Oxfam kenya QuarteRly Newsletter
Oxfam Country Strategy
Kenya
#issue one Kenya!!
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Worldwide Influencing Network: Oxfam Kenya County Strategy Signed'off'by'Regional'Transition'Group:'2'April'2015'
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Over the last five months, Oxfam Kenya has gone through an intensive and consultative process of developing a new country strategy. The process involved consultation with stakeholders from the private sector such as Safaricom, IBM, public sector and both local and international public benefit organisations. Oxfam Kenya now has a new bold, ambitious yet practical and realistic five year strategy. The 2015-2020 Country Strategy will lead to a significant shift in the way Oxfam delivers programmes leading to a more influencing and campaigning strategy that will reach at scale and positively impact the lives of the poor and vulnerable men and women.
Image Credit: Daphne Callies, Kenya Programme
Over the next five years, Oxfam’s primary role will be to build wider coalitions, broker partnerships to help build national institutions capacity, strengthen their networks so that citizens through collective voice can lead and influence in shaping up the development agenda of the government. Oxfam will invest in strengthening its accountability and measure disaggregated changes made in the lives of women from those in society in general. Oxfam will be more vocal and communicate effectively both internally and externally using digital technology. Look out for the new Oxfam Kenya country strategy. It will be shared widely in the coming months. Oxfam welcomes your feedback and support in its successful implementation.
Women and Land rights As Oxfam continues to implement the community land rights protection project in Turkana and Tana River Counties, women are rising up to the occasion. Of importance to note, is that in Tana Delta County, there is a deliberate purposeful effort by administrative officials mainly the chiefs to progressively accord women leadership positions in the community committees, which look into issues of land and other land related issues. It is also evident that the cultural dynamics in Turkana County will no longer be a hindrance to women participation in governance and management of their community land and natural resources. In Turkana, men are opening up space to hear women voices and address them through community barazas and forums. Though cultural discriminatory practices against women have taken root, a place like Dalu Location based in Tana Delta County has embraced women participation through thriving women committees, which are linked to the women representative of the County.
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Make it Happen!
Celebrating women’s Celebrating the International individuality, culture, Women’s Day successes and journey ahead.
On 6th of March 2015, Oxfam and Women Empowerment Link (WEL) hosted a visioning breakfast meeting for over 70 women to discuss the future of women in political leadership while reflecting on the journey so far. The women also developed a foresight on what the case would be if they maximized their strengths and built on opportunities while lowering threats and weaknesses that confront women’s participation. There was agreement that there are beliefs and practices that women uphold contributing to disempowering women at large, therefore the need to focus on addressing these. The example was given on how in Kenya women do not vote for or support fellow women during elections, yet they have the numbers. There was consensus that women need to vie for elective position instead of waiting for nominations. This was said with the appreciation that successful engagement required a lot of resources, innovative and campaign skills and tactics and external enabling environment for women to participate. In conclusion, elected and nominated women present in the meeting challenged women to be consistent in their political ambitions and celebrate incremental gains because with time their efforts contribute to getting closer to achieving the desired end of more women included in political leadership.
On Saturday 7th March, Oxfam linked up with partners including Joyful Women Organisation (JOYWO), Save the Children, International Rescue Committee among other stakeholders to facilitate a women’s conference. This forum allowed women from the county to voice the issues they were facing, and share their experiences. It was also an educational opportunity for women to learn about gender based violence and what referral systems exist. At least 200 women filled up the conference room with a number of women running their own businesses and who were keen to make the most of opportunities out there. On Sunday March 8th Oxfam and our co-collaborators, with the Women Representative Member of Parliament, Joyce Emanikor as chief guest, held a parade and baraza (public forum). This was the main International Women’s Day event for the county. The vibrancy of the Turkana was evident, by the passionate speeches delivered by some, the cheers of support agreement and above all the dancing! The Turkana women love to dance! Every second there was a gap in the agenda, they would be up out of their seats singing and dancing, making the whole day an enjoyable affair; one that really celebrated their individuality, their culture, their challenges, and their successes.
Oxfam Kenya welcomes new country Director, Mrs. Sumananjali Mohanty Suman, as she is popularly known, took on the post of Country Director in February 2015. Suman has over 18 years experience in the development sector, in both urban and rural contexts. She joined Oxfam in 2001 in the India Country programme as Programme officer for Livelihoods and Markets Access and has taken on several positions since then. She joined the Kenya Programme as the Urban Food Security and Livelihoods Programme Advisor in 2009 and was later appointed the Social Protection Advisor in 2012. She has a background in Food Security, Social Protection, Livelihoods and Markets and Humanitarian Response.
She has been part of the achievements to date of some of the great influencing work of the Kenya programme around social protection and cash transfers. She is passionate about the stretch of the ambition for Kenya and the possibilities for a new direction for Oxfam in Kenya. Suman has replaced Nigel Tricks who is now the Oxfam International Regional Director for the HECA Region. Join us in welcoming and supporting Sumananjali in her new appointment.
Upcoming Event: EU funded urban economy project launch Oxfam together with implementing partners, NOPE, SITE and WEL will launch the EU co-funded “Promoting livelihoods and Inclusion of vulnerable women Domestic workers and women small scale traders” project. The overall project objective is to contribute to achieving secure and productive lives of vulnerable population dependent on the informal economy in Nairobi Urban. Oxfam Kenya continues to work with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering.
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OXFAM KENYA THE ATRIUMCHAKA ROAD P.O. BOX 40680, GPO, NAIROBI (00100) KENYA TEL: +254 020 2820000/ +254 020 2920000 www.oxfam.org.uk/kenya
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