Noor Dahir, director of the Kiunga Youth Bunge Initiative (KYBI) in Lamu, Kenya - KYBI is one of many youth groups supported by the Aga Khan Foundation to help marginalised youth develop skills and find employment opportunities.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Noor Dahir, director of the Kiunga Youth Bunge Initiative (KYBI) in Lamu, Kenya - KYBI is one of many youth …
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
In Kenya, AKF is working with youth groups, government and the private sector to support young people to develop skills, become apprentices and develop the confidence to gain employment and choose a more positive path. Photo: Kiunga Youth Bunge Initiative group shot, Lamu county.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
In Kenya, AKF is working with youth groups, government and the private sector to support young people to …
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Kinango Village, Kwale County, Coast Province, Kenya.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Kinango Village, Kwale County, Coast Province, Kenya.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
A youth dialogue organised by the East African Institute (EAI) in Nairobi, in an effort to encourage discourse among East African young adults about the future of the region.
AKDN / Stephen Ouma
A youth dialogue organised by the East African Institute (EAI) in Nairobi, in an effort to encourage …
AKDN / Stephen Ouma
This page is also available inKenya | Civil Society
Strengthening civil society to improve the quality of life is one of our central goals. Civil society is increasingly recognised globally as a building block for democracy and economic development. AKDN understands civil society in the broadest sense as civic institutions working for the public good, therefore, a strong civil society can enhance social cohesion and pluralism, advance meritocracy, ethics and standards of quality, act as a bulwark against volatility in times of crisis, and protect communities against state failure.
1 million
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) supports civil society organisations that reach a million people in Kenya
AKDN works with the civil society sector to improve its accountability, transparency, integrity and cooperation with government and the private sector. We aim to strengthen the ability of local communities, NGOs, small businesses and governments to collaborate, supporting inclusive gender-sensitive development.
AKDN
Strengthening Civil Society Organisations
AKF uses the Organisational Capacity Assessment tool and Organisational Performance Index to assist local organisations to identify institutional gaps. It then works with them to develop institutional strengthening plans, using face-to-face and video-based training and mentoring.
Supporting Philanthropic Giving
AKF improves the capacity of organisations to engage in philanthropic giving, including through the use of technology. It teaches them to employ new skills and approaches such as co-creation and outcome harvesting. One such organisation is Yetu. Established by AKF, Yetu trains CSOs on how to mobilise local resources and engage with communities, organisations and government.
Since 2015, AKF has assisted local organisations in mobilising the equivalent of $2.5 million for community development projects.
Promoting Engagement with Government
AKF supports civil society organisations to engage with government and private sector actors in local education, health, food security and livelihoods systems. In Coastal Kenya, the Citizen Voice in Devolved Governance project is developing a vibrant civil society by assisting selected organisations in Kwale County to better communicate, innovate and engage with government. It works with networks of community-based organisations to increase civic engagement in the development and implementation of county government programmes. It also responds to local priorities with effective programming; measures and documents results; and shares its lessons with governments, donors and development actors, amplifying its impact by influencing enabling policies and practice.
Under the EU-funded AKDN East Africa COVID-19 Response Programme, AKF offered rapid response funds to nearly 250 CSOs across the region, so that they could distribute financial support to individuals and groups most in need. Read more