By Caroline Katana
At least five community-based organizations in Matuga constituency Kwale County are set to benefit from Euro 20,000 through participatory grant-making (PGM) implemented by the JISRA program under Kenya Community Support Center (KECOSCE).
JISRA has committed to using participatory grant-making within each JISRA country, specifically to work with women and youth-led groups and individuals.
The PGM will help the JISRA consortium address several challenges it has identified and achieve the intended outcomes.
Speaking to journalists after a sensitization meeting with 9 groups that participated in the grant competition at Kombani Social Hall, KECOSCE Strategic Delivery Manager Maxwell Lumbasi said that the program enables people and communities to take a more active role in achieving the change they want and grow their capacity.
“The four-month project targets five groups that aim to promote peace, integrity, and co-existence among the communities, “said Lumbasi.
Lumbasi said the program will enable youths and women to amplify their voices through different projects.
“According to the context and theory of change women and youths in Kenya lack power of voices when it comes to project empowerment,” added Lumbasi.
He added that the first phase of the program was implemented in Tana River County, Kwale County being the second.
“The program is being implemented in the inter-religious pathway to promote peace and development and how the groups can come together in looking for solutions in gender-based violence, religious differences, and insecurity in Matuga sub-county,” said Lumbasi.
Amina Mnyeto, a beneficiary of Children’s Empowerment and Development (CHED) , applauded KECOSCE for empowering grassroots groups.
“The exercise was a bit challenging but I want to congratulate the winners, I believe they will join hands with the groups that didn’t win to make this program successful for our community,” said Mnyeto.
Matuga sub-county youth officer Martha Ndambuki urged the groups to work together with government stakeholders to achieve their goals.
“I want to congratulate KECOSCE for the PGM program in Matuga sub-county, I believe this will bring communities together without any form of discrimination,” said Ndambuki.
Religious leaders led by Sheikh Hamisi Mwachirumu confirmed youth and women to be marginal provoking youths to engage in illegal groups.
“Marginalized groups go through challenges and no one is there to address them, we are so grateful to KECOSCE for this program let it not be the end, keep on empowering marginalized people, as religious leaders we are going to play our role to ensure the juvenile gangs in our areas reform to beef up peace and security in our areas, “said Sheikh Mwachirumu.
Sheikh Mwachirumu affirmed that JISRA has played a vital role in uniting religious leaders unlike before where there have been religious differences and hatred.
The JISRA Theory of Change aims at increasing the representation of women and youth in the decision-making process at the community, local, national, and international levels.
Participatory grant-making within JISRA will address this outcome, under the inter-religious pathway and at the county level.
Tuko Na Hope CBO, Kwale women Desk CBO, Green Minds CBO, CHED and Smart move CBO won the PGM grant.
