Short version Country programme Kenya Fields of Activity:

Transcription

1 Short version Country programme Kenya Fields of Activity: Target Groups: Financial Volume: Programme Coordinator: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Aid Vulnerable and disadvantaged people with a special focus on pastoralist communities, during humanitarian crisis an additional focus on pregnant and lactating women, children under five years of age and elderly in Marsabit, Wajir and Kericho County, Kenya. CHF 2.4 million / year Bettina Bühler, Phone: +41 (0) , bbuehler@caritas.ch

2 Context Kenya declared its independence from the English Protectorate in December 1963 and was governed by the first president Jomo Kenyatta until In 2002, Mwai Kibaki assumed presidency and was re-elected in the controversial 2007 election which sparked post-election violence that claimed the lives of more than 1,300 1 people, caused massive destruction of property in some areas and displaced several hundred thousand Kenyans from their homes. Following a referendum in August 2010 on the adoption of a new constitution, Kenya is now divided into 47 counties that are semi-autonomous units of governance. The Republic of Kenya is a very young country with a median age of 18.8 years 1 and is economically considered the main regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa. However, little infrastructural investment and over reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low threaten Kenya's long-term position as the largest East African economy. Poverty in Kenya has many faces: political unrest, ethnic and tribal conflicts and violence disputes as well as natural disasters regularly lead to the destruction of livelihoods and the displacement of populations. As is the case in the rest of the Horn of Africa, drought is an inherent part of life in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of Kenya. Most parts of the country are characterised by two rainy seasons, but these rainfalls are highly variable and unreliable, especially in the ASALs. Major drought periods have been recorded about every ten years since the early 20 th century. The combination of high dependency on water, lack of infrastructural investment in the development of sufficient surface and groundwater sources and adequate water storage, weak operation, maintenance and water management structures lead to a generally low water security in Kenya and vulnerability of people living in water scarce areas 2. The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities coupled with poor hygiene and sanitation practices constitute major health risks for drought and conflict affected populations in many parts of Kenya. Caritas Switzerland originally established itself in 1997 as a Liaison Office in Nairobi and exists presently as the Nairobi Regional Liaison Office. In spite of the Office s primary focus on Caritas Switzerland s Country Programmes in countries neighbouring Kenya, it has implemented projects in Kenya since its establishment and even further back to The trend was to provide emergency or humanitarian support in Kenya, for example in response to droughts or violence. The projects were generally humanitarian interventions in the fields of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), food security and income generation and capacity building. The necessity to be prepared and to become operationally active in Kenya was underscored by the major drought crisis that affected over 13 million people in the East/Horn of Africa region in Thanks to Caritas Switzerland s existing structures in the region, its response to the crisis was rapid and took on a regional scale. The Nairobi Regional Liaison Office coordinated the humanitarian effort in Kenya, where the bulk of its interventions were concentrated, as well as in South and Central Somalia. Recognising the need to address the longer-term, structural issues that turn droughts into emergencies, Caritas Switzerland effectively applies the principle of Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) and the contiguum approach through the Kenya Programme. The geographic focus of the Kenya Programme s principally lies on two counties of the country s dry lands, 1 Africa News and Analysis, taken from the internet ( March Ibid. 2

3 namely Marsabit and Wajir Counties. Interventions in Turkana County may be considered as well, subject to the operational challenges in Marsabit and Wajir Counties. With the exception of Mandera County, these three counties cover the entire northern part of Kenya bordering Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the east. They represent some of the most arid and destitute counties in Kenya. The Kenya Programme presently also implements interventions in the semi-arid areas Kericho County. In line with Caritas Switzerland s International Cooperation Programme , the Kenya Programme adopts a pro-poor focus. More specifically, the Kenya Programme seeks to target the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the country s arid and semi-arid areas. In so doing, the Kenya Programme thus mainly targets nomadic or transhumant pastoralist and, to a lesser extent, agro-pastoralist people. The Kenya Programme will need to work across borders. During humanitarian crises a particular focus will be placed on reaching pregnant and lactating mothers, children under five years of age and the elderly. Objectives and Approaches The overall goal of the Kenya Programme is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of vulnerable and marginalised people in Kenya. It does this by contributing to the improvement of the living conditions and health status of vulnerable and marginalised people in arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya through the delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services, the promotion of climate change adaptation and mitigation/disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response interventions. Objectives in the Area of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): To increase the availability and sustainable use of safe water, the adoption of good hygiene and sanitation practices at household and institutional level, and to improve the delivery of the available WASH services by local communities, authorities and other sector stakeholders in a progressively, affordable, accountable, financially and environmentally sustainable manner. Sustainable access to safe water will be increased by means of rehabilitating and constructing as well ensuring the protection of adequate water facilities such as spring catchments, groundwater wells and rainwater collection systems for multiple uses and providing water treatment options. Sustainable access to adequate sanitation facilities will be increased by means of rehabilitating and constructing sanitation facilities such as latrines, solid waste disposal systems and hand-washing options at the level of households and institutions. Adequate sanitation facilities are facilities that ensure they are appropriate for suitable use by all segments of the population by, among other things, considering gender aspects (e.g. gender-separated sanitation facilities, particularly at institutions), special needs for the elderly and people with disabilities as well as particular cultural beliefs. An increase in the adoption of good hygiene and sanitation practices will be achieved by conducting hygiene and sanitation awareness-raising activities. These will include trainings, as well as participatory development hygiene and sanitation processes in communities and schools using approaches such as Participatory Hygiene And Sanitation Transformation (PHAST), Community-Led Total Sanitation (and Hygiene) (CLTS(H)), or hybrid forms thereof, as well as Children s Hygiene And Sanitation Training (CHAST). Moreover, public awareness activities will be conducted through participation in global commemoration events, such as the World Water Day (WWD), Global Hand-Washing Day (GHWD) and World Toilet Day (WTD), distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, mass cleaning and other public campaigns. Water, sanitation and hygiene services are delivered by local communities, authorities and other sector stakeholders in a progressively affordable, accountable, financially and environmentally sustainable manner. The objectives will be achieved mainly through close collaboration, effective coordination and capacity building activities, for instance in the areas of technical construction, site supervision, management, operation and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities, water testing, the facilitation of participatory development processes such as PHAST/CLTS(H) and CHAST and cross-cutting issues such as gender, conflictsensitivity, environmental sustainability and good governance. 3

4 The Kenya Programme will ensure that its interventions are in line with the relevant Government of Kenya policies, such as the Water Act, the National Water Policy and the Kenya Health Policy. Objectives in the Area of Climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction: To strengthen the resilience of vulnerable and marginalised people to absorb and recover from shocks and stresses resulting from natural disasters and climate change through climate change adaptation and mitigation as well as disaster risk reduction measures. Natural disasters and climate change are a global threat to prosperity and development, particularly to developing countries such as Kenya. A steady growth in climate-related disasters and their consequential costs has been observed for decades. We therefore want to strengthen the preparedness of vulnerable and marginalised people to assess hazards and vulnerabilities in their communities, and increase their understanding about the effects of climate change on their livelihoods and that they are gradually able to define and apply adaptive measures and preparatory actions. Communities, local authorities and other stakeholders will be trained and natural disaster and climate change threats, risks and vulnerabilities will be analysed and understood using participatory methods and analysis tools. Early warning and quick-response mechanisms will be put in place. Activities will broadly promote the sustainable management of natural resources such as (pasture) land, forests and water through preservation and/or regeneration efforts but also flood reducing and resisting measures, the application of climate smart farming practices and introduction of renewable forms of energy and appropriate energy-efficient technologies. Community managed conflict prevention measures will likewise be addressed as a cross-cutting issue. Effective coordination between local communities, authorities and other sector stakeholders will be ensured. Recognising that the activities proposed above are rather broad and diverse, Caritas Switzerland will seek to focus its climate change and DRR activities by the end of It will do so by engaging in a process to gain an in-depth understanding of the operational context with the objective of identifying Caritas Switzerland s niche, i.e. where its greatest added value can be achieved considering the programmes and focus of other stakeholders active in the same areas as us as well as donor strategies. In this field of activity, the Kenya Programme will ensure that its interventions are in line with the relevant Government of Kenya policies, including the National Environment Policy, Environment Management and Coordination Act, and the National Policy for Disaster Management in Kenya. Objectives in the Area of Humanitarian Aid: Caritas intends to contribute to alleviating the suffering of vulnerable and marginalised people affected by natural or man-made humanitarian crises through emergency relief, rehabilitation and/or recovery, including reconstruction work in order to respond effectively to their immediate needs and subsequently to their intermediary and long-term needs. Increasing numbers of people are affected by humanitarian crises, to which East African and Horn of Africa countries are particularly prone. This is, on the one hand, due to the growing frequency of catastrophic events but above all to the increased exposure of people and property to threats, both natural and manmade. We therefore support victims of humanitarian crises: we do this by providing emergency relief but also by implementing reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. We take a clear development-oriented and crisispreventing approach in our humanitarian work by applying principles of Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) and the contiguum approach. The Kenya Programme will respond swiftly and professionally to humanitarian crises. It will do so by first conducting rapid assessments and effectively coordinating with national and local authorities, the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), international cooperation agencies, donors and relevant stakeholders in order to design appropriate responses that address affected people s most urgent needs in a manner ensures Caritas Switzerland s has the greatest possible added value, particularly in coordinated responses. The Kenya Programme s entry point will be through emergency WASH inter- 4

5 ventions and focussed on the provision of safe drinking water, basic sanitation facilities, hygiene Non-Food Items (NFI) and emergency hygiene training. As emergency relief is linked to development through rehabilitation and/or recovery, the Kenya Programme will ensure that the projects are designed from the beginning in such a way that they lay the foundation for subsequent rehabilitation to development efforts. For instance, wherever possible, emergency relief is integrated into existing programmes and dependency is avoided and self-empowerment is promoted. The Kenya Programme will ensure that its interventions in the humanitarian field of activity are in line with the relevant Government of Kenya policies, including the National Policy for Disaster Management in Kenya and National Disaster Response Plan. Objectives in the Area of Cross-cutting Issues: In all its projects, Caritas takes into account a number of cross-cutting issues and specifically monitors their application. The following four cross-cutting issues will be taken into account in all Kenya Programme projects and monitored according to objectively verifiable indicators of achievement included in project logframes: Capacity building: Implementing partners, as well as our own organisation, are supported with measures of organisational development aimed at gradually developing and professionalising our respective organisations through the optimisation of structures and processes. Engaging in networking and cooperation activities enables an exchange of knowledge and experiences which opens up new perspectives and possibilities for all actors. Training of own staff and the staff of partners will ensure that we remain abreast of new developments and approaches relevant to our respective areas of expertise and will ultimately contribute to the recognition of our respective organisations as competent civil-society actor in our fields of activities. Capacity building efforts will likewise be directed at and extended to authorities, communities and other stakeholders involved in our projects so as to promote ownership and sustainable impacts of our interventions. Gender: Despite successes, the empowerment of women remains greatly constrained in all areas of life, ranging from the socio-cultural, political to the economic. In order to improve equality and sustainability, differences and commonalities between men and women concerning their project-related practical and strategic gender needs and interests are analysed and considered in the project design. It is established whether and how women and men participate in or benefit from the project. Additionally, data on beneficiaries, participants and project personnel are sex-disaggregated. The Kenya Country Office and implementing partners will realise projects in a gender-sensitive way by the presence of experts in our organisation and/or external experts or specialised organisations. In order to establish how women and men participate or benefit from the programme, we will encourage continuous analysis of gender relations, distribution of power, resources and assigned roles in society. Conflict-sensitivity: Due to the context we operate in, a conflict-sensitive approach must be adopted. Therefore the Kenya Country Office strives to reduce or maintain tensions by means of applying Do-No-Harm principles in all the projects. We will therefore ensure that efforts are geared towards understanding the complex interactions between poverty, justice, resource allocation and conflict in our projects and that adequate conflict-sensitive measures aimed at preventing and mitigating the consequences of tensions are incorporated in our work. Environmental sustainability: The Kenya Programme will ensure that, where feasible, appropriate measures are included in projects in order to ensure that natural resources such as water, animals, soil or forests are gradually managed more sustainably managed and are not overexploited, environmental pollution is reduced and the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced through the promotion of renewable energy and methods for the efficient use of energy. Caritas Switzerland will support the mainstreaming of these issues at all levels in its projects. 5

6 Management objectives The Kenya programme will pursue a set of seven management targets which reflect major criteria for a comprehensive and countrywide approach: a) We aim for a high level of professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness. We continuously assess structures and processes for efficiency and effectiveness, as well as transparency and accountability, and optimise these wherever possible. b) We ensure the financial viability of the Kenya Programme by maintaining an appropriate financial turnover from diverse institutional donors. Timely and adequate funds are raised at both the Head Office and Kenya Country Office levels. c) The Kenya Programme will strive to establish and maintain diverse effective partnerships and networks with institutional donors, the Caritas and CIDSE networks, implementing partners, local communities, authorities, coordination mechanisms and other relevant sector stakeholders. d) We carry out advocacy work related to our fields of activity and cross-cutting issues. Issues of public concern in our areas of predilection will be adequately raised and an active role will be played in the initiation, development, implementation and dissemination of relevant policies. e) We will ensure that safety and security management is fully integrated into all aspects of the Kenya Programme and in all phases its project cycles. f) To achieve the greatest possible impacts in the longer-term and in order to increase operational efficiency, the Kenya Country Programme will concentrate its projects and activities geographically by the end of g) Due to the dynamic and continuously changing environment, we need to remain flexible and to be able to adapt our programmes quickly and to respond to new needs and challenges. Implementation The Kenya Programme will establish and maintain diverse partnerships and actively participate in various networks existing in Kenya and the East and Horn of Africa region. Strong partnerships will be sought with the Caritas and International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity (CIDSE) networks, government institutions, donors, other international cooperation agencies and various coordination mechanisms that exist in Kenya. Caritas Switzerland in Kenya will work with a mixed portfolio of implementing partners but will also be operational itself. The Kenya Programme will work closely with the Government of Kenya and its institutions will and support them wherever possible to achieve their objectives. Effective working relationships will be established and maintained with the government ministries and steering groups relevant to our fields of activity at national as well as county and constituency levels. Given that it is a new programme, a strong importance will be attached to building and strengthening partnerships and networks throughout the period. The Programme therefore will be an active member in various coordination mechanisms relevant to our fields of activities, at national level as well as at county and constituency level where appropriate. In addition, coordination among Swiss NGOs operating in Kenya will be sought through SDC. Donors are perceived as partners. The Kenya Programme will strive to establish and maintain partnerships with a diverse portfolio of donors that go beyond simple financial arrangements but builds relationships that mutually shape thinking, policy and response to relief and development. Relations with SDC in particular will be consolidated. With the necessary support from Caritas Switzerland s Head Office in Lucerne, the Kenya Programme will be implemented through its joint Regional Liaison and Kenya Country Office, based in Nairobi. The Kenya Programme will be supported by its specialised WASH Unit, hosted in the Nairobi Office, and will be linked to the Advisory and Support Unit at Caritas Switzerland s Head Office. The Kenya Programme will actively seek out and explore synergies, promote learning through effective knowledge management and will strive to attain high innovation capacity and change management skills. 6

7 Given the exposure to a combination of security, political, ethnic and tribal, natural, socio-cultural, economic and financial risks, risk management and counter-measures have been appropriately integrated into the Kenya Programme. The total Kenya programme budget for the period is CHF 9,554,034. Portrait Caritas Switzerland Caritas Switzerland, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1901, is one of Switzerland s most respected and influential organisations, both in the area of social work in Switzerland as well as in the areas of development cooperation and humanitarian aid. It is member of Caritas Internationalis, the federation of more than 160 national Caritas organisations. Working impartially, independently and neutrally, Caritas Switzerland is committed to a world governed by solidarity, equity and peace, and in which the rights and dignity of every human being are respected. The Human Rights canon and the Millennium Development Goals are Caritas Switzerland s point of reference. With its project activities and political work, the organisation is working towards a future where all people, regardless of their ethnic affiliation, sex, religious or political views, can expand their opportunities and freedoms while having sustainable access to food, water, shelter, health, education and work. In Switzerland, Caritas is involved in social work for poor and deprived people and provides services for asylum seekers. In its international work, Caritas Switzerland engages in long-term development cooperation, disaster risk reduction as well as emergency aid. Accordingly, the organisation s overarching goal is threefold: Increasing prosperity, overcoming crises and strengthening resilience. These objectives are perceived as equivalent ends in themselves which must be taken into account in all interventions. Depending on the context, however, one or the other objective is emphasised. Thematically, Caritas Switzerland s work is concentrated on five fields of activity: Food security; water, sanitation and hygiene; human rights, social justice and peace; disaster risk reduction and climate change; and humanitarian aid. Caritas Switzerland firmly believes that every development process must be driven by the target groups themselves. Therefore, Caritas focuses in all its activities on the local population, their rights, needs, capabilities, potentials and constraints, their strategies and networks. All projects are planned and implemented in close cooperation with local partner organisations and with the involvement of the beneficiaries. Close partnerships with organisations deeply rooted in local communities, inside or outside of the Caritas network, ensure access to knowledge about the local living conditions and the perspectives of the marginalised people. Moreover, Caritas Switzerland is present with its own staff and organisational structures in more than twenty countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, allowing direct access to the beneficiaries, partners and donors. Would you like to receive more detailed information on this programme? We will be pleased to send it to you on request. 7