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.