(Left, in white T-Shirt), AICCAD National Director, Rev. Matthew Okeyo, and a member of staff (right, in white T-Shirt) giving out water buckets to the displaced people in Achego AIC Church compound.
Women form the back-bone of any society. When you empower women, it is said, you empower the whole community. They, together with children and youth, form the majority of the Kenyan population. At the same time, they are the one most affected when any calamity happens.
And this reality is what drives Africa Inland Child and Community Agency for Development (AICCAD), a faith-based organization under Africa Inland Church, whose mandate is to provide services to vulnerable children and youth in the community.
It targets these groups of people in its development agenda.
AICCAD accomplishes its mission through five main pillars: Child-Centred Community Development (CCCD), Child Sponsorship Programme (CSP), Food Security, HIV/AIDS Awareness and Technical, Vocational and Educational Training (TVET) (targetting youth).
In recent years, AICCAD has shifted its mode of community development from institution-based to community-based development.
‘We want a responsible community…we want the family to grow as a unit…we want children in our programme to intermingle with others in the community,” says Ascar Odero, programme manager with AICCAD.
The strength of this new model is found in self help groups (SHGs) for women, youth and children. Through these SHGs, they are able to provide social and economic inclusion for the poorest of the poor in the areas where they operate.
The SHGs members meet to discuss community issues and contribute money that they loan among themselves. These groups meet 2-3 times a week. Among the agenda of their meetings is contributing money among the group members and loaning the funds among themselves.
“These funds are used to meet the basic needs of the community at the household level. This also helps the members of the household to buy food and other essential things that are required in the homes,” says Rev. Matthew Okeyo, AICCAD National Director.
The members also discuss community issues that affect them like drugs and substance abuse, issues of education and HIV/AIDS. It is during these forums that the members also discuss leadership issues and how to address the challenges that they face as a community.
By empowering women with information and skills, the women in turn effect change in their families to support vulnerable children and youth.
AICCAD’s unique development model enables each member of the SHG to have a personal development goal, besides the social, economic and political goals for the group.
These group and personal goals allow AICCAD to assess and know whether the SHGs are growing or not, and whether they can go ahead and form the next level of community engament, cluster level association (CLAs), made up of eight to ten SHGs.
In the SHGs, members save and loan money to each other. Currently, AICCAD has 40 SHGs in Songhor and God Abuoro sub-locations, where the recent clashes between the Luos and Nandis occured. Each of these has approximately 200 members.
By saving as little as Ksh. 20 (0.2 USD), they have raised more than Ksh. 3 million (30,000 USD) so far, which circulates among the members in the form of loans. These loans are used by members to start businesses, pay school fees for their children and build houses for their families.
Internally displaced women. They are the most vulnerable in the society and they form a big part of the people AICCAD works with at the grassroot level in different parts of Kenya.
Besides the SHGs comprising of women, AICCAD has established SHGs for youth and children, who are engaged in various community activities.
The youth groups are involved in food security projects (keeping chicken and growing maize, beans, vegetables, onions and bee-keeping). They also engage in savings and table-banking.
Evelyne Atoka, coordinator of the Child-Centred Community Development (CCCD) programme in Achego and God Abuoro, says they work with other stakeholders in all these projects.
‘We work closely with the local and national governments to make our work easier,” she says.
On the other hand, the children groups meet on a weekly basis for spiritual nourishment, personal etiquette lessons, talent development and to learn cognitive skills.
Evelyne says they have seen alot of improvement among the children who belong to the children support groups.
“Their parents say they have better academic performance compared to children who don’t belong to the groups,” she says.
She adds that as a result of the support that the children get in the groups, the retention rate in local schools has gone up, compared to the period prior to this. This is because children now understand better their rights from their parents and the society.
“They know that they have a right to education from the government,” she says.
Acording to Ascar, the CCCD programme is also thriving in Makueni and Machakos counties, where they have 56 self help groups (SHGs) and six cluster level associations (CLAs), and 53 SHGs and six CLAs, respectively.
AICCAD’s work is spread all over the country in Nairobi, Narok, and Kericho counties. Different activities take place in each of the areas in the thematic areas of Institutional Care (Children homes), Child Centered Community Development Programme (CCCD), Technical and Vocational Education Training Programme (TVET) and Food Security Programme (FS), which target the whole family.
However, AICCAD’s efforts in Achego and God Abuoro sub-locations now face an uncertain future because of the animosity that exists between the two neighbouring communities, that disagree now and then over grazing lands or stolen animals.
The weekly self help group meetings for women, and children and youth group meetings were disrupted, while some trainings that had been planned to take place later in the year were cancelled.
“In the children group tree nursery projects, all the trees on site were stolen and the site destroyed,” says Evelyne, the coordinator in the area.
But they are not giving up. AICCAD is currently involved I supporting the displaced persons with food rations and emergency services. The organization has given refuge to over 500 people in our children’s home in Achego. The organization is also engaging the pastors and local leaders to try and restore peace.
According to the National Director Rev. Matthew Okeyo, AICCAD’s vision is to become a life-transforming Christian development agency that gives hope and a future to vulnerable groups in the society for God’s glory. This is in line with the newly developed Sustainable Development Goals as outlined by United Nations.
Since 1975, the organization has been able to address the needs of children and youth. Through its rescue homes, it has supported over 10,000 orphans and vulnerable children. The technical, vocational and education training has so far reached a total of over 11,500 youth imparting to them various skills and transforming their lives.
AICCAD bases its activities on Matthew 25:34-40.
Displaced children lying down in Achego AIC Church: They are vulnerable in any conflict situation. AICCAD empowers children and youth with information and resources to help them overcome everyday challenges.
How AICCAD’s activities fit in within the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals SDGs?
AICCAD does not work in isolation. Its activities fit in within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as recently outlined by United Nations.
No poverty – CCCD, CSP,TVET,FS – Through school fee payment, Advocacy on importance of education and child rights, training on Health, WASH, HIV&AIDS and other thematic areas that affect communities.
No hunger- CCCD, CSP,TVET,FS – Provision of training to farmer groups and other community members to ensure Food Security.
Good health-CCCD- Support and partnership with the Ministry of Health in improving Immunization coverage and reducing mortality, morbidity as well as HIV prevalence rates.
Quality education-CSP through payment of school fees for vulnerable children.
Gender equality-TVET –Ensuring that both girls and boys are given equal opportunities for training and employment.
Clean water and sanitation-CCCD-Ensuring that there is sufficient provision of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation for communities we work with through capacity building.
Clean Energy-N/A
Good jobs and economic growth-TVET –Through ensuring that youth are trained and linked with viable employment opportunities. CCCD-Through empowering SHGs for increased household income.
Innovation and infrastructure-N/A
Reduced inequalities- CCCD- Through empowering SHGs (mostly women) for increased household income and ensuring that both genders benefit equitably from interventions.
Sustainable cities and communities-CCCD Establishment and support of already existing community structures such as Community Units, School Management Committees, Water Management Committees, HIV&AIDS Support groups.
Responsible consumption-N/A
Protect the planet-N/A
Life below water- N/A
Life on land-N/A
Peace and justice- CCCD- Through peace-building initiatives at the Kisumu/Nandi border.
Partnerships for the goals- CCCD, CSP, TVET, FS
‘We wholeheartedly embrace the SDGs as an important framework to strive for the common good for all, leaving no one behind,” says Rev. Okeyo. “We congratulate the UN and all who took part in the development of the SDGs and we join in the commitment to see the goals realized.”
KEY
CCCD – Child-Centred Community Development
CSP – Child Sponsorship Programme
TVET – Technical and Vocational Education Training Programme
FS – Food Security Programme (FS)
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