J1194N Mercy for Kenya

“Kindness is a language which the blind can see, and the deaf can hear.”- African Proverb

The Situation

Kisumu is the third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and Mombasa, and the second-largest city in the Lake Victoria Basin with a population of slightly over 800,000. In Kisumu, 60% of the population lives in impoverished communities with three times the national average of 20.9% living in 'absolute poverty'.

What does this look like on the ground and what are the corresponding needs?

 ·        36% of respondents lack some form of occupation.

·        34% lack basic education.

·        77% live in single-roomed houses, many made of mud walls and floors without electricity.

·        49% lack sanitation facilities.

·        33% take over 3 min to access a water source.

·        12% take over half an hour to access a health facility.

·        Poor food security with most food products coming from other counties.

 The needs are many and complex. it is difficult to know where to commence addressing poverty, so this project has taken a wide-lens approach by working with children and families across the education, health and community development sectors.



The Objective