Twende Pamoja
A message from Risper Adhanja, CEO of Twende Pamoja
“I was born and raised in this community. As a woman who went through the education system in Ndhiwa, I am acutely aware of the challenges our girls are now facing. Twende Pamoja, with the support of Team Kenya are playing a vital role in supporting girls and helping them to overcome the challenges of living in Ndhiwa.
Our girls’ support group has tremendously changed the lives of our girls through talent development and exposure to new things like our girls’ football team – last year our team were the best in the county! This year our girls have been able to access quality education due to sponsorship, tuition and the provision of basic needs. The feeding programme and the provision of clean water and clean improved toilets has improved health, sanitation and nutrition in our partner schools, cases of health challenges have reduced by 50 per cent.”
Twende Pamoja’s goal: A reduction in extreme poverty, gender inequality and injustice in Homa Bay County.
Twende Pamoja’s vision: To facilitate the empowerment of community members, with specific focus towards girls and women, through appropriate development initiatives
Twende Pamoja’s mission: To improve people’s living standard through practical agricultural advancement, educational support, promotion of environmental sustainability, creation of HIV/AIDS awareness, improving access to information technology, advocating for peaceful coexistence, protection of human rights and facilitating poverty alleviation
Strategic Themes
Strategic theme one – sustainability
Team Kenya and Twende Pamoja will aim to deliver all programs with sustainable development as a priority. This is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We believe in an approach that is concerned with the environment but also about ensuring a strong, healthy and just society. This means meeting the diverse needs of all people in existing and future communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and inclusion, and creating equal opportunity.
Between 2015-2020, we will aim to ensure the future sustainability of Team Kenya in the UK, the sustainability of Twende Pamoja in Kenya and the sustainability of the impact we have through programme delivery.
Strategic theme two – accountability
We acknowledge the importance of accountability in ensuring the best possible service for beneficiaries and value for money for donors. We will:
- Ensure decision making, both in Kenya and in the UK is carried out in a collaborative and transparent way
- Ensure programmes are delivered in Kenya within an agreed and accountable implementation framework, with clear reporting, monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
- Continually assess the impact of our programmes in Ndhiwa and ask ourselves, ‘are we making a difference
Strategic Priority Areas
Girls Education – Girls gain access to and attain a good quality education and have relevant skills and knowledge to fully participate in economic social and cultural life.
Economic Sustainability and Food Security – Improved economic wellbeing of families and the development of sustainable economic enterprises.
Health, Hygiene and Nutrition for School Children – Children have access to safe clean water, good sanitation in schools, gender appropriate health and nutritional information and possess the confidence to make healthy transition to adulthood.
Rural Girls’ Safety and Security – Girls are safe and secure in school and in their communities and have more opportunities to develop their life skills, improve their prospects and achieve their potential.
Social Justice and Equality – Girls and young women are equal and respected members of society.
Organisational Development – Twende Pamoja are efficient, transparent and accountable and provide the maximum level of support to beneficiaries.
Highlights
Together with Team Kenya, Twende Pamoja have impacted the lives of over 60,000 young people and their families in Ndhiwa.
Our impact in the community and specifically in our partner schools has included:
- A reduction in gender based violence
- Improved status of girls and women in the community
- Improved health education and increased knowledge of sexual health issues
- An increase in the number of girls completing primary school
- Increased recruitment and retention in primary schools – improved pupil performance in primary school boys and girls
- Reduction in teenage pregnancies and early marriage of primary school girls
- Improved teaching and learning standards in primary schools
- Increased progression rates for girls into secondary education
- Increased opportunities for progression to tertiary education
- Improved access to clean water
- Reduced food poverty
- Increased family income and employment opportunities
- Increased opportunities for social enterprise
- Increased environmental conservation and protection
