PEN WORK WITH COMMUNITIES

PEN works by establishing partnership relationships with selected communities, with whom we conduct participatory assessments, produce community development action plans and undertake together mutually agreed interventions withthe objective of ensuring community institutions are effective and offer sustainable solutions tolocal development. PEN promotes participatory development methodologies which empowers communities to set their own development agenda by setting achievable community action plans and seeing them through theimplementation and sustainablility phase. Currently PEN is working with various CBOs in selected districts in the following thematic areas:

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGMENT

With increasing population and more land being opened for farming activities; proper management of the natural resources within our operation area has become an issue of major importance. PEN works with communities andother stakeholders such as relevant government ministries to provide safe drinking water by mainly protecting existing sprngs, promoting water harvesting and construction of subsurface dams. Lower easter province provides the buld of the sand for construction to major towns of Machakos, Athi River and Nairob. Exessive sand harvesting has led to the drying of river beds, poullution of water points, destructio of farmlands and infrastructure. PEN has partnered withlocal communities to encourage responsible sand harvesting, protect riparian areas, encouraging conservation farming and rehabilitation of hillsises to prevent further erosion.

LIVELIHOODS AND SMALL HOLDER AGRICULTURE

Decreasing farm sizes as a result of increasing population and unpredictable weather patterns calls for improved farming methods and diversification to other non-farm income generating activities. PEN works with communities and other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Agriculture to promote small holder agriculture by promoting better farming methods, use of high yielding crop varieties and improved post harvest management. PEN also supports communites especially youth and women to start small saving and credit schemes.

STRENGTHENING LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Informed community members and strong grassroots institutions are pillars to improved local governance and democracy. PEN works with community institutions to improve the sharing of information, increase the people's voice at the managment of local affairs and promote transparency and accountability in managing the devloved funds. PEN supports this by conducting "education for responsible citizens"to CBO leaders andother identified resource persons who form public watch group.

EDUCATION

Education for all is oen of the major pillars of Vision 2030 and it is Kenya's government commitment to ensure allchildren of this country can access affordable andquality education. The introduction of free primary education has recoreded increased enrolment in primary schools. However, this increased enrolment has not resulted to increased number of pupils joining secondary schools in our areas of operation due to poor performance in national examinations. To address this problem PEN works with school committees, Parents-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and the Ministry of Education to address causes of poor performance, low retention and increasing cases of indicscipline. PEN works to improve the pwerformance of school committees, improve relations between the committees and the teachers as well as parents. PEN appreciates the role the parents, teachers, pupils and the Ministry officials play in promoting education in their localities.

WHO WE WORK WITH?

Strengthening Community Groups
Developing Civil Society organizations
Supporting NGOs through our Management Services Programme
Developing Volunteer talent