FACTS ABOUT TURKANA COUNTY
8 in 10 people in Turkana County cannot afford basic needs on their own.
Turkana is one of the poorest parts of the world
A majority of community members rely on relief food supplies for survival.
Reliance on donations and food aid has been happening for the last 50 years
NGOs that have been working in Turkana County have always adopted a short sighted and unreliable approach and focus on short term solutions.
Just like the government, the organizations major on distributing corn maize and beans whenever there is hunger and famine in the community
WHY AT ARTICLE 43, WE FEEL THAT IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM
The community has always been placed at the receiving end. Nairobi based NGOs which do not understand the problems facing the community well have been focusing on UNRELIABLE and SHORT TERM initiatives such as Food Distribution during Droughts.
Communities can best fight poverty if they are empowered and capacity-built to engage in sustainable initiatives such as Agribusiness, Bee keeping, Bead Work, Canal Irrigation, Entrepreneurship etc
Grassroots Organizations, which operate in the target communities will easily emancipate community members from poverty as they are run by community members who understand the most innovative ways to empower the community to be self reliant
Article 43 is a Turkana-based Community Trust that exists to fight poverty in Turkana County, Northern Kenya which is undoubtedly one of the poverty-stricken parts in the entire world.
We place special emphasis on working alongside the youth and poor women because previous data has shown that, supported with the proper resources, women and the youth have the ability to help entire families and communities out of poverty
WHAT WE DO TO FACILITATE SUSTAINABILITY AND LASTING CHANGE
Strengthening capacity for self-help among community members
Making community members the drivers of the Poverty Eradication Agenda
Providing business training and capital to Community Members in a bid to emancipate them from dependence on foreign aid
We do Community Capacity Building Trainings, Workshops and Public Meetings in Turkana County
We run a micro-finance initiative that is now supporting 15 Vulnerable Community Members
OUR TARGET
In the next 5 years, we intend to expand our impact to 10,000 vulnerable community members. As of today, that number stands at 15. We invite you to join and support us as we endeavor to make a positive impact to the rural communities in Kenya that look up to us with hope.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US
Support us to provide hope, dignity and economic opportunity to the forgotten communities in Northern Kenya.
With your support we can:
Help poor families in the rural parts of Kenya to put food on their table on their own and send their children to school.’
Grow our impact to over 10,000 Community Members in the next 5 years.
Build the Capacity of Vulnerable Community Members through business training to start and sustain their own Income Generating Activities
Help helpless women build a better life for themselves, their families, their communities and their country.
Bring an end to the shame of the community’s reliance on relief food donations and make them self-reliant
THE LORD BLESSETH THE HAND THAT GIVETH
At Article 43, we believe that there is no Reason why in the 21st Century, some people in our midst are going hungry for days because they cannot afford food on their own. Please join us in fighting the root causes of hunger and poverty - by supporting our work today. YOU CAN HELP PAINT TURKANA COUNTY “SELF-RELIANT” BY JOINING HANDS WITH US TODAY.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Article 43 Community Empowerment Meetings
Turkana County is rated one of the poorest counties that make up the Republic of Kenya. Recurring failures of the leadership at different levels of the political bureaucracy have set expectations in Turkana County several steps back despite the county hosting a variety of mineral and gas deposits. The majorities of the youth in Turkana County lacks the requisite capacities to pursue a common position on the problems bedeviling them and do not know the role they have to play for the community to develop. Lack of access to adequate information has paralyzed the contribution of the youth to the development of the community and a few positive results are realized. A majority of the youth is also not exposed to the opportunities available to the youth in the national and county governments and this has serious implications to youth and their future. The recent experience of the food insecurity that led to the intervention of Kenyans for Kenya and in which Kerio was among the worst affected is not a unique or an isolated case.
In response to these challenges, Article 43 organized a youth forum that brought together over 500 residents of Kerio division to listen to youth leaders invited from across the Turkana County as they delivered keynote addresses on a number of topics relating to the youth. Mr. Kablit Ewoton Samuel, the chairperson of The National Youth Council-Turkana enlightened the youth of Kerio on the opportunities available to them in both the national and county governments. He expounded on the concept of Uwezo Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund and Youth Entrepreneurship in general and went ahead to challenge the youth to wake up and fight for their rights. Mr. Kablit pointed out the need to develop a Kerio Development Agenda and a clearly outlined role of the youth in achieving the set objectives. The lively address that saw the youth glued to their seats for close to one hour had a huge impact on what the youth initially knew about the said topics.
Mr. Timothy Achodangiro Ewoi, The Chairman of AKUS-Turkan addressed the youth on their role in keeping the leaders on toes as well as directly making their contributions in whichever way they can. Mr. Ewoi touched on a number of issues while citing examples of how the youth have made bigger impact to communities in other parties of Kenya and the world. Mr. Etiir Fredrick, the chairman for the Turkana County Medical Students expounded on the role of the youth in community development and went ahead to challenge them to wake up and determine their own destiny. He also reminded the medical students present to be part of the larger medical student fraternity for the sake of prosperity. Mr. Mike Kaissa asked the youth to think about all they had heard from the speakers and to be serious when dealing with matters affecting their lives.
The idea behind the youth forum was to bring together the best of youthful members of the Kerio community to discuss the challenges facing the youth in Kerio and Turkana generally, and to fashion out the best way forward towards a sustainable and inclusive future. The summit was a platform for the discussion and reflection on what the region had done to improve youth development and sustainable development. It culminated into formulation of key recommendations for various implementation agencies and stakeholders working in the region, which once adhered to, would result into a better region for the future generation of Kenyans .
In response to these challenges, Article 43 organized a youth forum that brought together over 500 residents of Kerio division to listen to youth leaders invited from across the Turkana County as they delivered keynote addresses on a number of topics relating to the youth. Mr. Kablit Ewoton Samuel, the chairperson of The National Youth Council-Turkana enlightened the youth of Kerio on the opportunities available to them in both the national and county governments. He expounded on the concept of Uwezo Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund and Youth Entrepreneurship in general and went ahead to challenge the youth to wake up and fight for their rights. Mr. Kablit pointed out the need to develop a Kerio Development Agenda and a clearly outlined role of the youth in achieving the set objectives. The lively address that saw the youth glued to their seats for close to one hour had a huge impact on what the youth initially knew about the said topics.
Mr. Timothy Achodangiro Ewoi, The Chairman of AKUS-Turkan addressed the youth on their role in keeping the leaders on toes as well as directly making their contributions in whichever way they can. Mr. Ewoi touched on a number of issues while citing examples of how the youth have made bigger impact to communities in other parties of Kenya and the world. Mr. Etiir Fredrick, the chairman for the Turkana County Medical Students expounded on the role of the youth in community development and went ahead to challenge them to wake up and determine their own destiny. He also reminded the medical students present to be part of the larger medical student fraternity for the sake of prosperity. Mr. Mike Kaissa asked the youth to think about all they had heard from the speakers and to be serious when dealing with matters affecting their lives.
The idea behind the youth forum was to bring together the best of youthful members of the Kerio community to discuss the challenges facing the youth in Kerio and Turkana generally, and to fashion out the best way forward towards a sustainable and inclusive future. The summit was a platform for the discussion and reflection on what the region had done to improve youth development and sustainable development. It culminated into formulation of key recommendations for various implementation agencies and stakeholders working in the region, which once adhered to, would result into a better region for the future generation of Kenyans .
Article 43 is A Proud Member of the Spark Family
2014 Spark Accelerator Program held in Karen, Nairobi.
Our Amazing Article 43 Change Makers
SELFLESS INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY IN THEIR SMALL WAYS.
SALUTE.
SALUTE
SALUTE
SALUTE
GENTLEMEN
Africa’s top three young entrepreneurs share their secrets to success
Almost one-fifth of Africa’s 1bn strong population is estimated to be between the ages of 15 and 24. This age group is entering the working space where unemployment is high, and many are turning to entrepreneurship as a solution
Best Ayiorwoth
Every year the Anzisha Prize, Africa’s premier award for its youngest entrepreneurs, selects 12 of the continent’s top entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22 to gain access to Anzisha’s community of mentors, business contacts, investors and other young business owners.
To find out what it takes to be young and successful, How we made it in Africa spoke to the top three award winners from last year’s Anzisha Prize.
Best Ayiorwoth (22), founder of GIPOMO, Uganda
When Best Ayiorwoth lost her parents at a young age, she had to cut short her high school education because her older siblings struggled to pay her tuition in the Nebbi District in northern Uganda.
Having always wanted to take her education further, this was a massive disappointment and inspired her to start an award-winning microcredit business at the age of 19, that would go on to help hundreds of women and young girls in Uganda.
Ayiorwoth realised that if she could empower mothers financially, they would support the education of their children, particularly young girls. “I have seen that when families can’t maintain all their children at school and have to make a choice, they would often choose a boy over a girl,” she told How we made it in Africa.
At 17 she moved to Kampala and joined S7 Project, a skills empowerment centre, where she started to form her business idea for Girls Power Micro-Lending Organisation (GIPOMO). Using her savings earned while working in a restaurant, Ayiorwoth returned to her home community in early 2011 and started giving monthly micro loans to women with small businesses, on the condition that they kept their children, especially young girls, in school.
GIPOMO has helped 64 women start their own businesses, 111 women expand their existing businesses and kept 168 girls in school by supporting their mothers. Last year Ayiorwoth won USh. 1m (US$400) at the FINA Africa Enterprise Business Challenge and first place and $25,000 at the Anzisha Prize.
Ayiorwoth credits much of GIPOMO’s success to the good mentor she had at S7 Project and advises other young entrepreneurs to look for mentors.
She also believes her success comes from using the challenges she has faced as inspiration to make a difference in both her life and the lives of others.
“[Aspiring entrepreneurs] have to actually do something that they feel strongly passionate about, and in most cases they should seek inspiration from their own experience… If you had a terrible experience, you should despise the experience to the extent that you are continuously seeking a solution for it,” she advises others.
Titus Mawano (23), founder of Ffene, Uganda
Ugandan Titus Mawano is the entrepreneur behind Ffene, an award-winning business management platform for African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that assists with accounting, customer and inventory management.
After studying computer science in the US for three years, Mawano decided to cut short his university education in 2012 and return to Uganda to pursue his passion of creating a business management tool that would assist SMEs. He told How we made it in Africa that one of the main challenges facing small businesses in his country is keeping adequate financial records.
In less than a year after launching his app, Mawano was awarded a $10,000 prize at the Apps4Africa 2012 challenge and last year won second place and $15,000 in the Anzisha Prize. Today close to 600 SMEs use Ffene’s software, which runs on both desktop and mobile devices.
According to Mawano, it is a myth that a person simply needs money and connections in order to be a successful entrepreneur. “It’s all about good strategy and it’s all about improvising with what you have. Really, the best tool is creativity. If you are a creative person, then you are going to figure it out.
“If you are not a very creative person – and have your own distinct set of skills – then get someone who is creative on your team. If you have a very creative team around you then pretty much anything that comes your way you are going to be able to knock down.”
Mawano believes his success comes from his tenacity, dedication and passion for what he is doing, adding that these traits keep entrepreneurs going through the long working hours that are typically needed to start a business.
He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to begin early. “And that doesn’t mean starting your own business early. It means thinking about the kind of industry you want to work in, analysing that market and just amassing information. Information is power and if you have a dream of starting a certain enterprise, it’s time to start researching that now.
“I feel that Africa is kicking into its golden age. There is so much opportunity that there is enough for everyone… So I suggest they get started.”
Domitila Silayo (21), founder of Jatropha Soap Production, Tanzania
The idea of producing Jatropha’s handmade soaps with medicinal uses came to Domitila Silayo when she attended an agricultural festival with her brother in 2012 and was introduced to some of the medicinal and cosmetic uses of the Jatropha plant. The plant extract, for example, has healing properties for a number of skin problems, such as ringworm and dandruff.
“We have Jatropha plants in our country but people are not using it,” Silayo explained to How we made it in Africa. “So I thought that was an opportunity and started making the soap.”
After doing research and raising finance from family to buy the oil and equipment, Silayo and her brother went into producing Jatropha soap from a room they rented. Today she produces around 1,000 bars of soap a month and has one other full-time employee. Last year she won third place in the Anzisha Prize.
Although Silayo’s business is still young, she believes her entrepreneurial success comes from looking to solve a problem in her community, and suggests others do the same.
“[Young entrepreneurs] should try to look at the problems their society is facing and try to think of what can be the solution to the problem. That is how I came up with my idea of making soap with Jatropha oil… My society has a lot of people who are suffering from different skin diseases and the Jatropha soap is one of the soaps that help in curing [them].” She has also learnt that business success does not come without hard work, humility, determination and focus. “I have learnt that you also don’t need to do everything yourself. Entrepreneurs should learn to delegate to other people. You need to have people who can help and advise you. You don’t have to leave all the baggage to yourself.”
Furthermore, she advises young entrepreneurs to be brave enough to try new ideas and think differently.
“You should know that entrepreneurs who are successful right now also faced many problems when they first started out. Entrepreneurship is a process. It’s a process that someone faces and has to go through – from a small stage to a higher stage – without losing hope. Always try to pull up your socks and open yourself up to new ideas. And have the courage to know that you can do it, because all entrepreneurs face the same problems. You are not alone,” she emphasised.
Why Article 43 Exists
Article 43 exists to empower communities in Northern Kenya through business training and provision of the much-needed capital necessary to help vulnerable community members venture into sustainable Income Generating Activities that will economically empower them to afford basic needs on their own without reliance on food donations. In the next 5 years, we intend to expand our impact to 10,000 vulnerable community members. As of today, that number stands at 15. We invite you to join and support us as we endeavor to make a positive impact to the rural communities in Kenya that look up to us with hope.
How David Mwendele is making money to fund his youth charity
Tanzanian social entrepreneur David Mwendele was born into a poor family, lived on the streets when his parents separated and was eventually taken in by an orphanage and sponsored to go to school.
When he completed his studies, Mwendele felt frustrated seeing other young people experience the adversities he had faced. Most young people in his community on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam struggle to find jobs because they do not have an education and lack skills.
“I was very frustrated seeing fellow youth who were not lucky enough to get an education suffering. I was in that situation before I was taken in by the orphanage and offered education. I really wanted to do something to support my community,” he says.
In 2010 Mwendele started a charity called Let God Be You Foundation (LGBY) to provide quality education and life skills to youth aged 14-18. The organization teaches young people computer literacy, English language proficiency and entrepreneurship.
“After a very short run it became very difficult to fund my project. I decided to start a business that would help raise funds for the charity,” says Mwendele. “I started a printing business in Dar es Salaam. I taught four of my students how to do printing and how to make hard cover exercise books. We would go to churches, mosques and other places where large numbers of people frequent to sell the school books.”
Mwendele had acquired skills in paper making while working in a factory during his teenage years. The venture, which now includes the production of receipt books and notebooks, led to the birth of the LGBY Social Enterprise, the profit making arm of the foundation which finances its activities.
In 2012 Mwendele was named an Anzisha Prize finalist. The Anzisha Prize is the continent’s premier award for entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22 years who have started and are actively running innovative social ventures or for-profit businesses with potential.
In addition to over US$75,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, 12 finalists of the Anzisha Prize will win an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a week-long entrepreneurship workshop and conference at the prestigious African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg.
The serial entrepreneur used the US$2,000 cash prize from the Anzisha Prize to diversify the firm’s interest to include an internet café and LGBY Media, a company that specialises in video and TV production, graphics design, photography and making documentaries. He used the money to purchase equipment for the internet café, which offers training to local youth and services such as printing and photocopying.
The foundation which started its operations in a church has since moved to larger space and has taught more than 140 young people computer, embroidery, T-shirt printing, baking and photography skills.
“Some of the youth we have trained have started their own businesses and others have gained employment or gone back to school to further their studies,” says Mwendele.
The Anzisha network
He explains that the advice, mentorship and networks he has built as an Anzisha Prize fellow have helped him to take up new opportunities to ensure sustainability and greater impact in his community.
“The opportunity to meet fellow youth who are doing great things to improve lives in their communities is very inspiring. For instance, I ventured into video production after another Anzisha fellow taught me a few things and I got motivated to start.”
A major challenge Mwendele faces is getting people to understand his approach to business.
“They really don’t understand social entrepreneurship. Last year I presented my idea to three banks and they were interested to finance me but when they saw the charity bit in it they pulled out.
“I was raised in a poor family, I lived on the street begging for money and I was later taken to school by strangers who gave me food and other basic needs. That had a profound effect on my life and how I view things. I really want to do business. I want to succeed in life, but I want to make sure I use my money, my time and my skills to serve my community.”
Mwendele urges other youth not to allow the “lack of money be an obstacle” to them attaining their goals.
“Don’t focus on money. Focus on the idea you have and use the resources within your community whether it is from parents, siblings or neighbours,” he says. “When you are young and you do great stuff people are more likely to acknowledge your efforts and offer you support.”
When he completed his studies, Mwendele felt frustrated seeing other young people experience the adversities he had faced. Most young people in his community on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam struggle to find jobs because they do not have an education and lack skills.
“I was very frustrated seeing fellow youth who were not lucky enough to get an education suffering. I was in that situation before I was taken in by the orphanage and offered education. I really wanted to do something to support my community,” he says.
In 2010 Mwendele started a charity called Let God Be You Foundation (LGBY) to provide quality education and life skills to youth aged 14-18. The organization teaches young people computer literacy, English language proficiency and entrepreneurship.
“After a very short run it became very difficult to fund my project. I decided to start a business that would help raise funds for the charity,” says Mwendele. “I started a printing business in Dar es Salaam. I taught four of my students how to do printing and how to make hard cover exercise books. We would go to churches, mosques and other places where large numbers of people frequent to sell the school books.”
Mwendele had acquired skills in paper making while working in a factory during his teenage years. The venture, which now includes the production of receipt books and notebooks, led to the birth of the LGBY Social Enterprise, the profit making arm of the foundation which finances its activities.
In 2012 Mwendele was named an Anzisha Prize finalist. The Anzisha Prize is the continent’s premier award for entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22 years who have started and are actively running innovative social ventures or for-profit businesses with potential.
In addition to over US$75,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, 12 finalists of the Anzisha Prize will win an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a week-long entrepreneurship workshop and conference at the prestigious African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg.
The serial entrepreneur used the US$2,000 cash prize from the Anzisha Prize to diversify the firm’s interest to include an internet café and LGBY Media, a company that specialises in video and TV production, graphics design, photography and making documentaries. He used the money to purchase equipment for the internet café, which offers training to local youth and services such as printing and photocopying.
The foundation which started its operations in a church has since moved to larger space and has taught more than 140 young people computer, embroidery, T-shirt printing, baking and photography skills.
“Some of the youth we have trained have started their own businesses and others have gained employment or gone back to school to further their studies,” says Mwendele.
The Anzisha network
He explains that the advice, mentorship and networks he has built as an Anzisha Prize fellow have helped him to take up new opportunities to ensure sustainability and greater impact in his community.
“The opportunity to meet fellow youth who are doing great things to improve lives in their communities is very inspiring. For instance, I ventured into video production after another Anzisha fellow taught me a few things and I got motivated to start.”
A major challenge Mwendele faces is getting people to understand his approach to business.
“They really don’t understand social entrepreneurship. Last year I presented my idea to three banks and they were interested to finance me but when they saw the charity bit in it they pulled out.
“I was raised in a poor family, I lived on the street begging for money and I was later taken to school by strangers who gave me food and other basic needs. That had a profound effect on my life and how I view things. I really want to do business. I want to succeed in life, but I want to make sure I use my money, my time and my skills to serve my community.”
Mwendele urges other youth not to allow the “lack of money be an obstacle” to them attaining their goals.
“Don’t focus on money. Focus on the idea you have and use the resources within your community whether it is from parents, siblings or neighbours,” he says. “When you are young and you do great stuff people are more likely to acknowledge your efforts and offer you support.”
Turkana: The Richest Poorest County
“And when I speak, I don’t speak as a democrat or a republican or an American. I speak as a victim of the so called democracy. You and I have never seen democracy- all we have seen is hypocrisy. When we open our eyes today and look around America, we see America not through the eyes of someone who has enjoyed the fruits of Americanism. We see America through the eyes of someone who has been the victim of Americanism. We don’t see any American dream. We have experienced only the American nightmare” -- (MALCOM X)
Turkana County- the largest of all the forty seven counties that make up the Republic of Kenya occupies the North-Western part of the country. With an area of 77,000km2 it shares international borders with Ethiopia to the North, Sudan to the North West and Uganda to the West. Lodwar, which serves as the headquarters of the vast region was established in the year 1919 as an army base for the colonial government and developed into an administrative centre in 1939. The town is famous for its use as training ground for the Kenya Defence Forces and has since developed into a modern town- at least compared to the other towns in the county. With the lowest rainfall in Kenya and Africa, life in this part of the world is characterized by substandard living, lack of security, unreliable food and inadequate clean water sources, and generally an overall daily fight for survival. Like many other regions of rural Northern Kenya, the local community has to depend on the philanthropy and charity of friends of goodwill and Non-Governmental Organizations in the form of relief food which may not always be forthcoming or in sufficient quantities. They have been passing their days in extreme inhuman conditions with a few engaging in business but with the challenge of a ready market for goods and the fact that nobody knows the hour nor the day when the devil, masquerading as a cattle rustler, will strike. There has been high level of poverty among the local populace characterized by low level of literacy, poor health, malnutrition, wanting educational facilities and depressing environmental and sanitation conditions. Government interventions have always remained traditional despite the clear indications that the conditions of this impoverished region demand innovative approaches. Government in government out, issues that touch on the basic human rights of the people in northern Kenya have fallen on deaf ears. Ranging from security that is anchored in the supreme law of the land as a fundamental right to a decent living, those of us that allegedly made a mistake of consenting to be born here are a forgotten lot that appears to be occupying a place beyond the longest distance in the horizon, the eyes of the past three regimes could see even when stretched to the maximum. The government in which we banked all our hope in 1963 in our hitherto mistaken belief that it will level the playing field and the rules of the game has times without number been abused by those in ‘Kenya’ who, until the oil discovery, subscribed to the fallacious and backward believe that the North Western part of Kenya is not part of this great nation. To exclude this vast region and its inhabitants from reaping from the economic boom that has transformed the rest of the country is contrary to the basic principles on which humanity is founded.
While the Government of the Republic of Kenya and the entire Kenyan fraternity can boast of numbers in economic and social development, the northern part of the country has been stagnant, thanks to the leadership of this great East African nation. One may even wonder whether the so called equal distribution of national resources has any practical meaning when it comes to its application in Kenya. It is on record that immediately after independence, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta took a solemn vow to move this country forward and fight disease, poverty and ignorance. Yet after fifty years of turbulence and struggle on the part of the inhabitants of these impoverished regions, there is nothing to write home about in Turkana County. The basic principles of citizen protection on which a larger chunk of the Constitution 2010 is founded on, have not found their way into the priorities of Kenya’s torch-bearers.
The creation by the infamous coalition government in April 2008 of the Ministry of State for the Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands was by any stretch of imagination an abuse on the Kenyan taxpayer as it did not address any issue evidenced by the lack of concrete self-sustaining projects that are a concomitant results of the work undertaken by the now defunct ministry. The leadership has failed to atone itself to the fallacious claims that they are elected into office to serve and preserve the interests of Kenyans, poor or rich, marginalized or not, northern or central. Not even in the jungle does the government sit on the fence watching while its citizens- some of whom fought for the independence of the country are butchered by the enemy from yonder as it happened in the Todonyang’ massacre or feast on dog’s meat (whatever that one means). Failure on the part of the county and national governments to deal with the situation in northern Kenya ranging from neglect to human rights violations has had drastic consequences on the quality of life of these poor sons and daughters of God. The communities consider these concerns a high priority, the foundation of their very existence, their constitutional right, and have taken considerable energy to speak out and act on the issue. I have witnessed people who succumbed to the drought together with their animals and families because they had all the hope to live, the place to live, but did not have the food to eat. I have witnessed people who died in the presence of all their friends and relatives who had the generosity and sympathy but lacked the food to share out to them. I have seen and heard of friends and relatives who were ambushed by the enemy in the presence of armed government security officers who chose to “stay cool” and let the devil take over. The recipients of this kind of injustice are the ordinary men and women who toil and moil in Northern Kenya all day and night with stubborn hope. A pro-active approach can effectively and efficiently address such hunger problems and nip them in the bud before they arise to the horrendous levels they have now gone to. Only then can Kenya claim to be a democracy of the rule of law in which all are equal before the jus commune and a nation of the people, by the people and for the people. It is high time we stood firm on the ground and ask ourselves what exactly is happening in the once “rich county”.
Turkana County- the largest of all the forty seven counties that make up the Republic of Kenya occupies the North-Western part of the country. With an area of 77,000km2 it shares international borders with Ethiopia to the North, Sudan to the North West and Uganda to the West. Lodwar, which serves as the headquarters of the vast region was established in the year 1919 as an army base for the colonial government and developed into an administrative centre in 1939. The town is famous for its use as training ground for the Kenya Defence Forces and has since developed into a modern town- at least compared to the other towns in the county. With the lowest rainfall in Kenya and Africa, life in this part of the world is characterized by substandard living, lack of security, unreliable food and inadequate clean water sources, and generally an overall daily fight for survival. Like many other regions of rural Northern Kenya, the local community has to depend on the philanthropy and charity of friends of goodwill and Non-Governmental Organizations in the form of relief food which may not always be forthcoming or in sufficient quantities. They have been passing their days in extreme inhuman conditions with a few engaging in business but with the challenge of a ready market for goods and the fact that nobody knows the hour nor the day when the devil, masquerading as a cattle rustler, will strike. There has been high level of poverty among the local populace characterized by low level of literacy, poor health, malnutrition, wanting educational facilities and depressing environmental and sanitation conditions. Government interventions have always remained traditional despite the clear indications that the conditions of this impoverished region demand innovative approaches. Government in government out, issues that touch on the basic human rights of the people in northern Kenya have fallen on deaf ears. Ranging from security that is anchored in the supreme law of the land as a fundamental right to a decent living, those of us that allegedly made a mistake of consenting to be born here are a forgotten lot that appears to be occupying a place beyond the longest distance in the horizon, the eyes of the past three regimes could see even when stretched to the maximum. The government in which we banked all our hope in 1963 in our hitherto mistaken belief that it will level the playing field and the rules of the game has times without number been abused by those in ‘Kenya’ who, until the oil discovery, subscribed to the fallacious and backward believe that the North Western part of Kenya is not part of this great nation. To exclude this vast region and its inhabitants from reaping from the economic boom that has transformed the rest of the country is contrary to the basic principles on which humanity is founded.
While the Government of the Republic of Kenya and the entire Kenyan fraternity can boast of numbers in economic and social development, the northern part of the country has been stagnant, thanks to the leadership of this great East African nation. One may even wonder whether the so called equal distribution of national resources has any practical meaning when it comes to its application in Kenya. It is on record that immediately after independence, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta took a solemn vow to move this country forward and fight disease, poverty and ignorance. Yet after fifty years of turbulence and struggle on the part of the inhabitants of these impoverished regions, there is nothing to write home about in Turkana County. The basic principles of citizen protection on which a larger chunk of the Constitution 2010 is founded on, have not found their way into the priorities of Kenya’s torch-bearers.
The creation by the infamous coalition government in April 2008 of the Ministry of State for the Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands was by any stretch of imagination an abuse on the Kenyan taxpayer as it did not address any issue evidenced by the lack of concrete self-sustaining projects that are a concomitant results of the work undertaken by the now defunct ministry. The leadership has failed to atone itself to the fallacious claims that they are elected into office to serve and preserve the interests of Kenyans, poor or rich, marginalized or not, northern or central. Not even in the jungle does the government sit on the fence watching while its citizens- some of whom fought for the independence of the country are butchered by the enemy from yonder as it happened in the Todonyang’ massacre or feast on dog’s meat (whatever that one means). Failure on the part of the county and national governments to deal with the situation in northern Kenya ranging from neglect to human rights violations has had drastic consequences on the quality of life of these poor sons and daughters of God. The communities consider these concerns a high priority, the foundation of their very existence, their constitutional right, and have taken considerable energy to speak out and act on the issue. I have witnessed people who succumbed to the drought together with their animals and families because they had all the hope to live, the place to live, but did not have the food to eat. I have witnessed people who died in the presence of all their friends and relatives who had the generosity and sympathy but lacked the food to share out to them. I have seen and heard of friends and relatives who were ambushed by the enemy in the presence of armed government security officers who chose to “stay cool” and let the devil take over. The recipients of this kind of injustice are the ordinary men and women who toil and moil in Northern Kenya all day and night with stubborn hope. A pro-active approach can effectively and efficiently address such hunger problems and nip them in the bud before they arise to the horrendous levels they have now gone to. Only then can Kenya claim to be a democracy of the rule of law in which all are equal before the jus commune and a nation of the people, by the people and for the people. It is high time we stood firm on the ground and ask ourselves what exactly is happening in the once “rich county”.
About Article 43
Turkana County- the largest of all the 47 counties that make up the Republic of Kenya occupies the North-Western part of the country. With an area of approximately 77,000km2, it shares international borders with The Republic of Ethiopia to the North, South Sudan to the North West and Uganda to the West. Lodwar, which serves as the headquarters of this county was established in the year 1919 as an army base for the colonial government and developed into an administrative centre in the year1939. This is the town that serves as the main business centre in the whole county and has experienced more exposure to development opportunities. However, a huge tragedy exists in the outskirts of Lodwar town with a majority of residents engaging in pastoralism despite the harsh conditions of inadequate pasture and water scarcity. With the lowest rainfall in the Republic of Kenya, life in this part of the world is characterized by substandard living, lack of security, unreliable food and inadequate clean water sources, and generally an overall daily fight for survival. Like many other communities in Northern Kenya, the local community relies on Relief Food Donations supplied to them by Non-Governmental Organizations operating in the region. For a long time, the local residents have been passing their days in extreme inhuman conditions with a few community members struggling to engage in business but with the challenge of initial business capital. There has been a high level of poverty in Turkana County cemented by low levels of literacy, poor health, malnutrition, wanting educational facilities and depressing environmental and sanitary conditions. Interventions by Non Governmental Organizations and the Government of Kenya have always remained traditional yet the conditions of this region demand innovative and sustainable approaches.
Article 43 is a Non Profit Organization based in Turkana County that exists to empower local communities in Northern Kenya by adopting a people-centered and all-inclusive Poverty Eradication Program that creates opportunities for them to achieve sustainable, self-reliant and equitable economic and social development. The area in which we operate in is undoubtedly one of the most poverty-stricken parts of the world and there is an urgent need to build the capacity of community members to fight poverty. We place special emphasis on working alongside the youth and poor women because previous data has shown that, supported with the proper resources, women and the youth have the ability to help entire families and communities out of poverty.
Non Governmental Organizations that have been working to eradicate poverty in Turkana County usually adopt a short sighted and unreliable approach by focusing on short term solutions that end up placing the community always at the receiving end. Just like the government, the organizations major on distributing corn maize, sorghum and beans whenever the media publishes reports of people dying of hunger but never provide long-lasting solutions that can tackle the problem.
The formation of Article 43 was precipitated by increased socio-economic problems in Turkana County including among others; youth unemployment that has resulted to drug abuse, chronic alcoholism and village crime, cattle rustling due to idleness of the youth, increased economic bondage of the community, increased spread of HIV/AIDS, low levels of access to clean and safe drinking water and underdevelopment generally. Article 43 was formed with a view to mobilizing donor funding and local community support in order to generate local solutions to tackle local socio-economic challenges that have bedeviled the target community for so long.
At Article 43, we believe that communities can best fight poverty if they are empowered and capacity-built to engage in sustainable initiatives such as Agribusiness, Bee keeping, Bead Work, Canal Irrigation, Entrepreneurship and others that have proved viable in other parts of Kenya.
WE FACILITATE SUSTAINABILITY AND LASTING CHANGE BY:
Strengthening capacity for self-help among community members
Making community members the drivers of the Poverty Eradication Agenda
Providing opportunities to poverty-stricken community members through business training and capital provision in a bid to emancipate them from dependence on foreign aid
Influencing policy decisions in regards to community empowerment and food security in Turkana County
We are convinced that our unwavering commitment to fighting for the dignity of people will see us grow our impact from tens to hundreds and thousands of the people in Northern Kenya.
OUR VISION
We believe in a world of hope where poverty has been overcome, communities live in dignity and people have joined hands towards sustainable community development.
OUR MISSION
To enhance community empowerment by adopting a people-centered and all-inclusive Poverty Eradication Program that creates opportunities for communities to achieve sustainable, self-reliant and equitable economic and social development.
OUR CORE VALUES
Respect: We affirm the dignity, ability and the contribution of friends of goodwill, donors, partners and staff.
Integrity: We act as per the mission of Article 43, being straight-forward and always accountable in what we do and say, and accept responsibility for our collective and individual actions.
Team Work: We work together effectively as a team to serve the larger community and bring the much-needed hope to them.
Impact: We constantly challenge ourselves to the highest levels of innovation and performance to achieve greater impact to a greater number of people.
OUR STRATEGY
ARTICLE 43 COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT CENTRE
As an arid region with rainy seasons that come too little, too late or not at all, we believe that the only sustainable way of fighting the poverty menace in Northern Kenya is by empowering the poverty-stricken communities to transform their own lives. Families living near the permanent rivers Kerio and Turkwel will be empowered to begin large-scale canal irrigation instead of heading to towns in search of menial work, or to beg. As hunger bites throughout the year, community health deteriorates as more and more people became vulnerable, undernourished and more susceptible to illness. To ensure the program is sustainable and the community members can eventually support themselves, through this program, Article 43 aims to train youth and women in vocations, such as sewing, animal-rearing and agribusiness and technical skills. Because these jobs are home-based, the women are able to change from being mere housewives to earning a living through self employment. This program also helps women form savings and loan groups. The synergy of their come-together enables them to get better deals from loan-giving organizations and vendors to help expand their businesses and increase their income. This program is expected to equip young men and women with Business Training, Entrepreneurial Skills and Self-Employment generally.
ARTICLE 43 MICRO-CREDIT SCHEME
Article 43 will establish a revolving fund where we provide loans to vulnerable youth to enable them start up businesses such as fishing, basketry, bee keeping, agribusiness among many others. The loan is paid within a period of 6 to 12 months. These micro- business loans will also enable the once helpless Women and Youth to venture into small businesses to create a sustainable source of income for themselves. So far, we have been able to support 15 community members and they are currently indirectly impacting hundreds of other people who are yet to benefit from our program.
At Article 43, we believe that there is no Reason why in the 21st Century, some people in our midst are going hungry for days because they cannot afford food on their own. Please join us in fighting the root causes of hunger and poverty - by making your generous donation and support to our work today.
ARTICLE 43 TRUST FUND
The Article 43 Trust Fund is created as a Social Development Fund with a view to financing Poverty Reduction Initiatives within the local community in which we operate. The Trust Fund is targeted towards particular two long-term project interventions.
Education
The fund will help in supporting the education of the poor students in secondary schools, colleges and universities.
Economic Empowerment
Article 43 is seeking partnerships that will empower the youth and women in Turkana County through provision of affordable micro-loans for business start-ups. This fund shall help foster the culture of entrepreneurship among the local residents.
GET INVOLVED
Donate to provide hope, dignity and economic opportunity to the forgotten communities in Northern Kenya.
With your support Article 43 can:
Help poor families in the rural parts of Kenya to put food on their table on their own and send their children to school.
Build the Capacity of Vulnerable Community Members through business training to start and sustain their own Income Generating Activities
Help helpless women build a better life for themselves, their families, their communities and their country.
Bring an end to the entire community’s reliance on relief food donations from Non Governmental Organizations that has been the norm in Turkana County for the last 50 years.
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