The Naledi Initiative looks at ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. Majority of families in Kenya, especially in under-served rural communities live on less than a dollar a day. Naledi Initiative is passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty.
We work shoulder to shoulder with community members, particularly women in establishing small enterprise that have social impact. We provide entrepreneurship education and financial literacy for both women and young people.
We conduct our on research before starting any programme for monitoring and evaluation purpose in order to provide evidence-based interventions.
We conduct surveys and interviews to ensure we understand the context of a community before moving forward for interventions.
Solving the right problem with the most effective approach sounds simple, but is a very often wrongly assumed.
IN ITS ACTIVITIES NALEDI INITIATIVE FOCUS MAINLY ON FOUR AREAS:
- COMMUNITY HEALTH
For the last years we focus on the FREE CANCER SCREENING in Meru, Tharaka and Isiolo areas which are much affected by various cases of cancer. We believe that Early detection of cancer may save lives.
We have 4 benefits of the free cancer screening:
- Early Detection: Free cancer screening can help detect cancer in its early stages, when it is most treatable. Early detection can also help reduce the risk of death from cancer.
- Cost Savings: Free cancer screening can save individuals and families money by avoiding costly treatments and hospital stays.
- Improved Quality of Life: Early detection of cancer can help improve the quality of life for those affected by the disease.
- Increased Awareness.
NALEDI INITIATIVE focuses on improving the health of people in Kenya It involves the assessment of health needs, the development and implementation of health programs, and the evaluation of their effectiveness. Partnered with us community health workers, health educators, and other professionals work to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, and health care facilities. They also work to improve access to health care services and to reduce health disparities among different populations.
2. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Naledi Initiative empowers the poorest especially women and girls in rural areas, to take charge of their lives. We work together within our local communities to facilitate their economic growth through providing them with quality financial literacy training for example; table banking, and entrepreneurship education (basket weaving) that lead to sustainable income generating project or business. Here’s a sample of table banking model we use in the table banking groups:
TABLE BANKING is a group-based resource mobilization concept in which a group of between 10 to 30 members gather every month to save and borrow. During their gathering, members place their savings on the table, from a minimum of Kshs. 200 to any amount decided by the group which is set as their maximum saving. Members are then able to borrow immediately from the money collected to boost their income-generating livelihoods.
The process of Table banking.
A group of women from rural communities comes together and form a group of 10 to 30 members.
They meet once per month but others weekly according to the agreement of the members.
Every member saves a minimum of Kshs. 200 per month which forms revolving funds.
During the meeting, they put their savings on the table and immediately women borrow according to their needs to boost the capital of their income-generating activities and their business that will improve their livelihoods.
After a month, a group meet again around the table and the members bring their savings and repayment loans for those who took from the previous meeting.
A member can access short-term and/or long-term loans.
Short-term loans are available up to two times a member’s savings which is repayable in one month while long-term loans are available up to three times a member’s savings and repayable from 6 months to 12 months according to the amount borrowed.
Short-term loans attract an interest of 10% while long-term loans attract an interest of 12% p.a on a reducing balance.
A member gets a guarantor among their group members for security purposes.
The Naledi Initiative comes in when the groups demand a loan that exceeds their savings after 6 months to lend the group the additional amount of money required at zero interest per cent to boost their kitty.
Naledi Initiative support them with seed funds to boost their kitty or to support a new community table banking self-help women’s group.
Naledi Initiative train them in financial literacy like bookkeeping and social-intrapreneurial skills.
Today members of table banking are changing their lives by empowering themselves and their families through projects like poultry farming, goat keeping, basket waiving and other businesses. They can access basic needs for their family like education, food and clothes.
Naledi Initiative get funds to support them from well-wishers and fundraising.
3. PEACE BUILDING AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Community peace building is a process of creating a safe and secure environment in which people can live and work together in harmony. It involves a range of activities, such as conflict resolution, mediation, dialogue, and education, that are designed to reduce violence and promote understanding and cooperation between different groups. It also involves creating a sense of shared responsibility for the well-being of the community, and developing strategies to address the underlying causes of conflict.
Naledi Initiative uses nonviolence and community empowerment programs whose mission is the prevention and transformation of conflict through community dialogue, research, education, and training.
Our Community Empowerment programs (CEP) engage communities in three main ways: through Community Visioning, providing Human Rights Based education classes for adults and youth, and through the training and support of a Community Management Committee (CMC) designed to advance community projects.
Naledi’s Community Empowerment Program not only supports communities to achieve their vision but also helps them sustain the changes they make and improve their resilience to address challenges and opportunities that may arise in the future.
4. PROVIDING FOOD AND CLOTHING TO THE NEEDY
Donating food and clothing can make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.
Naledi Intitiative organizes fundraising events that involves collecting food donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. The food is then distributed to those in need, such as the homeless, the elderly, and families in poverty. For the last years we had numerous Food Drives organized in Samburu and Turkana communities.