KENYA

Protecting and Restoring Economic Sustainability to Ensure Reduced Vulnerability (PRESERV)

Successive seasons of failed rains have resulted in critical widespread water shortages and crop failures, and have contributed to mass livestock deaths, threatening the livelihoods and daily survival of communities in eastern Kenya. In June 2011, the Government of Kenya declared the drought situation a national disaster with over 2.9 million people in need of assistance to date. The severity of the 2011 drought in Kenya has been further exacerbated by rising food prices, sporadic conflict over resources, and interrupted local market systems.

In response, CHF is implementing the Protecting and Restoring Economic Sustainability to Ensure Reduced Vulnerability (PRESERV) project with funding from USAID/OFDA. PRESERV aims to assist more than 30,000 people by protecting livelihoods through improved access to income and agricultural support. This is being accomplished by integrating emergency cash assistance with agricultural inputs and training for affected farmers. Capacity building and training focuses on increasing yields by using drought-appropriate planting methods and promoting agriculture-based income generation. PRESERV also includes cash-for-work to support agricultural production through activities such as the construction of water harvesting systems and other activities that bolster agricultural production. Other activities include Seed Fairs, which connect farmers to seed vendors to ensure that farmers are able to plant critical staple food crops in time for the most important rainy period and support for livestock by providing vulnerable households with fodder during the most critical period.

Read more about CHF's drought response activities in East Africa.

Building Local Capacity to Treat HIV/AIDS

The aim of CHF’s work in Kenya is to leave behind a legacy of local organizations that can effectively enable Kenyan communities to live and thrive despite HIV/AIDS. Since 2004, CHF International has been working to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in Kenya by improving the ability of local, community and faith-based organizations to provide high quality HIV/AIDS services.

Through a partnership with the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion Kenya, and with funding from the U.S. Centers for disease control, CHF is currently working to strengthen the national blood transfusion system to ensure a safe and sufficient blood supply in Kenya. CHF is working with the Kenyan National Blood Transfusion Service to ensure an adequate and timely supply of safe blood and blood products to health facilities in Kenya. This community-based approach will strengthen the capacity of Kenya’s own health systems to provide a strong supply of clean and safe blood for blood transfusions and other health needs; in turn preventing the transmission of blood-borne diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Learn more by visiting CHF Kenya's website or the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service website.