KENYA RED CROSS HOSTSONE BILLION COALITION CONFERENCE

AND AFRICA LEARNING FORUMON COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

A Weekly Bulletin Of The Kenya Red Cross SocietyFriday, 1 December 2017 Issue 229

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The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) played host to the One Billion Coalition (1BC) Conference and the Africa Learning Forum on Community Resilience aimed at strengthening community-based and inclusive resilience programming. The two events took place between 27th – 29th November 2017.

The 1BC conference specifically sought to introduce and localise the initiative among National Societies and other line stakeholders, define the coalition entry points, map opportunities for peer to peer sharing as well as define the building blocks needed for scaling purposes.

The learning forum also strived to provide a platform to discuss the issue of resilience or the ability to cope with shock and stress including natural disasters, climate change, conflict and economic shocks. It further provided the important opportunity for participants to share and exchange knowledge, experience and lessons from community resilience programming and foster greater collaboration and partnership. In addition to these, the forum explored how different organi-

zations/societies define and contribute to building resilience with the vulnerable communities.

The objectives included to share first hand voices from the community, based on the experiences and lessons from research and implementation of resilience projects; explore the root causes of lowered resilience of communities and develop a common understanding on building community resilience; facilitate cross-fertilization of ideas to generate learning, new insights and perspectives on building community resilience; and to better understand the policy frameworks and commitments on resilience, take stock on their implementation in East Africa, Horn of Africa, Southern Africa and Sahel regions as well jointly identify emerging policy issues of influence in the country, regions, continent and globally.

“We are here today to try a broad-base mobilization of local, regional and global stakeholders who are committed to the common cause of building resilience for our communities,” Dr. Abbas Gullet, Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross said.

“One Billion Coalition is to make local resilience count. We need to explore how different societies contribute to building of resilience for the vulnerable people in our respective countries and societies.”

The growing importance of community resilience building is evident in Global commitments such as the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction (2015-2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with targets on ‘building resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations, and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters’

The IFRC has been investing in community resilience building through several initiatives including ‘the One Billion Coalition for resilience, Framework for commu-

nity resilience, East Africa Framework for community resilience and the Roadmap to community resilience. The Road Map to Resilience (R2R) is being piloted in Kenya and Zimbabwe with the aim of rolling it out in the other countries. The pilot phase will generate learning points to inform revisions or updates to the Roadmap.

“Once Billion Coalition is very critical to all of us. We looked at this as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as part of the 2015 post-framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. We hope that in ten years, we will be able to have one billion people who are part of the resilience agenda,” Fatou-mata Nafo-Traoré, IFRC Regional Director for Africa said.

As part of promoting learning, Kenya Red Cross Society

in collaboration with International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) organize the learning forum every two years to provide opportu-nities to explore emergent issues of prime importance to resilience programming. Overall, these learning fo-rums target to bring participants to a common under-standing on the topic of resilience, examine emerging trends, issues and challenges, and explore and pro-pose appropriate courses of action in response to the emergent trends.

Participants included National Societies from Horn of Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa and Sahel, Part-ners National Societies, IFRC, ICRC, IGAD – IDDRSI and ICPAC, Government of Kenya representation, Private sector, Academia, NGOs/CSOs and CBOs involved in resilience programming.

Participants at the One Billion Coalition Conference and the Africa Learning Forum on Resilience. PHOTO: KRCS

KRCS Secretary General,Dr.Abbas Gullet giving his welcoming remarks. PHOTO: KRCS

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SUB RECIPIENTS MEETING FOR THE GLOBAL FUND HIV GRANT

A meeting was held between the Kenya Red Cross Global Fund programme and Sub Recipients of the HIV grant that has been in operation from 2012 but which is scheduled to close in December 2017.

The closeout meeting with the respective Chief Execu-tive Officers aimed at sharing of target tracking, provide feedback on programmatic and financial performance of Sub Recipient (SRs), give update on the process of closeout with all local implementing partners and community experiences, expound on the contribution of KRCS GF HIV Grant to national response as well as share success of the grant.

At the onset of the grant, the Kenya Coordinating Mechanism appointed the Kenya Red Cross Society

as the Principal Recipient for the grant for non-state actors and the Ministry of Finance as the Principal Re-cipient for the Government of Kenya.

Throughout the implementing period, KRCS has man-aged to sustain consistent high level of performance with an A 1 and A2 ratings throughout the grant period.

A total of 100,514 people living with HIV (PLHIV) have been supported. It included home visits and psy-chosocial support, adherence counselling, defaulter tracing and treatment literacy in 27 high HIV burden counties through 4,857 trained community health vol-unteers across linked community units.

The grant also established a strong referral and linkage

with maternal child health units in various health facil-ities throughout the 25 counties (with the highest bur-den of HIV) of implementation, managing to support the referral and follow up of 60% of pregnant women for at least four antenatal care visits.

More achievements were attained through working with SRs to provide comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services to the key pop-ulation, most at risk of HIV infection by ensuring quar-terly service delivery and cohort maintenance.

The programme also established 18 wellness centres, nine PWIDs Drop in Centres as well as three mobile vans to support reach of hard-to-reach beneficiaries.

Many health facilities have to date benefitted through the distribution of health equipment that has supported 480 government and faith based health facilities within the 25 counties in 2014; 1,882 government and faith based health facilities within the 35 counties in 2016 and 133 government and faith based health facilities within the 36 counties in 2017. The health equipment were mainly for maternity units, reproductive health services, nutritional assessment and comprehensive care for children, pregnant mothers and PLHIV.

The programme further strengthened the capacity of SRs at implementation level to enable them effectively and continuously plan, track, and report on programme performance and expected results; and link funds utilization to program outcomes for prudent utilization and accounting for the funds. Some of the SRs have received other funding based on their exceptional performance in this grant hence increas-ing their portfolios towards becoming stronger institutions.

Emily Muga, Ag. Deputy Secretary General and Head of Special Programmes at KRCS giving her remarks at the closeout meeting with Sub Recipients. PHOTO: KRCS

Dr. Abbas Gullet delivering his remarks during the Global Fund Programme closeout meeting with Sub Recipients. PHOTOS: KRCS

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YOUTH DIALOGUE IN MOMBASA

Youth engaging in open dialogue in Mombasa. PHOTO: KRCS

“Such forums give us a chance as young people to be heard. Most of us feel left out many a times because people look down upon our views with the notion that we know nothing on the contrary, we want to be heard,” said Juma Ali Omar.

Youth dialogues are a vital component under the project Conflict Prevention Peace and Economic Opportunities for youth in Kenya as it provides a platform for young people in the targeted counties to air out their grievances and propose relevant solutions.

On 23rd of November 2017, the project team in Mombasa facilitated a youth dia-logue that was attended by a total of 125 young people in the coastal town. The Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, Dr. Abass Gullet and the Coastal Region Manager Hassan Musa among those in attendance.

Some of the issues discussed at the forum touched on youth unemployment and involvement in drug abuse and gang violence. The youth were able to point out the pull and push factors that included; the feeling of being socially and economically marginalization, lack of identity among others.

In his discussion with the youth during the dialogue, Dr. Gullet encouraged them to take up opportunities available for them through various actors including KRCS, to better their lives.

“The Kenya Red Cross Society is ready to support you if you are willing to change for

the better. You need to take that bold step and look in the right direction,” Dr. Abass Gullet said.

Conflict Prevention Peace and Economic Opportunities for Youth in Kenya is a proj-ect Funded by the European Union under the Emergency Trust fund and Imple-mented by the Kenya Red Cross Society.

The project seeks to increase peace and stability in Kenya by supporting youth to engage in economic activities. It focuses on providing livelihood skills and vocation-al training for youth in eight target counties including: Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, Garissa, Mandera and Wajir.

While unemployment remains a global issue, if not addressed the youth in the affect-ed regions could become soft targets for recruitment into gang and terror groups.

One of the expected results is to enhance the understanding of the causes of conflict through analysis of the underlying drivers, the effect of the grievances and needs on the youth or the socio-economical composition of marginalised youth.

Similar dialogues with the youth and security actors will be held in Kilifi andMombasa with a focus on building trust among the youth and security actors on 5th and 6th of December respectively. These dialogues will be conducted in partnership with the Office of the President.

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THE ETHICS AND ANTI CORRUPTION COMMISSION DONATES TOWARDS DISASTER RELIEF

The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC), Kenya donated Kshs. 600,000 to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) to help in Disaster Relief in the Country. The cheque was handed over by the Chair of the Commission Rtd. Archbishop Eliud Wa-

bukala in the company of the Commissioners, Chief Executive Officer Halakhe Waqo and Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Mubea to the KRCS Secretary General Dr. Abbas Gullet at EACC Headquarter Integrity Center in Nairobi.

The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Chair, Rtd. Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (2nd Left) leads the commission during a cheque presentation to the Kenya Red Cross Society. PHOTO: KRCS

The Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Dr Abbas Gullet receives a cheque from the Chair of the Commission Rtd. Archbishop Eliud Wabukala PHOTO: KRCS

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COURTESY VISIT BY MERU COUNTY GOVERNOR

Meru Governor Hon. Kiraitu Murungi and his Executve delegation during a consultative meeting with Kenya Red Cross officials led by the Secretary General, Dr. Abbas Gullet. PHOTO: KRCS

Governor Kiraitu Murungi being briefed about services offered by Eplus Ambulance. PHOTO: KRCS

The Meru Governor Hon. Kiraitu Murungi, his deputy, Hon. Titus Ntuchiu and mem-bers of the County Executive Committee paid a courtesy call to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) Headquaters at South ‘C’, Bellevue in Nairobi. The Governor and his delegation met the Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General, Dr Abbas Gullet, the KRCS Governor, Dr Muhamud Said and programme heads.

Also present during the event were KRCS Regional Managers and branch officials.Areas of discussion included possible partnership between the two institutions es-pecially in the areas of disaster response, food security and Water provision.

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CATCH-UP CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Catch up campaign outreach in Kurawa, North Horr spreaheaded by KRCS and UNICEF teams

Last lap of the MNH outreach at Takaiywa in Kolowa, East Pokot Sub-County

Outreach activities in Turkana West

Outreach activities in Wajir county.

Kenya Red Cross Society, South “C” (Bellevue), Red Cross Road, Off Popo Road | P.O. Box 40712, 00100-GPO, Nairobi, Kenya.Tel: (+254-20) 6003593/6002465/3950000 | Fax: (+254-20) 3950444 | Mobile: (+254) 703 037000/722 206958/733 333040

email: info@redcross.or.ke | Website: www.redcross.or.ke

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Prepared by the Communications Department