Despite some economic progress, an estimated 46% of Kenyans live in poverty. Children, as is often the case in poor countries, are the most affected. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Kenya is a shocking 6.3%, one of the highest figures in the world. Over a million children have been orphaned due to AIDS.
What we are doing
We are working in partnership with International Peace Initiatives (IPI), an organisation based in Meru County, Kenya which is particularly focussed on improving the future of local vulnerable children. We are currently supporting them in:
Children outside Kithoka Amani Community Home
- Providing funding, through grants, donations and our child sponsorship scheme, for the running of Kithoka Amani Community Home (KACH), which cares for 30 local vulnerable children whilst allowing them to maintain close ties to their families and friends.
- Helping HIV positive mothers provide a better future for their families by training them in skills such as craft and food making so that they can earn a decent income without having to do physically demanding manual labour, and if their children are at KACH, even resume the care of their children in the future.
- Training communities in organic agriculture.
- Running a volunteer programme, whereby international volunteers can contribute to IPI and learn how they are transforming the lives of the most vulnerable members of their community.
- Helping children go to school by raising funds to provide regular school meals, buy schooluniforms and to pay school costs.
What we have achieved
Woman displaying her tailoring skills
- We have raised more than £50,000 since December 2012 to support IPI develop skills training for women.
- We have been able to provide the funding to pay for the school uniforms, books, stationery, midday meals, fares for public transport, educational trips and some pocket money for 24 resident children at KACH.
- In 2014 IPI completed the successful first year of its Ecologia-sponsored tailoring training for 15 vulnerable Kenyan women who would not usually be able to access such a course.
- Check out our latest article about IPI’s hairdressing course!
How the children have benefitted
Bessy, Patrick and Edwin are just some of the children who live at the Kithoka Amani Community Home at International Peace Initiatives in Kenya. Take a look at how International Peace Initiatives, with the help of Ecologia Youth Trust, have changed their lives for the better by clicking here.
