2003 Annual Report

PRACTICAL ANSWERSTO POVERTY

Intermediate TechnologyDevelopment Group

Eastern Africa

Annual Report 2002/2003

2003 Annual Report

CAP Community Action Planning

CBO Community Based Organisation

DFID Department for International Development

EACBBP East African Cross-Border Biodiversity Project

EAETDN East African Energy Technology Development Network

ESP Energy for Schools Project

EU European Union

EVK Ethnoveterinary Knowledge

IAP Indoor Air Pollution

ICT Information and Communication Technology

ITDG Intermediate Technology Development Group

ITDG-EA Intermediate Technology Development Group – Eastern Africa

LASDAP Local Authority Service Delivery Action Plans

NGO Non Governmental Organisation

RD Regional Director

SME Small and Medium Enterprise

SSBs Stabilised Soil Blocks

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USIP United States Institute of Peace

List of Acronyms

VisionA world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used to the benefit of all

MissionITDG aims to help eradicate poverty in developing countries through the development

and use of technology, by demonstrating results, sharing knowledge and influencingothers.

AmbitionTo become the leading international authority on the use of technology to reduce poverty

in developing countries.

2003 Annual Report

‘…demonstrating results, sharing knowledge and influencing others.’ITDG’s early activities in East Africa focused on assisting poorcommunities engage in productive income generating sectors such assisal, wood, metal work, and leather industries. Other early activitiesfocused on enhancing food security to mitigate the effects of droughton semi-nomadic pastoralists. The organisation introduced waterharvesting technologies and cultivation of millet using animal draughtpower.

In energy, the focus was on harnessing wind power and improvingefficiency in the use of fuel wood through improved designs of charcoal-burning stoves and fish-smoking kilns. Meanwhile, in shelter, ITDGdeveloped and promoted low-cost building and roofing technologies.These include rammed earth, stabilised soil blocks (SSBs) and ferro-cement, produced in conjunction with Maasai women. And as timemoves, development needs change. The organisation is diversifying itsscope and approach to development.

ITDG has expanded its activities to other East African countries. It isnow a regional institution. Arguably, it is expected that ITDG-EA willwork in several new areas. Some of these include urban agriculture,waste and pollution management, and urban violence and crime ininformal settlements. At the same time, some of the existing operationalareas will be rationalized.

The organisation is endowed with rich experiences gained from thevarious projects implemented virtually all over the country. These skillswill be scaled up to a regional level and used in setting the pace, both inimplementation of innovative development projects and in advocatingfor pro-poor policy and regulatory changes in the newly emerging andexisting sectors.

It is with this rich knowledge that ITDG-EA approaches policy reformplatforms. Policies in building, infrastructure provision, ICTs,biotechnology, energy, and virtually every other sector, do not favourthe poor. More often than not, the poor slum dweller pays for thecomfort of the rich. For instance, it is common knowledge that a poorperson in Kibera pays close to ten times for water in comparison to theupmarket dweller. These inequalities must cease.

To the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector, (micro, small andmedium-sized enterprises), the call to make Kenya a working nationcannot fall elsewhere. This sector is the driving force for economicdevelopment and industrialisation in Kenya and Africa in general.ITDG-EA is part of the process that will see the jua kali sector emergeto contribute to the creation of wealth and employment, to povertyalleviation and to sustainable regional development. The sector isalready receiving significant recognition by African governments dueto its potential in economic development. But more still needs to bedone.

Yes, we are still technology-oriented, but diversified. Technology alonewill not transform the lives of the thousands slum dwellers and ruralpoor in the region. Improving livelihoods is still a core operation ofthe organisation, but this has been taken a step further. ITDG-EA willimprove livelihoods of the poor, and the marginalized through advocacy

From the RD

Policy Advocacy and Knowledge Dissemination

Elijah Agevi, Regional Director,ITDG-EA

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2003 Annual Report

platforms. For instance, regulations in building standards, in therenewable energy sector, and the transport industry among others,must be reformed to favour the resource poor.

Access to skills and knowledge has been for a long time animpediment to development. The poverty of information onchanging trends either in markets or technology has relegatedthe poor to non-starters in their attempts of self-advancement.This has to be reversed. The organisation is emphasising onbuilding the skills of the poor people to enable them take chargeof their lives and destiny. We must restore dignity and pride ofthe poor people.

On service provision, it is depressing to learn that only two percent of the people living in Africa have access to clean and reliablesources of energy. The rest rely on biomass. As such, it wouldnot be surprising that nearly two million people worldwide,mostly children, die every year because their homes are pollutedwith smoke from cooking fires. The story is the same in thewater and sanitation, the transport sector, and virtually all otherservice provision industries. ITDG-EA is proposing that themanagement of these services should rest with the users. Theorganisation is addressing the structural and institutionalconstraints in favour of more locally-managed deliverymechanisms.

Arguably, the organisation is venturing into novel areas. ICTsand biotechnology are some of the new areas of operation. Thenew innovations are enhancing the already huge potential foradvancing growth through technological development,providing access to markets, information and knowledge.

But new technologies pose new challenges. The existinginfrastructure and policies existed prior to the innovations. Theneed to upgrade cannot be underscored. ITDG-EA has embarkedon knowledge sharing, dissemination and policy influencing askey impact areas. ITDG-EA will strongly advocate for policiesthat are pro-poor to bridge the gap between the haves and thehave-nots. We are playing a proactive role in advocacy andawareness campaigns to protect the rights of the poor andinfluence the way new technologies and approaches are used.The poor person must be empowered with information to maketimely and strategic decisions.

We are investing in the people, because we believe in people.Without an empowered people, through information, there canbe no sustainable development.

Elijah AgeviRegional DirectorIntermediate Technology Development Group-Eastern Africa

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2003 Annual Report

The East African region is getting increasingly vulnerable to droughts,floods, crime, civil strife and pandemics. Droughts have led toenvironmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and impoverishmentof rural communities while many lives and property worth millions ofshillings have been swept away by floods. Famine and waterbornediseases scavenge the remnants of floods, leaving the land desolate.

Poorly planned cities and towns and numerous informal settlementscharacterise the East African region. Fire outbreaks have become a majorrisk in a region whose disaster response mechanisms are yet to fullydevelop. At the same time, the quest to control the limited resourcesbegets conflicts that take the deadly form of ethnic clashes or banditry.In the cities though, security forces have a bigger problem. Crime, andthe fear of crime, is threatening the economic stability and sustainabledevelopment in the region. And as if that is not enough, HIV/AIDSpandemic enters the scene, ready to seal the fate of Eastern Africa. Thepeople, the skills, the knowledge, and the manpower lost to HIV/AIDSspell dismal prospects for the countries of sub-Sahara Africa and theworld at large.

To strengthen suitable drought preparedness, mitigation and disasterresponse structures, to promote natural resource management, andcounter the effects of conflicts, crime and pandemics on the people ofEastern Africa. This becomes the business of Aim I.

ITDG-EA will strive to strengthen the ability of poor women and mento reduce the effects of environmental degradation on their livelihoodsin 10 localities. The organisation will promote sustainable livestockproduction systems and appropriate crop production technologies.Special attention will be paid to water, pasture, and bio-diversitymanagement in marginal regions in Eastern Africa.

The organisation is developing, strengthening and promotingappropriate interventions in the fields of technology and innovativemethodologies. This includes promotion of drought-resistant cropsand animal varieties, building capacities of vulnerable communities tocope with fire, drought, floods and famine, and liasing with relieforganisations to provide essential services in the event of a disaster.

Within this Aim, ITDG-EA will promote appropriate strategies aimedat managing crime in at least three urban areas, while mitigating conflictamong marginal communities in at least five zones of Eastern Africa.The organisation will identify and develop effective approaches toconflict management. The tested and confirmed methods will be widelypromoted. These will include traditional conflict resolutionmechanisms.

At the same time, community-based interventions to mitigate againstthe impacts of pandemics and epidemics will be developed. ITDG-EAwill promote human rights issues through policy advocacy, andparticipatory researches designed to identify specific culturalknowledge, attitude, beliefs, practices and normative issues increasingthe vulnerability among the target communities.

Reducing Vulnerability

“ ”To strengthen the ability of poor women and men to use technology to cope with threats totheir livelihoods from natural disasters, environmental degradation and civil conflict

The Kenyan government and UNDPcontracted ITDG to backstop theAlternative Livelihoods, Resource Use andTechnology component of the widerUNDP/GEF East African Cross-BorderBiodiversity Project (EACBBP). EACBBPstrives to reduce the rate of forestbiodiversity loss at specific cross-bordersites of national and global significance inthe East African region. ITDG-EA’s role ishelping the Massai of Namanga hill forestsite and Turkanas of Loima hill forest sitediversify their income base by developingtheir natural resource-based enterpriseswhile conserving local biodiversity.

The initiative has stemmed forests fires inboth sites by introducing safe harvestingof wild honey and has reduced tree fellingfor charcoal and fuel wood througheducation and exposure to energy savingtechniques. ITDG-EA has also introducedpasture management leading to regulatedand sustainable grazing in Namanga andLoima. About 13,000 and 5,000 peoplearound Namanga and Loima hillsrespectively, depend on local biodiversityfor fuel wood, honey, fruits, pasture, water,building materials, and woodcarvings.

UNDP/GEF East African CrossBorder Biodiversity Conservation

the PROJECTS

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2003 Annual Report

Poor livestock keepers in the marginalisedareas rarely get access to veterinary services.This state is made worse by the fact thatthese communities are nomadic. Even theveterinary officers would have a rough timefollowing up livestock medication cases.Research indicates that pastoralists haveadapted innovative ways of treatingcommon ailments in their herds.

Research and Validation of EthnoveterinaryTreatment against Ecto-parasites is aresearch project implemented in Samburu.With the increased recognition ofindigenous knowledge and the value it addsto technology development, the projectsought to demonstrate thatEthnoveterinary Knowledge and Practices(EVK) used by poor livestock keepers arevalid. With additional value and capacitybuilding, this knowledge and practicesprovide an easily accessible, and affordableanimal healthcare to complement theconventional alternative.

This project targeted to improve livestock’shealth in marginal areas through validatingand standardizing ethnoveterinarypractices used by Samburu pastoralists forcontrol of ticks and tick-borne diseases.The project has successfully integratedthese practices with the community-basedanimal healthcare service. The participatoryapproach used in this project has providedan innovative approach to research fortechnology development.

The northern Kenya districts are not only plagued by natural disasters,but also man-made. The harsh climatic conditions compounded by thevicious conflict make the northern frontier the most hostile part of thecountry. Scarcity of natural resources is a major source of tribal clasheswithin the districts of northern Kenya and across the borders of Ethiopia,Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. Political incitement, trade in small arms,and commercialisation of raids has raised the heat. Insecurity has becomea threat to lives and livelihoods of pastoralists in the region.

USAID-Kenya and USIP have funded a conflict resolution initiativecovering Marsabit, Samburu and Turkana districts, as well as across theborders with Ethiopia, Uganda and Southern Sudan. The initiative isempowering northern Kenya pastoralists to handle conflicts and set theclimate for positive changes in socio-economic development. Thisproject hopes to reduce the conflict situation by building the localcapacity for conflict management and promoting access to productionresources.

Strategic linkages have been formed amongst the civil society, faith-based organizations, community leaders, parliamentarians, cross-bordercommunities and various government representatives in a bid toinfluence policies. Peace committees have been recognized andentrenched into district security committees and customarymethodologies of conflict management acknowledged as best suitedfor solving the region’s peculiar conflicts. The peace committees areresponsible for facilitating inter-community and cross-border peacedialogues. At the same time, they closely monitor and lead to an increasedformulation and enforcement of customary institutions of conflictmanagement.

Meanwhile peace groups have been initiated. These have adaptedinnovative and community-specific modes of communication includingdrama and songs to pass that message of peace. The groups are targetingpublic days for performances. As a result, the community’sunderstanding of conflicts has improved and the people are nowembracing peace-building initiatives.

Northern Kenya Conflict Resolution Initiative

Alternative Animal Health -Validation of EthnoveterinaryTreatment

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2003 Annual Report

Although nomadic pastoralism remains the most suitable system oflivelihood in the semi arid regions, its development has been hamperedby unfavourable climatic conditions, a history of marginalisation of thepeople, insecurity and an unresponsive, unsupportive policyenvironment.

Pastoralism is the main source of livelihood in Turkana, Samburu, andMarsabit in Kenya and Kilosa in Tanzania. In the event of drought,disease outbreaks or poor performance of the livestock sector, thepastoralists’ livelihood is greatly affected.

Integrated Pastoralists and Agro-Pastoralist Project has increased thesynergy required to alleviate poverty among nomadic pastoralists andagro-pastoralists. It is aimed at improving and expanding the capacity ofthe formal and informal institutions for effective participation indevelopment activities such as provision of decentralized animal healthservices, managing income generating activities and managing conflictsand natural resources.

In Tharaka, the Maragwa seed fair has continued to provide farmerswith access to a variety of seeds thus increasing their farm biodiversityfor improved food security. At the same time the project has trained 93women from different women groups in Marsabit, Samburu andTurkana on micro-enterprise management thereby diversifying thelivelihoods of pastoralists and agro pastoralists. 75% of the traineeshave either initiated new income generating activities or expanded theirexisting small business through better management.

In the management of natural resources, 78 shallow wells were protectedand 84 troughs and three sand dams constructed in Marsabit andSamburu. In addition over 385 community members were trained onwater hygiene and sanitation, water resource management and conflictresolution relating to water resource utilization.

The project has creatively mainstreamed social and gender issues intoproject activities. 59 community members were trained on gender anddevelopment in Marsabit district while 17 participants attended a three-day gender-mainstreaming workshop.

Kathekani and Mtito Andei fall in the tsetsefly infested zones of the arid and semi-aridEastern Province of Kenya. This is a threatto the security of small-scale livestockkeepers. Kathekani Mbung’o project facesthe uphill task of increasing livestockproduction in Kathekani through reducedtsetse and trypanosomiasis incidences. Thisinitiative is set to benefit over 3000households and will enhance the capacityof Kathekani community to control themenace using tsetse-trap technology.

The project has also incorporated nationaland international institutions with an aimof changing attitudes of research. Scientistshould recognize and incorporate small-scale farmers in design and developmentof tsetse control technologies.

Over 250 men and women have beentrained on tsetse-trap making and 200tsetse-traps made and deployed to theregion. This exceeded the set target of 150traps.

Integrated Pastoralists and Agro-Pastoralist Project

Kathekani Mbung’o Project:Enhancing Capacity of LocalCommunities to SustainablyControl Tsetse Flies ThroughTransfer of Tsetse Fly TrappingTechnology

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2003 Annual Report

Micro, small and medium-sizedenterprises, often face limitations inexpansion initiatives yet they are the drivingforce for economic development andindustrialisation in Africa. Efforts of smallbusinesses to expand are usually thwartedby insufficient capital, poor infrastructure,lack of supportive policy environment orlack of technology. They are ill-placed totake advantage of economic growth, theylack access to resources, skills, services aswell as accurate market information.

This sector suffers from dumping of cheapgoods in the markets. Production activitiescannot flourish. High tariffs are yet anotherbarrier, preventing SMEs from accessingregional and international markets. Anintervention is required to save Africa’shope for urbanisation.

A great need for policies that improvecompetitiveness and equity for businesspeople exists. ITDG-EA is enhancing thecreation of such an environment in fivelocalities. The organisation will work withother agencies to develop and enforcestatutory quality standards. The partnershipwill also lobby against unfair and unethicaltrade policies and practices that undermineopportunities for poor business people.

In the meantime, the agency will increaseefficiency of small-scale businesses inproduction, processing and marketing inat least five areas in East Africa. This willallow poor business people to producehigh quality goods while developing andtransferring practices that enhanceproductivity.

ITDG-EA recognises information aspower. The organisation is promotingaccess for small-scale entrepreneurs toinformation, resources and infrastructure.It will establish and promote informationcapital through research and developmentthat supports exchange of informationamong poor businesspeople.

To enable poor men and women to use technologies effectively in systems of production,processing and marketing to build secure livelihoods.

Making Markets Work for the Poor

“ ”

This project aims to expand opportunities for poor people engaged insmall-scale manufacturing enterprises. It will enable them accessincome-earning opportunities by responding to the business challengesresulting from the phenomenon of globalisation. The project isexploring the potential for commercial marketing intermediaries. Itintends to source products from MSEs and sell to large-volume buyersthus brokering sustainable business collaborations and networks amongSMEs. The project, funded by DFID under the EnterpriseDevelopment Innovation Fund, is targeting 35,000 such enterprisescountrywide. The project is focusing on establishing why networkbrokering is not emerging in Africa, when it appears to have beensuccessful in Asia.

Network Brokerage for SME Development

the PROJECTS

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Small Engineering WorkshopsProject

The Kenyan job market is one of the mostsaturated in Africa. Rising unemploymenthas greatly contributed to the low standardsof living seen in the nation. The growth ofthe small enterprise sector in Kenya is theonly hope that thousands of people have toput a meal on the table. The informal sectoris the hope that the developing nations haveto reach self-actualisation.

In this light, the Jua Kali Project aims toincrease employment and incomegenerating opportunities within theinformal sector in Migori district andadjacent areas.

The project, financed by EU, promotesproductive capacity of jua kali artisans whoprovide goods and services to other small-scale producers in Migori district andelsewhere in Kenya. The project isbuilding the capacity of the entrepreneursto produce the goods and services neededby a wide range of other small-scaleagricultural and productive enterprises.

Registration to the tool hire centre, andtrade fairs and exhibitions have exposedartisans to new products and technologies.The group has taken up new products andhas already ventured into manufacturingand selling. The artisans have processed abulk order for an international NGOoperating locally proving that that small-scale enterprises can manufacture for highvolume buyers.

Meanwhile 30 peanut butter millsmanufactured in the centre have led tocreation of part-time jobs for women whohave set up peanut butter processingenterprises. Similarly, three people haveinitiated juice production businesses usingthe fruit juice extractor.

Approximately 850 artisans have registeredat the centre. On average, eight people usethe centre daily. It has been operationalsince 1999.

As the project comes to an end, the toolswill be transferred to jua kali sheds wherethe artisans will operate under a locallyregistered co-operative society for thepurposes of project sustainability.

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2003 Annual Report

In the year 2000, 50% of the Africapopulation lacked access to safe water and66% had no access to hygienic sanitation.These statistics can only have deterioratedtoday. Lack of infrastructure is recognizedas a major cause of poverty. Access to waterfor human consumption, agricultural andlivestock use, is a major problem in mostrural areas in the region.

Meanwhile the energy and transportsectors are no better. Only two per cent ofAfrica’s population have access to clean andreliable sources of energy. Decliningtransport infrastructure limits access of thepoor to markets and other importantservices including hospitals and schools.Governments lack the capacity to maintainthe existing transport infrastructure. Theprovision of infrastructure service has goneto the dogs. It must however be salvaged.

ITDG-EA will facilitate access toinfrastructure services by improving thecapacity of communities to demandinclusion in the management of services.At the same time, collaboration with alllevels of the government and other civilsociety institutions will be stepped up toimprove the quality of service delivery.

One of the most pressing needs in thecountry is energy provision. ITDG-EAwishes to provide sustainable andaffordable energy sources to residents offour rural areas and two urban centres inEastern Africa by 2007. This calls forpromotion and development ofdecentralised energy schemes, which willmake energy more accessible andaffordable to poor men and women.

Affordable housing is a crucial componentof infrastructure. ITDG-EA aims toestablish this through innovative researchand technology development in threemajor cities and one rural area. Among thenotable actions underway are promotingtechnologies that are affordable, accessibleand labour-intensive, contributing tosecurity of tenure debates for adequateshelter provision and community assetmanagement, and supporting affordablehousing finance schemes.

Under this programme, ITDG-EA is alsoimproving access to sustainable water and

Access to Infrastructure

sanitation services by promoting delivery systems that favour rural andurban poor. The agency will promote the restoration, protection andmanagement of traditional water sources to enhance urban and ruralwater supply for the benefit of the poor as well as documenting andpilot testing best practices in water and sanitation technologies.

Meanwhile, the organisation is supporting development anddissemination of solid waste management technologies. ITDG-EA isworking with stakeholders in learning and lobbying for the review ofsolid waste management policies while promoting development oflocally managed solid waste technologies. Upon fully maturing, thetechnologies will be commercialised to encourage private sectorinvolvement in provision of solid waste services.

The transport industry is a target under provision of services. Theorganisation intends to improve decentralized and locally managedtransport services in three urban and two rural locations in EasternAfrica. ITDG-EA will engage in research, knowledge and informationsharing and awareness creation to improve transport, mobility and accesssystems in the region. It will also advocate for appropriate transportpolicies and the decentralization of transport infrastructure delivery.

To improve the access of poor men and women to locally-managed infrastructure services“ ”

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2003 Annual Report

BiP-PUP aims to enhance the effectiveness of City and MunicipalPlanning and Management with the purpose of testing, developing anddisseminating a partnership approach to the planning of urban spacewith poor men, women and children, and community-based, publicand private organizations.

At the community level, the project is implementing its activities jointlywith eight CBOs. These groups are involved in production of buildingmaterials, urban greening activities, small-scale business enterprisesand savings. Recently the project trained 45 community members drawnfrom the Kipsongo, Tuwani and Shimo la Tewa health committees ascore trainers on water, sanitation, hygiene improvement andtechnologies.

Through community-based planning the project is building the capacityof the community groups by strengthening their linkages with theMunicipal Local Authority Service Delivery Action Plans (LASDAP)to enable them access better services. Neighbourhood spatial plans forKipsongo and Shimo-La-Tewa informal settlements were preparedthrough a participatory approach where local knowledge andexperiences informed the planning process.

ITDG-EA jointly with the Municipal Council of Kitale and thecommunity is implementing the immediate prioritized interventions.These include construction of five sanitation blocks consisting of 11de-composting toilets and eight bathrooms in Kipsongo and acommunity footbridge across the Shimo la Tewa-Bahati ravine. Theover 2,000 Kipsongo residents had no sanitation facilities prior to thisintervention. They have been using an open field exposing them todisease and inhuman living conditions. Meanwhile the bridge will openup the Shimo la Tewa-Bahati link area, which becomes impassableduring the rainy season. In Tuwan, a sanitation complex comprisingablution blocks, an information centre, water vending point, and anursery school is underway. The project is funded by DFID, while theRausing Trust supports water and sanitation activities.

The Micro Hydro Project aims to improvethe livelihoods of Kenyan communitiesliving in remote areas by providing themwith an alternative source of energy forproductive end-uses. A micro hydroturbine runs an electric generator thatsupplies the community with 14 kW of gridquality electricity for micro enterprisedevelopment.

The subsistence farmers in Mbuiru villagedepend on biomass for energy. Lack ofinfrastructural services has limited theircapacity to exploit the vast naturalresources for improved livelihoods. Lackof access to modern energy, poor roads,poor and unreliable transportation service,lack of access to clean water, and lack ofreliable communication channelscontribute to the poor development of thearea. In turn, other social infrastructure likehealth and shelter are grossly affected. Smallcommunity-level productive enterprisesare the sole solution to the povertyafflicting this zone, but they cannot flourishfavourably without sustainable energy.

The Tungu-Kabiri community microhydropower project was started with a viewto provide modern energy as a main driverof sustainable livelihoods and other basicinfrastructure that would kick-startdevelopment trends in Meru South. Thecomplete business stalls are alreadyoccupied. The micro-enterprises that havekicked off include a hair salon, barbershop,mobile phone charging, battery charging,welding services and a video show shop.These services were previously onlyaccessible in Chuka town, 12 km away. Inthe meantime, two community membershave been trained on how to run micro-enterprises. They are expected to devolvethe skills to the immediate members of thegroup and the community.

Policy issues associated with decentralisedenergy systems were studied. The energypolicy review process has learnt a lot fromthe project and further studies will beundertaken. It was facilitated by UNDPunder the GEF scheme.

The Energy for Schools Project targets rural schools in Kenya relyingon firewood or charcoal and kerosene as their main source of energyfor cooking and lighting respectively. The project is exposing ruralschools to a wider range of energy options placing them in a betterposition to acquire modern and efficient energy forms. This iscontributing to energy conservation and reduction of energy-relatedexpenses.

The project loans schools finances through a specially designed schemeto enable them pay for the cooking and lighting systems withoutnegatively affecting other activities that require funds. ESP hassignificantly improved energy management practices, raised awarenessof renewable energy technologies, and trained personnel to operateand maintain the systems.

the PROJECTS

Building in Partnership - Participatory Urban Planning(BiP-PUP)

Tungu Kabiri Community MicroHydro Power Project Phase II

The Ashden / ITDG-EA Energy for Schools Project -Phase 1 (ESP 1)

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NUPPP works towards sustainablyreducing poverty in Nairobi. The projecthas developed a sustainable institutionaland organizational capacity to reducepoverty in Nairobi through an innovative,demand-driven, inclusive and coordinatedapproach that emphasizes enabling the poorto analyse, identify their priorities andinitiate collective action. The project wasimplemented in Embakasi Division withfocus on Mukuru kwa Ruben and MailiSaba.

As the project closes, 50% of the urban poorhave indicated that the partnershipapproach has facilitated them in meetingtheir priority needs, while cost–effectiveinterventions have been successfully andsustainably implemented.

It is envisaged that the project will selectand implement pro–poor lessons outsidethe project-selected settlements through apartnership process.

NUPPP was funded by DFID East Africa.It has trained CBOs on appropriatebuilding technologies, businessmanagement, leadership, charcoalbriquetting, and nutritious kitchengardening and animal husbandry.

The project focused on implementing acommunity driven partnership approach totackle urban poverty in informalsettlements. Through Community ActionPlanning (CAP) the communityrepresentatives and project partnersprioritised their needs and developedelaborate action plans articulating variousinterventions and utilization of availableresources.

Key emerging priorities included incomegeneration, health, environment (water andsanitation), and youth development.Thematic sub-committees were formed todevelop comprehensive investment plans.

The project has maintained partnershipsand facilitated networking at thecommunity, divisional, and at city /provincial levels.

The energy sector has been famed as the propelling force todevelopment. The project is alleviating poverty in the East Africa regionthrough the use of appropriate energy technologies. The project willimprove productive capacity in the East Africa region through creationof small enterprises using energy technologies.

Information sharing and the capacity of partner organisations have beenenhanced. Members have been encouraged to collectively makedecisions on specific activities to be undertaken to address commonissues. ITDG-EA has also carried out training on a variety of renewableenergy technologies including stoves and solar drying machines.Business skills too have been boosted amongst the project beneficiariesthrough entrepreneurship training.

Over 7000 households have realised the benefits of using improvedstoves. Approximately 70 stove producers, promoters and stockists inWestern Kenya, are earning an additional income with 80% of thesebeing women. Ceramic stove production and marketing hasconsiderably improved women’s incomes and social status. Six groupsare benefiting from stove production in the Coastal region andShinyanga in Tanzania.

The project aims to improve the long-term health of women andchildren in poor rural households in Uganda and Tanzania by reducingthe level of exposure to indoor air pollution (IAP) from biomass fuels.The project funded by PPP is installing low-cost, practical, culturallyappropriate, and accessible smoke removal interventions such as hoods,windows, eaves spaces and improved stoves in kitchens using locallyavailable materials. Interventions have been designed, developed andimproved in consultation with women participating in the project.

150 members in ten parishes of Uganda have been involved in awarenesscreation meetings held in Uganda while 150 households located in fourwards in Tanzania were reached with IAP messages. Various smokereducing technologies, for instance smoke hoods, have been installedin a total of 200 households both in Tanzania and Uganda.

The project hopes to influence policy change on maternal and childhealth issues related to IAP through existing networks that will adoptbest practices and advocate for countrywide awareness creation on thedangers of smoke.

Over 300 households were involved in developing the technologies forthe project implementation. In total, 13 artisans have been trained onproduction of smoke reducing technologies.

Nairobi Urban PovertyPartnership Project (NUPPP)

Reducing the Health Risks for Mothers and Children fromIndoor Air Pollution in Uganda and Tanzania

East African Energy Technology Development Network(EAETDN)

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2003 Annual Report

The Micro Hydro Centre at Nottingham Trent Universityimplemented this project to demonstrate Pico Hydro technology inSub Saharan Africa. The project was used to enhance the understandingof the operational and technical features of a Pico hydro scheme and todevelop standards and code of practice for the new technology.

This project benefited greatly from community participation. This wasnecessary both to lower the installation cost and to foster a sense oflocal ownership. A Community Electricity Association was formedand a committee elected to manage the installation of the project andoversee the operation of the scheme. The consumers pay a connectionfee since the commissioning of the turbine. This has covered the costsof the distribution cables, house wiring and energy saving light bulbs.

The project is lighting 157 homes in Thima and 67 homes in Kathamba.Each household has two lamps rated at 8 Watts each and a socket outlet.Load metres have been fixed to ensure uniform power distribution.

As a result of improved lighting, security has also improved steadily. Atthe same time, the project has strengthened social networks resultingfrom ties initiated during the implementation period.

Meanwhile schools have recorded improved education standards.Children enjoy more hours of reading in bright light.

The Maasai, though culturally endowed are economically weak.MIDPP aims to reduce poverty among the Maasai people living inKajiado and surrounding districts in Kenya and Tanzania. The projectwill improve co-ordination and the quality of development activitiesthat contribute to poverty reduction in Magadi Division of KajiadoDistrict. The project aims to influence the district’s leadership to bringtogether all the development partners in the locality for planning andimplementing development activities together to avoid duplication andachieve maximum impacts and benefit the community.

The project targets to improve education, health, water, micro-enterprise, and infrastructure delivery. MIDPP has so far trained 145Community Health Workers on HIV/AIDS and communicablediseases. A campaign to step up hygiene, health and sanitation in thisregion has started changing lifestyle especially matters regardingpersonal environmental hygiene. Three hundred families are now usingtoilets and six kitchen gardens have been established.

Meanwhile, six women have opened new enterprises after receivingbusiness management training and benefiting from the seed fundingloan from the Micro-enterprise Development sector. At the same time,six demonstration houses and two latrines have been constructed usingappropriate local building materials.

The community members have responded well to appropriate buildingtechnologies with 13 houses coming up. The Danish Embassy facilitatedthe work of the project.

Urban management has shifted focus to thedevelopment of local governance. Thecontribution of the local stakeholders isachieving greater recognition as a means togood urban governance. Malindi YouthProject is assessing the practices of youthand their institutions with an objective ofdeveloping a youth consultative council.

This is expected to boost youthparticipation in local government mattersenhancing their contribution to bettergovernance of our cities and towns. Theproject will enhance the understandingamongst stakeholders on the need tointegrate young people in the developmentprocesses in Kenya.

Plans to organise a youth day to createawareness and profile what the youth aredoing are underway. This will alsointroduce incentives for the newly formedward level committees.

Integrated Approach to Housing Project(IAHP) builds on the Enabling StandardsHousing Project that has served as aspringboard for ITDG-EA’s activities inNakuru Municipality. The project targetsseven low-income residentialneighbourhoods in Nakuru and addressesissues of integrated housing strategies bybringing together the Local Authority, localCBOs and linking initiatives to nationallevel planning and policy processes.

The integrated nature of IAHP means thatincome generation will be linked to shelterimprovement and access to adequate basicurban services. As a build up from theEHSP, IAHP has focused on developingand reviewing literature that will lead tointegrated shelter strategy as well asenhancing the artisans’ skills. ITDG-EA isexploring waste recycling for possiblewealth creation.

On access to information, the OASISwebsite created to address the needs of themicro and small-scale enterprises hasenabled artisans to interact widely in this‘information highway’. The project has alsointroduced a number of sanitation optionsand facilitated the formation of housingcooperatives for purposes of accessingcredit aimed at shelter improvement.

Community Pico Hydro in Sub-Saharan Africa Malindi Youth Project

Integrated Approach to HousingProject

Maasai Integrated Development Partnership project(MIDPP)

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2003 Annual Report

The goal of the Integrated Urban HousingProject is to aid low-income householdsaccess adequate safe and secure shelter.

As part of its strategy to target resource-poor households, the project team carriedout an inventory exercise for the resource-poor self-help groups within seven low-income settlements in Nakurumunicipality. 117 community memberswere trained in business planning,marketing and technical skills. A samplesurvey carried out during a review exerciseshowed that 37 trainees had devolved theacquired skills to over 250 othercommunity members in their respectivegroups and neighbourhoods.

Improvement of water and sanitation hasalso been carried out. Landlords owningimproved houses have constructed over 45toilets and 11 bathrooms. Five soak pitshave also been constructed to cater forwastewater within these neighbourhoods.Meanwhile three housing cooperatives forand by the community members have beenestablished in the low-income areas. Thishas resulted to improved access to housingcredit.

The project beneficiaries live in KwaRhoda, Bondeni, and Lakeviewsettlements. Today, the target residents havejoined the numerous saving schemes, andsome of them have turned savings intohousing investments.

Poor economic governance has afflicted development of infrastructurein the Lake Victoria region. Despite being the source of the highlymarketable fish and fish products, the economic power of the peopleliving on the fringes of the lake has continued to degenerate.Infrastructure too has deteriorated over time.

CDS targets poverty reduction and provides a unique opportunity toaddress infrastructure development in the lake Victoria regionaddressing economic growth and increased employment. The projectis advocating for democratic governance. This involves strengtheningthe Local Authorities administrative frameworks in line with principlesof democracy, transparency, accountability and partnership developmentin the delivery of infrastructure services to the populace.

CDS is mobilizing municipal governments and other stakeholderstowards improved strategies for urban environment and povertyreduction. The project is building consensus on the key environmentalissues, to be used in developing a framework for preparing andimplementing City Development Strategies in the three cities. Thisproject is a deliberate effort to address the absence of effective planningin cities and to complement the master planning approach, which ismainly physical in nature and often non-inclusive.

Transport problems abound in Kenya and the greater Eastern Africaregion. This has been one of the biggest hindrances to development. InKenya, poor transport infrastructure has cost the nation greatopportunities of growth and progression, not only in the economicsector, but also in the related field of medicine. Numerous lives havebeen lost because of hampered access to medical help in time.

It is estimated that 80% of transport activities in the Sub Saharan Africaare executed through loading produce on people’s heads or backs,especially women. These activities are associated with a lot of drudgeryand consume a lot of time that would be otherwise used in moreproductive activities.

The Transport Project endeavours to reduce the associated drudgeryassociated with transport activities through information sharing,introduction and promotion of various technologies and policiessurrounding transport issues. This project is being implemented inKathekani, Kajiado and Ndhiwa, targeting women who bear the hardestbrunt of transport burdens due to culturally defined gender roles.Women are also disadvantaged in that they have limited economiccapacity to apply appropriate technology and are more often than notisolated in the policy-making process and implementation ofinterventions and initiatives.

The project has worked with partners in improving roads in the areasof operation. Women have been trained on donkey loading practicesand use of other technologies such as carts and bicycles for transport ofgoods and people. This has been further strengthened by an exposurevisit to Kitui, an area where donkeys are widely used.

Integrated Urban Housing Project Transport Programme East Africa

Lake Victoria Region City/Municipal DevelopmentStrategies (CDS)

IUL is an international project beingimplemented in Kenya, Zimbabwe andSudan. In Kenya, the project is based inMavoko and Nakuru municipalities. IULhopes to improve the livelihoods of theurban poor through increasing their accessto income generating opportunities,improving their security of tenure, andensuring adequate shelter and access tobasic services.

The project, in liaison with the Kenya LandAlliance has sensitized beneficiaries on theregulations that govern land ownership asstipulated in the Kenyan draft constitution.Among the tools used was the ‘Million andOne Signatures’ campaign in support ofdecent shelter and secure land tenure. Theexercise was carried out both in Nakuruand Nairobi.

Improving Urban Livelihoods (IUL)

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2003 Annual Report

Extreme potential exists in the fields of ICTs and biotechnology. Materialsciences are enhancing growth through technological development,providing access to markets, information and knowledge. The neo-technological developments driven by appropriate ICT tools are crucialin transforming societies and realising new wealth generation in EasternAfrica. This is a one-time opportunity to promote indigenoustechnologies for the advancement of the East African people.

ITDG-EA is enabling poor people assess opportunities and threatspresented by at least two modern technologies. Distinctively, theorganisation is monitoring and disseminating information on aGenetically Modified (GM) crop as a case study. This will be done ina partnership both locally and regionally.

The organisation seeks to identify and test potential opportunities forpoverty reduction presented by the new technologies. This will involvepromoting the use of Information and Communication Technologies(ICTs) among the poor through capacity building. ITDG-EA willenable the poor cope with disasters using new technologies andcomplementary indigenous knowledge while formulating national pro-poor ICT polices in the region.

Currently, the regulatory and institutional environment for newtechnologies does not favour the poor. ITDG-EA is advocating forremoval of regulatory, political and financial obstacles to thedevelopment of communication facilities and tools so as to meet theneeds of the poor. The organisation will also lobby the informationsociety to ensure that the concerns, needs and interests of women arerecognised, their rights and dignity respected, and their contributionsto the formulation and implementation of creative solutions to thedigital divide incorporated. This is a new area of operation necessitatedby the changing trends in development work.

Responding to New Technologies

“ ”To enable poor men and women to assess and respond to the challenges of new technologies,and to develop and adopt applications that contribute to poverty reduction

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2003 Annual Report

ITDG-EA was awarded the contract todocument the achievements and impactsof the UNDP-GEF projects under theCOMPACT Initiative. This project willlead to knowledge sharing anddissemination of UNDP-GEF projectsfindings to a wider audience. Leaflets anddisplay panels have been produced. Theproject’s audio-visual materials are at anadvanced stage of production, but a baselinevideo has already been submitted.

COMPACT addresses environmentalconcerns and meets the needs of localcommunities simultaneously. COMPACToffers financial and technical assistance tocommunity-based initiatives that serve toimprove livelihoods, while addressing thethreats, which jeopardize ecologicalintegrity in protected areas. The projectlays emphasis on World Heritage Sites andglobally significant coral reefs.

A toolkit detailing good practice in combining traditional media andmodern communication technologies in communicating developmentis ready. The ultimate objective of this project has thus been attained.The toolkit was developed after a thorough learning and understandingof the communication systems in selected rural communities. The kitwas then pre-tested in Kakamega, Namanga, Nakuru and parts ofNairobi before going to press.

The Micro Media toolkit, in the form of a card pack, will improvecommunication between Community Based Organisations and thecommunities they work with. This will aid CBO staff working directlywith poor people especially in undertaking developmentcommunication activities. The card pack is non-prescriptive andinforms its users of the appropriate information and communicationoptions at their disposal.

Among the issues contained in this toolkit is the effective use of songsand dance, puppetry, photographs, and public gatherings in devolvinginformation to rural communities. The toolkit targets developmentagencies wishing to improve knowledge dissemination among ruralcommunities. The project was funded by DFID.

Eight women residing on 10 by 10 feet plots in Redeemed Village havereceived title deeds confirming ownership of 0.5 acre of land each. Theland was acquired using proceeds from the 2001 APC BetinhoCommunications Award worth US $ 7,500, which the women wonthrough their captivating video production.

Meanwhile ‘Our Work, Our Lives’, a 23-minute video production bythe women of Magadi has been launched. The project ‘No More Grey’is a replication of the initial WICT activities in Mathare B and Redeemedvillages in Nairobi. ‘No More Grey’ won the 2002 Bernard ConyersAward worth UK£ 3,500. The Magadi video portrays the variouschallenges and successes faced by women in development efforts.

Community Management ofProtected Areas Conservation(COMPACT)

Micro Media

Women Information Communication Technology (WICT)

the PROJECTS

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2003 Annual Report

Directorate Mktg & Fdrsg Aim I Aim II Aim III Total

Government Grants 0 21,707 8,502,547 8,610,935 63,960,908 81,096,097

NGO Grants 0 3,776,128 40,350,575 400 22,599,117 66,726,220

Other Grants 0 0 0 0 548,508 548,508

Donations 0 1,224,217 0 0 2,458,745 3,682,962

Other Grants 205,590 177,583 23,923,742 767,552 27,927,195 53,001,662

Sales of Materials 0 25,369 28,000 17,500 14,609 85,478

External Consultancy 0 70,660 0 560,499 490,852 1,122,011

Internal Consultancy 0 0 0 1,073,949 0 1,073,949

Bank Interest Received 4,890 0 0 0 0 4,890

Total 210,480 5,295,664 72,804,864 11,030,835 117,999,934 207,341,777

ITDG-EA’s expenditure per unit

Income for the year ended 31st March2003

Financial Report

NB: The expenditure of the newlycreated Aim IV was covered underthe Marketing & Fund-raising unit.

Aim I

Aim II

Aim III

Directorate Marketing & Fund-raising 7%

34%

8%

44%

7%

16

• Agricultural Research Fund/KenyaAgricultural Research Institute ARF/KARI

• Ashden Trust• Bilance• British Embassy• Canadian Transportation Agency

CTA• Catholic Fund for Overseas

Development CAFOD• Catholic Organisation for Relief and

Development Aid CORDAID• Catholic Relief Services CRS• Centre for Development and

Environment CDE• Centre for Training and Integrated

Research in Arid and Semi-aridLands Development CETRAD

• Danish Agency for DevelopmentAssistance DANIDA

• Danish Embassy• Department for International

Development DfID• DIPECHO• East Africa Portland Cement

Company• EEC• Elisabeth & Rausing Trust

Foundation

• Elton John Foundation• Enterprise Development Innovation

Fund EDIF• European Commission EC• European Union EU• Evangelischer

Entwicklungsdienst EED• Food and Agricultural Organisation

FAO• German Technical Cooperation GTZ• Glaxo/Ajama• HCD Memorial Fund• Interface for Cycling Expertise ICE• Intermediate Technology

Consultants ITC• International Development

Research Centre IDRC• International Institute of Rural

Reconstruction IIRR• International Labour Organisation

ILO• JJ Charitable Trust• KREP• Lottery UK• Lutheran World Relief• National Aids Control Council• National Lottery• NCEP• Nottingham Trent University NTU

• Open Gate Trust• Overseas Development Institute

ODI• Oxfam• Protected Areas Conservation

Trust PACT• Rotary Club• Shell International• Sponsorship Fund• The Ford Foundation• The PPP Foundation• United Nations Development

Programme UNDP• United Nations Environment

Programme UNEP• UN-HABITAT• United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees UNCHR• University of Liverpool• University of Loughborough• United States Agency for

International Development USAID• United States Institute of Peace

USIP• Voluntary Services Overseas VSO• Water for People-Canada• William D. Ford Trust• Zepher Charitable Trust

A list of our donors

2003 Annual Report

VisionA world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used to the

benefit of all.

MissionITDG aims to help eradicate poverty in developing countries through the

development and use of technology, by demonstrating results, sharingknowledge and influencing others.

AmbitionTo become the leading international authority on the use of technology to

reduce poverty in developing countries.