wildlife resources. Both the community and the ecosystem benefit.
136,844
hectares of improved, biologically significant land added to Northern Rangelands Trust community conservancies in 2013
1,000,000
USAID KENYA/MAUREEN DAKA
Kenyan youth empowered and mobilized through Yes Youth Can
EMPOWERING YOUTH TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Paul Karanja lost his shop when angry youth burned it down in the violence that followed the 2007 elections. He is now back in business in Kiambiu, an informal settlement of Nairobi, because of financing and training provided by a USAID-supported youth program. USAID works to expand opportunities for youth to participate fully in their communities and in the economy.
IMPROVING USE OF EDUCATION SERVICES USAID partners with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to improve school management and learning outcomes in primary schools and to expand access to education in traditionally marginalized communities, such as the informal settlements of Nairobi and the mainly Muslim communities along the coast and in northeastern Kenya. Expanding educational quality and access improves human capacity inclusively and equitably, contributing to the fulfillment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 goals. Here, students from Madoya Children’s Center in Mathare North, an informal settlement of Nairobi, participate in a reading competition.
USAID KENYA/MAUREEN DAKA
62,389
learners enrolled in primary schools or equivalent non-school settings with U.S. Government support
16,000
USAID KENYA/ERICK ASUBWA SUWASA KENYA
people in Nyamasaria, Kisumu County, recently gained access to safe, affordable water because of private financing
FACILITATING PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE USAID facilitates private sector investment in infrastructure. USAID helped local utility company Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO) develop a business plan and financing proposal for private sector financing. It then established a risk-sharing agreement with a Kenyan bank to promote lending to the water sector. As a result, KIWASCO was able to commission a new water system to reach a lowincome area of Kisumu County, providing access to clean water for children at Genesis Primary School in Nyamasaria (left). Sustainable development is not possible without access to clean, affordable water.
USAID KENYA/NEIL THOMAS
Celebrate the accomplishments of Kenyans working to develop their nation’s potential. Visit
www.usaid.gov/kenya www.facebook.com/USAIDKenya http://www.flickr.com/photos/usaidkenya
U.S. Agency for International Development P.O. Box 629,Village Market 00621 Nairobi, Kenya Telephone +254.20.862.2000 Fax +254.20.862.26802682 http://www.usaid.gov/kenya
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the U.S. federal government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid.