Development cooperation
For several years, the French Embassy has been providing support to Kenyan civil society organizations. Between 2001 and 2017, the Social Fund for Development (FSD), subsequently funded more than 119 projects promoted by civil society organizations, for a total amount of 3.2 million euros. The current program named Innovative Projects from Civil Societies and Coalitions of Actors (PISCCA) replaced the FSD and became the main French Embassy tool to support Kenyan civil society organizations.
Within the framework of the PISCCA fund, the French Embassy in Kenya launched a new call for proposals called Ell’imu for Kenyan civil society organizations. For 2 years (2021-2022), this fund will focus on supporting girls and young women’s education in Kenya in four priority areas.
This call for applications lasted one month, and was a real success as more than 222 projects were received from over two-thirds of the counties. After a review that considered the following four criteria (project sustainability, innovation, beneficiaries, project feasibility/management capacity), the following 8 projects were selected by the committee for funding in 2021:
1) inABLE :
Project Name: Distance learning and Vocational skills empowerment training for blind and sighted young girls.
Location: In schools in Thika, Meru, Siaya and Mombasa counties.
Project objective: This project aims to integrate blind girls in four schools in four counties in Kenya through digital skills training with adapted tools. The girls will learn to use screen readers, digital tablets, and software to develop job skills and work with their peers.
2) Lakehub Foundation :
Project name: She codes
Location: Kisumu and Turkana counties
Project Objective: This project aims to train 110 girls in Kisumu and Turkana in computer coding and mobile app creation.
3) Nyanza Initiative for Girls’ Education & Empowerment (NIGEE)
Project name: The future is now
Location: Kisumu County
Project objective: The project aims to facilitate access to online education for 200 adolescent girls on the one hand, and on the other hand, to enable 100 young girls (living in informal settlements in Kisumu County and having dropped out of school) to acquire vocational skills.
4) RefuSHE:
Project name: Enhancing Access to Livelihoods and Capacity for Self-Reliance for Refugee Girls and Young Women in Nairobi
Location: Nairobi County
Project objective: As part of PISCCA, RefuSHE will implement a vocational and digital skills development program to increase the capacity of young urban refugee girls. The objective of this project is to enable these young women to become self-sufficient and create small businesses through the various trainings provided.
5) Raising Futures Kenya :
https://www.raisingfutureskenya.org.uk
Project name: Seed of Hope Kitui : empowering young women to build rewarding futures through vocational training and wellbeing support
Location: Kitui County
Project Objective: The project aims to reduce unemployment and poverty in Kitui (a marginalized rural area that was severely affected by COVID19) by training 415 vulnerable youth (75% girls and young women (311), 25% boys (104)) to find employment or start a small business. The beneficiaries will become financially independent, able to contribute to their household income and save regularly. They will live above the poverty line, improving their socio-economic status and personal resilience.
6) Mathare Foundation :
http://www.matharefoundation.org/
Project name: Breaking Gender Barriers
Location: Nairobi County
Project Goal: This project will work with local communities to engage girls and young women in sports and women’s leadership activities. This will include increasing the participation of girls and young women in the soccer league in Nairobi by creating an enabling and gender-sensitive environment.
7) Transforming Young Stars of Africa (TYSA) :
Project name: Wasichana tunaweza (Girls we can)
Location: Turkana County
Project objective: The project aims to promote the active participation of girls and young women in soccer in Turkana West sub-county. 40 girls and 40 young women will be trained as sports coaches, mentors and youth leaders
8) Somali Lifeline Organization (SOLO):
https://www.somalilifeline.org/
Project name: Garissa Education for Women and Girls (GEWG)
Location: Garissa County
Project Goal: The project will aim to support digital skills training for girls and young women in Garissa. This project will start at the end of the year.
The remaining funds for 2022 will be used primarily for organizations that implement projects in two areas that were underrepresented in the selection process: health and hygiene education and vocational training. If you have a project, on one of these two themes, you can contact us by email here: cooperation.nairobi@diplomatie.gouv.fr
We will get back to you shortly to explore the possibility of cooperation between our two organizations.