THE POWER OF SELF HELP GROUPS IN IMPROVING LIVELIHOODS IN LAIKIPIA COUNTY
According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) of Kenya, Laikipia is among the 23 counties that are susceptible to drought. The Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of this county constitute more than 80% of the country’s total land area. This resulted in over 2 million people facing severe food insecurity in 2021. In this severe drought, the ultra-poor and marginalized individuals, including those affected by gender-based violence, mental health issues, disabilities, and marginalized women and children, face the greatest hardship. Their reliance on agriculture-based livelihoods and limited alternatives exacerbates their struggle to make ends meet. In response to the challenges faced by the ultra-poor and marginalized individuals, St Martin introduced Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in 2023. The aim was to support these individuals to restart, diversify, and strengthen their livelihoods through training and financial support. The members, grouped into teams of 10-13, voluntarily saved money and participated in capacity-building activities focused on livelihood opportunities resilient livelihoods even amidst the adversities of drought. Through this initiative, the livelihood programme has made a significant impact. It has supported 238 beneficiaries across 21 Self-Help Groups (SHGs). These individuals have been able to restart, strengthen, and diversify their livelihoods, thanks to the training they received. Despite the harsh climate conditions, they have shown remarkable resilience, adapting their livelihoods to withstand the challenges.
AMANI CLUBS
The Amani clubs were Established in 2014 through a collaboration between the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and the Ministry of Education, Amani Clubs are fostering a culture of peace and understanding in Kenyan schools. These student-centered groups aim to promote good relations, harmony, and peaceful co-existence, not just within schools, but also extending to the surrounding communities.
Amani Clubs empower young people to address issues of ethnicity and diversity head-on, planting seeds of tolerance and appreciation for different cultures. They equip students with the skills to navigate challenges peacefully and inspire them to become responsible citizens who promote peace in their daily lives. The clubs stand as a testament to the power of education in transforming societies and building a more peaceful world.
YOUTH PROJECT LAUNCH AND EXPO
Technical and Vocational Training (TVETs) is recognised worldwide as critical for increasing employability, better job prospects and potentially enhancing social inclusion. TVET is a key element of long-life learning systems that aims to equip people with technical skills, expertise and competencies needed in the labour market while providing them also with the personal skills for their future lives in society. Kenya has recognised the potential of TVET as a driving force in addressing youth unemployment, It has recognised that TVET plays an important role in providing the necessary skills to improve employee productivity, occupational integration, economic progression, raise income levels and increase employment opportunities. St. Martin CSA in partnership with the Laikipia County Government launched the Public-private partnership between the two entities. The County Government is responsible for providing TVET services and upgrading VTCs. At the same time, St. Martin CSA will support the County TVET agenda by providing technical support for the development of County policies, the setting up of systems and training programs, training of county staff and the increase of TVET attractiveness in the County. We were honoured to have His Excellency, The Governor County Government of Laikipia - Joshua Irungu, grace the occasion on 30th January 2024, at Rumuruti Stadium. His commitment to the success of our project is a testament to the transformative power of collaboration.
New Year 2024
New Year 2024 with New Director and Renewed Commitment!
As we stepped into the New Year, we were filled with joy as we shared some exciting changes and renewed commitment within our organization. We recently bid farewell to Irene Wamithi, our dedicated Director for the past five years, and welcomed Maurice Muthiga as our new Director. This transition marked a significant moment for us as we continue to grow and evolve.
Wheels of resilient livelihoods
Volunteers plays a significant role in contemporary development in Kenya. At community level, community health volunteers dot every village in Kenya. The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development explicitly recognizes volunteer groups as stakeholders to achieve the 17 SDGs. The Agenda asserts that many of the Sustainable Development Goals call for long-term attitude and behaviour changes and volunteers can facilitate changes in mindsets by raising awareness or championing those changes and inspiring others. It simply is not possible to attain the SDGs without a wide range of people engaged at all stages, at all levels, at all times. Volunteerism is a powerful means for bringing more people into the fold.
“Volunteerism strengthens civic engagement, safeguards social inclusion, deepens solidarity and solidifies ownership of development results”. Unv.org.
Illuminating the Path to Peace
As the world celebrated the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2023, the significance of this year's theme, "Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the Global Goals," resonates more profoundly than ever before. This annual observance, established by the United Nations, calls upon individuals, communities, and nations to unite in their pursuit of a more peaceful and equitable world.
In alignment with this theme, we bring you a poignant story that exemplifies the power of actions for peace and their transformative potential. Mercy's courage embodies the very essence of the International Day of Peace, highlighting the resilience, bravery, and hope that lie at the heart of every effort to achieve the global goals for peace and justice. This story transports us to a community marked by conflict and adversity, where a remarkable woman named Mercy defied all odds to champion the cause of peace. Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that our actions, no matter how small, can contribute to the grand ambition of a more peaceful and equitable world for all.
COMMISSIONING OF COMMUNITY FACILITATORS
Saint Martin CSA, Community Programme for Peace and Reconciliation has for the last three years (20..) been engaged in a project called 'Awakening Silenced Voices,' funded by Smart Peace an organization based in ….. The overarching aim of this project was to foster transformed communities where women and girls could live free from all forms of violence, being empowered to assert their rights and pursue personal aspirations. This objective was pursued through strategies that aimed at reducing the prevalence of gender-based violence in specific areas of Baringo and Laikipia counties.
Transforming Lives and Shaping a Compassionate World on World Humanitarian Day
The World Humanitarian Day is a time for reflection and solidarity. As an organization our journey is one of unwavering commitment to human values. As the world confronted pandemics like Covid-19 and grappled with unyielding drought, we stood strong, extending emergency response initiatives that reached far beyond immediate relief. Echoing the origins of World Humanitarian Day -a day born from tragedy, our response mirrors a dedication to addressing human suffering and reinstating dignity in adversity. Our commitment radiates through diverse projects of mental Health, children rights and peace building initiatives, our actions embody the spirit of World Humanitarian Day.
Intensive Outpatient Program
Prevalence of substance abuse remains high at 18% in Kenya despite the efforts of various stakeholders in addressing the problem in country. In Laikipia County, 17.3% of people are deemed to have substance use disorders according to a study commissioned by St. Martin CSA. An additional 11.6% are engaged in harmful or hazardous drinking behaviours. The most commonly abused drugs include alcohol, marijuana, khat/miraa among others. The situation is further compounded by the high rates of poverty and unemployment that makes it more difficult to institute effective interventions to those already affected. The low cost residential rehabilitation centres charges range from Kes.150,000/- to Kes. 180,000/-, for the three month rehabilitation program. Moreover, addiction has generally been considered to be an individual problem where others in including significant others and community member have very little to do with the interventions. As a result people affected by addiction are isolated and do not receive support from the people around them. Residential rehabilitation takes away the client from the usual environment where the client resides to an environment which is not real – when the person goes back to the community they face the same challenges that are likely to result in relapse. St. Martin CSA has therefore borrowed some aspects from the intensive residential rehabilitation, customized it to fit the local situation addressing the unique challenges that are found in our areas of operation. The goal of the program is to provide effective treatment at affordable cost compared to the residential rehabilitation (for those who qualify).
CREATING A SAFE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
CREATING A SAFE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
Marked every June 16th, the Day of the African Child is celebrated to honor children who took part in the 1976 Soweto uprising to demand for their rights and highlight the current situation of the African Child. Children have the right to life, survival, protection, wellbeing and development, and as so, we must strive to promote and protect those rights. The theme of this year “The Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment” is well suited for the prevailing realities of the African Child.
Empowering social safeguards
All those working with children, young people and vulnerable adults
must take reasonable steps to ensure risks to their welfare are minimised.
When concerns are raised, all parties involved must take appropriate action.’
St. Martin CSA works with vulnerable people who, for convenience, they are grouped together on the basis of their vulnerability:-people with disabilities, people with mental illness, survivors of gender-based violence, people living with HIV, children in need of care and protection etc. Depending on the context, these groups of people share some characteristics in common. In our context, they are largely alienated and suffer exclusion, discrimination and denial of inalienable human rights overtly and covertly. In spite of this classification by the nature of their vulnerability, they are unique individuals who require a person-centred approach to care and support. For instance, it is widely assumed that a disability-friendly toilet is one with a wide door that a wheelchair can pass through. Another example is a lamp to improve access to building for people with disabilities while the facilities and space within the premises are not disabilities friendly. Some of these interventions are made to comply with the law but not to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities. In the person-centred approach, we take into account each person’s experience, age, culture, gender, heritage, language, beliefs and identity and support the ‘person at the centre of the service’ in making decisions about their life.
Safeguarding vulnerable adults training
We believe in a world where every individual's rights and well-being are safeguarded, especially the vulnerable adults among us. It is our collective responsibility as St. Martin CSA to protect and empower those who may be at risk. On Friday 9th to Saturday 10th June 2023 we will be having a training on safeguarding vulnerable adults to our staff so that they are better equiped.