Kenya


  • Population- 41,070,934
  • Infant Mortality Rate- 52.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Life Expectancy – 59.48 (years)
  • Population below poverty line- 50%
  • ChildFund Ireland entered Kenya- 1960

Quick Facts

  • The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, with approximately 2,818,000 people.
  • The main languages of Kenya are English, Kiswahili and numerous indigenous languages.
  • Scientists discovered some of humankind’s earliest ancestors in Kenya—a fossil known as Kenya Man was dated at 3.5-3.2 million years old.
  • Kenya’s religions are as follows: 40 % Protestant, 30 % Roman Catholic, 6 % Muslim, 23% other religions.
  • The currency is the Kenyan shilling.
  • Kenya is one of Africa’s best safari destinations.
  • Kenya’s main industries are: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture), agricultural products processing and oil refining. The main sources of agriculture are: Tea, coffee, corn, wheat and dairy products. Kenya’s main exports are Tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, and fish

Priority Issues

  • Approximately 8% of infants born in Kenya between the years 2005-2009 were underweight.
  • About 16.4% of children under the age of 5 in Kenya were malnourished in 2009.
  • Kenya’s Human Development Index (HDI) is very low and ranks 128th out of 177 countries.
  • Approximately 19% of Kenya’s population are living on less than $1.25 dollars a day.
  • Around 15 million people in Kenya are living with HIV in 2009.
  • According to the World Health Organisation 80,000 people due to AIDS in 2009.
  • Just over 839,000 cases of malaria were reported in Kenya in 2009.

ChildFund Intervention

ChildFund has been working in Kenya since 1960 and currently assists approximately 1.3 million children and family members. Over 400 children in ChildFund Kenya projects are sponsored through ChildFund Ireland.

ChildFund Kenya initiatives are community-based and driven, and are designed to encourage active community participation and involvement. Programmes include health, nutrition, water and sanitation, micro-enterprise, education and early childhood development programmes. They are located mainly in rural areas.

In support of the Kenyan government’s commitment to free primary education for all children, ChildFund has partnered with other NGOs and the private sector to develop the infrastructure of over 90 schools; provides supplies and materials to schools with the greatest need; and works to reduce gender disparities, improve quality and access to education for all Kenyan children.

In the last ten years, ChildFund has reached over 150,000 OVC and youth made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS throughout Kenya. ChildFund works with communities and partners to provide children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS with health and nutritional support, educational support and vocational training opportunities and child protection and psychosocial support.

ChildFund Kenya’s health programme has a three-pronged approach: health education, construction of health facilities and control and management of childhood diseases, including malaria, malnutrition, and diseases that can be immunised. ChildFund works with the government to increase access to health through joint activities, including annual medical camps, health education campaigns and case management.

ChildFund Kenya has an established water department with in-house hydrology and drilling expertise. Since 2000, ChildFund has drilled over 100 boreholes, providing access to water in areas where women and children once travelled as far as 15 kilometres for water. In addition to drilling, ChildFund supports low-cost water access for irrigation and drinking purposes through the construction and protection of shallow wells, underground cisterns, roof catchments, and other rainwater harvesting technologies. The Kenyan government has been a major partner in ChildFund’s efforts, providing technical support and funding for a major water project in Baringo that will benefit 27,000 people and 70,000 livestock.

During times of significant drought, ChildFund implements emergency programmes to address urgent food, water and health needs. ChildFund has assisted more than 60,000 children in 60 drought-affected communities in Eastern Province and the Rift Valley Province by providing supplementary feeding for young children and vulnerable adults (pregnant and lactating mothers and the aged) through early childhood development centres; monitoring and referral for the most vulnerable malnourished children, mothers and elderly; rehabilitation, construction and maintenance of water sources in 6 districts; and child protection training for staff and parent-led committees addressing risks facing children due to the drought.

ChildFund has also worked with the Kenyan government to develop a recovery programme for communities affected by drought that addresses livelihood activities designed to aid community development.

 

Comments are closed.