Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID-P), strengthened by Danida/ Danish Refugees Council (DRC) in three key areas; MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning), Finance, and Resource Mobilization has cascaded the capacities to community-based organizations (CBOs) in Isiolo County. Under the Girl Generation- African Led Movement (TGG ALM) project, funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through Options Limited, MID-P has been tasked with a responsibility to support and build the capacity of 14 CBOs ((42 participants: 22F:23M) in Isiolo county. These CBOs have received training in Governance, Finance, Human Resources (HR), Procurement, and MEAL, which has improved their ability to manage projects and resources effectively. Following the footsteps of DRC that has supported MID-P and four other organizations in different parts of the country through the localization agenda, MID-P will also be passing on the mantle to other CBOs. MID-P’s ability to cascade the support it received through Danida/DRC has helped strengthen local organizations, contributing to the broader localization agenda of supporting grassroots communities to become more self-sufficient, accountable, and transparent. Through tailored training and ongoing monitoring, MID-P has helped these CBOs adopt new tools (list of participants and payment schedule), strengthen their governance structures, and enhance the quality of their programming. The cascading capacity building efforts have resulted in…

Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID-P), is a local NGO that was formed in the year 2000 as an exit strategy for Action Aid Kenya. In the year 2003, the organization was registered as an NGO with the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Coordination Board. MID-P has made strides in strengthening its resource mobilization efforts, ensuring its sustainability and capacity to serve the community. Operating across all 10 Wards in Isiolo County, MID-P has faced numerous challenges in resource mobilization, including the limited capacity of the Board of Directors to engage in fundraising, a lack of unrestricted or own funds, and an underdeveloped social enterprise. The organization recruited a Fundraising Officer. with support from another partner, and has struggled to sustain the position financially. Through partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and funding from DANIDA, MID-P was able to strengthen its resource mobilization capacity. DRC's support focused on three key areas: Resource Mobilization, Monitoring and Evaluation and Finance. Under the resource mobilization component, the organization was able to retain its Fundraising Officer, who has led the fundraising department with success. MID-P’s annual turnover was KES 144,868,855 in 2022, and it increased to KES 183,104,252 in 2023 as per the organizational annual Audit report. MID-P developed 24 proposals to date, of which 10…

In the remote village of Laborshereki in Oldonyiro Ward, Isiolo County, lies Nabore Group of 12 members, established in February 2024, under Promoting Resilience Inclusivity and Meaningful Engagement (PRIME) program being implemented by MID- P in partnership with Mercy Corps. The group’s mission is to foster financial savings and provide a safe space for learning essential skills to improve their lives. a 26-years-old Napanuni Lesaibile is a member of Nabore GIRL group, a mother of four (a daughter and three sons), has become a leader and an agent of change within her community. Through the support from Nabore Group, Napanuni took a KES 10,000 loan in October, 2024 to construct a toilet, which is currently a critical sanitation issue within her village. Her initiative to build a toilet came after the group was introduced to safe space sessions under the PRIME project, which includes various topics like nutrition and hygiene promotion among others. Nine groups in Oldonyiro with 135 participants are currently undergoing the safe space training sessions, which is having positive impacts, like participants learning how to handle newborn, knowing different variety of foods to consume for good nutrition and good hygiene practices like hand washing and using toilets. Nabore group has a total savings of KES 75,000, With…

  Living in a pastoralist community has its challenges, especially where only men are expected to be breadwinners of their families, however, Chuluqe Adan Jarso has changed the narrative and set the pace for other women in her area. Chuluqe Adan, a 24-year-old mother of two girls living in Sericho town of Isiolo county. She is a hardworking mum who became the sole breadwinner of her family after her husband lost his job as a security guard. Suddenly there was no source of income like before and with the little savings they had with her husband, she saw a market niche and opened a butchery in the year 2020, which was the only source of income for the family at the time. However, in December, 2023, they were affected by the heavy floods in Sericho which led them to close down the butchery. They had to move to another area because their house was among the ones affected and the price of livestock shoot up hence, she could not continue with the butchery business. Chuluqe is a member of Lelo Self Help Group, a women group consisting of 17 members, which was formed under the GIRL-H program by MID-P in partnership with Mercy Corps. The group members do savings and…

In the heart of Ngaremara Ward, Isiolo County, lies Manyatta Zebra, a small rural center occupied by the Turkana community. Agnes Nakwawi, 28 years old, the Neema group chairlady is a mother of 6 children, 2 girls and 4 boys. She lives with her six children, her husband, sister and mother-in-law. During the onset of the December 2023 heavy rainfall, Agnes and her husband decided to utilize the 1-acre piece of land they had that was adjacent to their home. Agnes got training through Neema Girl Improving Resilience through Livelihood (GIRL) Group from a mentor under the predecessor of PRIME Program; GIRL-H Program. The content of the training included business skills and exposed them to different business opportunities they could venture into as a group and individuals. She saw an opportunity out of the difficult time of getting access to different vegetables because one had to go to Isiolo town which is 24 Kilometers away or wait for market day in Corner village which is on Wednesdays. One is forced to buy fruits and vegetables to use for the whole week and sometimes it would go bad after a day or two. After identifying that there was a gap in accessing necessary food items especially fruits and vegetables, she came…

In Kinna Ward, nestled within Isiolo County, the Yumna GIRL group flourishes amidst a backdrop of adversity. Comprising 24 resilient young women, their journeys have been fraught with challenges emblematic of the harsh realities of their environment: drought-induced famine, impoverished nutrition, early pregnancies, forced marriages, and the abandonment of education due to familial obligations and financial constraints. At the heart of their story lies a beacon of hope: a program tailored to uplift out-of-school girls, nurturing their life skills, fortifying their personal agency, and fostering social bonds. This initiative, known as PRIME safe spaces, endeavors to guide these young women towards sustainable pathways, be it in entrepreneurship, vocational training, or livelihood pursuits, ensuring safety and suitability every step of the way. In January 2023, amidst the arid terrain, a transformative event unfolded. A community mobilization and awareness session convened within the precincts of the chief's office, beckoning the local populace to rally behind the cause of empowering adolescent and young girls in the parched expanses of Arid and Semi-Arid regions. Anticipation hung thick in the air as the gathering awaited the commencement of the enrollment process. Each participant, bearing the weight of her own trials and triumphs, stood poised on the threshold of possibility. Some arrived accompanied by their children,…

Flourishing vegetables and fruits welcome a visitor to Bisanadi Cultural Village in Kinna Ward giving the impression of a model farm tucked in a region where agronomy is regarded as an alien concept. From beans to green grams, tomatoes to capsicum, bulb onions to orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, an apiary and two fishponds, they all proclaim the success of this farm. At another corner is pawpaw and mango fruit trees which the chairlady of this cultural center says have waiting buyers. “There is a ready market for the pawpaw fruits once they are ready for harvest. We entered into a contractual agreement and the buyer will dispatch a vehicle to ferry them to Meru Town,” says Makai Mamo, the chairlady. Incidentally, farming activity has been going on for barely five years but the transformation on a previously bare piece of land is enormous. “This centre began as a cultural centre targeting tourists visiting the neighbouring Meru National Park who would spend time at our cottages. The visitors would be entertained with Borana traditional songs and dances as well as educate them about our culture and traditions,” explains Mamo. Later, the group comprising 18 women and seven men decided to diversify into agriculture to boost their income and produce food for their…

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