Health and Environment
Lifeskills Promoters in Health and Environment is committed to fostering a sustainable and healthy future by addressing key issues that impact communities. Our work focuses on providing care and support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), equipping learners with green life skills to promote environmental stewardship, and advocating for climate change policies and commitments at the county level. Through these initiatives, we empower individuals with the knowledge and resources needed to build resilience and create a positive impact on their surroundings.
In addition to our education and advocacy efforts, we emphasize environmental conservation, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and animal welfare. By promoting sustainable practices, ensuring access to clean water, and advocating for the humane treatment of animals, we strive to create healthier communities and ecosystems. Our integrated approach ensures that health, environment, and sustainability remain at the core of our initiatives, fostering a well-rounded and responsible society for future generations.
Projects Implemented
USAID- Nuru ya Mtoto Project (NYM)
Nuru Ya Mtoto (NYM) is a US Agency for International Development (USAID) project that is funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). USAID NYM is being implemented by a PATH Kenya–led consortium of Kenyan nongovernmental organisations over a five-year period (March 18, 2021 through March 17, 2026).
The project supports the Government of Kenya (GoK) in attaining its goal of addressing the HIV and AIDS response by safeguarding the rights and welfare of children and adolescents impacted by HIV and AIDS.
Achievments
MoUs with Ministry Of Health – Developed agreements through 9 SCHMTs resulting in enhanced nutritional assessments & joint household visits, improved enrolment of clients into the program through referrals from facilities, and effective follow ups of clients.
Clinical Partner (LVCT Health) – 100% line listing of children accessing HIV treatment, prompt sharing of VL results, Joint follow up meetings on suppression challenges.
Department of Children Services – 10 OVC supported with presidential bursaries
Ministry of Agriculture – 55 Caregivers trained and supported with vertical garden technology to farm in small spaced.
Sustainable Community Safety Nets through formation of caregiver saving groups.
Goals
Increased access to high-quality health and social services for OVC and families.
The project’s purpose focuses on improving the health and social services for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kisii County who have been infected with or impacted by HIV and AIDS.
Statistics
Orphans served based on Case plan
HIV positive children enrolled & supported to adhere to treatment
Girls reached with sanitary packs
Amount in Ksh. Caregivers have been able to save on their own
Caregivers (CG) participating in saving groups tend to graduate quickly from project support and have a means of meeting their basic needs sustainably beyond the duration of the project.
All CGs are encouraged to join such groups
Compassionate Care- Brooke East Africa
In Kenya, working donkeys often face inhumane treatment and mismanagement, resulting in poor physical condition, increased vulnerability to infection, and other health issues. Donkeys need 15kg of green forage daily to maintain their body weight, but many lack adequate nourishment, leading to malnutrition. Donkey owners and youth who care for the animals have been known to beat, whip, and overwork them, causing further health problems. These harsh living conditions, including long working hours, harsh environmental conditions, overuse, improper equipment, limited veterinary attention, and insufficient supplementary feed, can cause donkeys to suffer from skin diseases, parasites, lameness, and exhaustion.
About the project
Lifeskills Promoters (LISP) is collaborating with Brooke East Africa (BEA), a non-governmental organization that promotes animal welfare with a focus on working equines, to implement a donkey welfare program in Kenya.
The project aims to raise awareness of animal welfare and develop animal welfare skills within a supportive environment, particularly in schools in equine-owning communities in Kenya.
The project is being piloted in five primary and junior secondary schools where learners frequently interact with working donkeys. The learners are encouraged to form animal welfare clubs and take up community activities the promote the well being of donkeys. It also seeks to empower young donkey owners and users in urban areas to play an active role in promoting equine-friendly behaviors.
By increasing access to social and self-esteem support and capacity building in value-based life skills, young owners and users can develop a more positive self-image and sense of pride in their role as donkey caretakers. This enables them to sustainably rely on donkeys for income generation and personal development.
The project continues to raise awareness of donkey welfare concerns, promote the sustainable use of donkey labor, and emphasize proper care for the animals, particularly in equine-owning communities. The project helps learners appreciate the importance of animal welfare and promote equine-friendly behaviors within the school environment and neighboring communities.
MWENDO OVC
MWENDO OVC is a USAID-funded project that supports Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in 17 counties in the former Nyanza, Western, Nairobi, Coast and some parts of Rift Valley provinces of Kenya. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) leads a consortium of three partners including Maestral International and Health Innovations Kenya (HIK). MWENDO OVC focuses on addressing the social determinants of health to improve the well-being of children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS through:
- Increasing access to health and social services for OVC.
- Strengthening capacity of households and communities to protect and care for OVC.
- Strengthening child welfare and protection structures and systems for effective response in targeted counties.
MWENDO OVC takes a child-focused, family-centered and community-based approach that ensures the child’s well-being is nested within the household’s well-being. The Project uses a comprehensive case management model as the foundation and entry point for evidence and needs-based approach to ensure timely and effective service delivery.
Overall Targets
Children Targeted
Saving Groups Linked to Formal Financial Services
Children Reached
Learners reached by peer educators and suported to cope with everyday challenges
PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ENHANCING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Mworwaru SILC Group is one of the saving groups in Marani Ward, Kitutu Chache North in Kisii County. The group consists of 25 members – 23 female and 2 males. Mworuaru SILC Group was formed in September 2018 and is in the second cycle of savings. In their first cycle, they saved KES 178,000 and shared out KES 229,000 following interests made from loans and small businesses ventures that the group took up.
Ninety percent of the group members are living with HIV and taking care of Children Living with HIV (CLHIV) enrolled in MWENDO OVC.
Majority of the members of Mworwaru SILC group practice agriculture as a source of livelihood. Through Public Private Partnership, LifeSkills Promoters -MWENDO OVC’s Local Implementing Partner in Kisii County, linked the group to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) at Kitutu Chache. Through the linkage, the group was trained on SMART agriculture to improve their yield thus boosting their individual income.
“We taught the group members on the recommended agricultural practices, advised them on the kind of crops that will do well in this area, pest and disease control, crop spacing, post-harvest management among others,“ said Peter Oyaya, Marani Ward Agricultural Extension Officer. Peter has been very supportive of the group and has been on call whenever they need his services.
Jackline Kwamboka is a member of Mworwaru SILC Group. Jackline points out that through the training, she has seen improved quality and yield in her farm which translated to her getting more money for her household and savings. “Now I make more money from my bananas and vegetable, I used to grow my bananas very close to one another and would never take enough precautionary measures to protect my crops from pests and diseases,” said Jackline. “Now I follow what I was told by Mr. Oyaya and I have seen great improvement. I am now earning more from my farm,” Jackline added.
Through the improved income, Jackline now saves KES200 to 300 shillings weekly as compared to the first cycle when she could afford KES50 to 100 weekly.
LISP Targets
OVC Targeted
Current Active OVC
Children Reached
Household Reached
CLHIV Reached
WEZESHA OVC
The Wezesha Project supports outreach activities that foster emotional support for children.
Wezesha Project mobilizes and expands community-based responses to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. The activity works with local implementing partners, including non-governmental, faith- and community-based organizations and relevant Government of Kenya Ministries, including the Ministries of Labor, Social Security and Services, Health, Education, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
The activity aims to strengthen health and human capacity and promote inclusive, market-driven, environmentally sustainable economic growth.
The Wezesha Project uses a sustainable and family-centered approach to meet the basic needs of orphans and vulnerable children, regardless of faith. The activity supports community workers to conduct local needs assessments and develop realistic plans for improving household incomes, which allows families to better serve as primary caregivers to orphans and vulnerable children. Community volunteers provide counseling, health information, referrals and resources to address health needs. The activity also strengthens child protection structures to improve the well-being of children and increase market-driven vocational skills for older orphans and vulnerable children. Efforts to address gender inequalities and gender-based violence are integrated into project activities including efforts to engage girls and boys as leaders. The project also strengthens 20 community organizations to respond to orphan and vulnerable children needs effectively.
Youth Trained
Current Active OVC
- Coordinated with other orphan and vulnerable children stakeholders in the region to avoid duplication of efforts and identify critical needs
- Established a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to build the capacity of caregivers on household economic strengthening activities, such as bee keeping, green houses, goat rearing and poultry keeping
- Established a partnership with the Ministry of Education to facilitate life-skills training at selected local primary schools
- Selected local implementing partners to further activity objectives
- Increased community awareness of orphans and vulnerable children, and their needs community events and awareness activities
Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) Climate Change Governance Project
Climate change threatens Kenya’s economic growth and endangers Kenya becoming a prosperous country with a high quality of life for all. 
Kenya is vulnerable to climate change since the key drivers of the economy (agriculture, livestock, tourism, forestry, and fisheries) are climate-sensitive. This is coupled with the country’s low adaptive capacity to climate change, leading to high levels of vulnerability. Currently Climate Change is affecting the livelihoods of millions of people and it is foreseen to affect the livelihoods of future generations if immediate action to mitigate it is not taken. The greenhouse gas emissions resulting from anthropogenic factors are exacerbating climate change and these emissions continue to rise. They are now at their highest levels in history. To address this challenge there is need for different counties to put in place plans/ strategies and policies to carb climate change since different counties are affected differently depending on their contexts.
The impact of climate change over the next decades has the potential to reverse much of the progress made towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 2030. It also poses a serious challenge to Kenya’s social and economic development. This change will lead to major challenges in the economy, human life and on the environment.
It is against this backdrop that the Adaptation Consortium (ADA consortium) is implementing a Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) climate change project funded by DFID’s Deepening Democracy Program (DDP) through DAI. The 15 months program is implemented in six counties of LREB; Kisumu, Vihiga, Nandi, Kakamega, Bomet and Kisii. Christian Aid is the leading agency and grant holder within the ADA consortium in the implementation of this project. Christian aid is also working with local partners at the county level to establish County Climate Change Fund mechanism in six counties and Lifeskills Promoters is the implementing partner working in Kisii and Bomet counties.
Lifeskills Promoters started the Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) Climate Change Governance project in Bomet and Kisii Counties in February 2019. The overall objective of the program was to build the necessary capacity of LREB Counties and local institutions to scale out County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) mechanism. It also aims at supporting county governments mainstream climate change in planning and implementation as well as prepares them to access climate finance in support of adaptation and climate resilient development.
In Kisii County the climate change awareness is still low hence the need for sensitization of both state, non-state actors and the county assembly as well. The county also has a limited number of county stakeholders in climate change though it is trying to open engagement space.
The risk observed in the county is the limited number of county stakeholders in climate change which may affect project implementation and low climate change awareness to both the state and non-state actors. The LREB project has managed to navigate the contextual factors through helping the county map relevant stakeholders that can add value to climate change process and awareness. It has also contributed to creating climate change awareness through ward sensitization, stakeholders meeting, meeting with county planners and technical staff, county assembly meeting and radio talk show.
Bomet County, like Kisii County, has also put in place an institutional and a draft climate change policy structure that creates an opportunity for LREB Climate Change Governance project implementation. Low Climate awareness is one of the greatest challenges in Bomet County. To bridge this gap, the LREB Climate Change governance project has played a key role in sensitizing the people through ward level sensitization and radio talk shows where Climate Change Fund Mechanism has also been emphasized as a solution to help the county tap into climate change funds to adapt to climate change issues.
