1. Child Development:
The Goal of the programme is to improve the health, wellbeing development of children. Here, we focus on:
Education
All children have a right to access education regardless of who they are and where they live. They are the pillars of the nation and its future development. Ace Africa address the barriers of access to education by children in Kenya through linkages to bursary opportunities, provision of school uniforms, renovation and or construction of school classrooms, provision of hygiene education and materials to girls, provision of scholastic materials particularly text books, improve access to school water and sanitation, and provision of psychosocial support through counselling and trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT).
OVC
There are an estimated 2.6 million Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Kenya, of whom 650,000 are orphaned by AIDS. Heaviest concentrations of both vulnerable children and children orphaned by AIDS lie in the age segment 10-14 years old. Orphans are also at greater risk of malnourishment and stunted growth, might also be infected with HIV if one or both parents to AIDS, lack basic necessities such as shelter, food, clothing, health and education, and the eldest child assume early adult roles. Ace Africa implements interventions with communities and partners that ensure orphan and vulnerable children remain: AIDS free, healthy, safe, stable and schooled.
Rights, GBV and FGM
In Kenya, the prevalence of FGM in women aged 15–49 is 21% KDH 2014). According to UNICEF, two hundred million girls and women in the world are estimated to have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), and another 15 million girls are at risk of experiencing it by 2020 in high prevalence countries (UNICEF, 2016). Gender based violence (GBV) is one of the most prevalent human rights violations. It knows no social, economic, class or cultural confinement. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the 2010 Kenyan Constitution proclaim that children are to be protected from any kind of harm, violence or abuse. Despite the legal provisions and efforts to reduce and eliminate violence against children, particularly girls, violence and abuse are widespread in Kenya. Ace Africa in partnership with stakeholders and communities implements interventions that aim to reduce the FGM practice, treat health associated complications, care for survivors; and protect children from any form of harm, violence or abuse
ECD in Health
The period from pregnancy to age 3 is most susceptible to children and require interventions to promote and encourage emotional and cognitive coping mechanisms. Early experiences of newborn babies and young children to poor health, inadequate nutrition and a lack of love and early stimulation and other environmental influences affects their opportunities for early learning, behaviours and ultimately adult social relationships, well-being and earnings. Ace Africa implements interventions that support the holistic development of children from pregnancy up to age 3 their children’s attainment of age-appropriate developmental milestones.
Child Participation & Life Skills
Ace Africa K believes that when children work together, they can change their world. We promote Child to Child approaches are grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that ensure children’s rights to survival, protection, development and participation. Child to Child approaches harness the spontaneously occurring interactions that take place naturally between children and ensures practical application of knowledge to bring about change. Since 2003, Ace Africa has established Child to Child clubs in over 500 schools benefiting 90,484 children with age appropriate HIV, health and hygiene, nutrition and rights education, and access to food through school gardens. In partnership with Teach a Man to Fish UK, we have biuld children’s entrepreneurship skills as part of their future survival skills.
2. Community Health and Wellbeing programme: The Goal of the programme is to improve community health seeking practices and increase their access to quality health care services. We focus on:
HIV and AIDs
Kenya has the joint third-largest HIV epidemic in the world. It is driven by sexual transmission and affects all sections of the population. However, a disproportionate number of new infections happen among people from key populations accounting for up to 30% of new annual HIV infections.
Adolescent and young people
According to WHO, over 30% of all new HIV infections globally are estimated to occur among youth aged 15 to 25 years. Children infected at birth grow into adolescents who have to deal with their HIV positive status. In Kenya, new HIV infections occur among young people aged 15-24 years in the high prevalence counties of Homa bay, Siaya, Kisumu and Migori in Kenya. We work with young people providing them with HIV and AIDS education, encourage behaviour change using Evidence based interventions, increase their access to HIV testing, treatment and care services; provide age appropriate sexual health education and family planning services to reduce unwanted pregnancy; and promote combination social economic approaches to enable them earn a living. Since 2016, Ace Africa through the DREAMS project in Kisumu, Migori and Homabay, enrolled 22,283 Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), of whom 21,056 were active and fully layered receiving age appropriate primary and secondary services.
Sex Workers
These are female, male and transgender who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services, either regularly or occasionally, according to UNAIDS. Globally, Sex workers are 13 times more at risk of HIV compared with the general population, due to an increased likelihood of being economically vulnerable, unable to negotiate consistent condom use, and experience violence, criminalisation and marginalisation. While HIV services are available, sex workers often face many barriers in accessing them. In Kenya, Sex workers have the highest reported HIV prevalence of any group. We work with sex workers and their sexual partners providing them with HIV prevention education, commodities and testing services, establish and strengthen linkages to treatment, care and other health and rights services to reduce HIV transmission and extend the lives of those already living with HIV.
Malaria
Malaria is still a major public health and socio-economic problem in Kenya, and is among the top ten causes of death. We work with communities to provide malaria prevention education, provide ITNs and referrals to treatmen
Tuberculosis
In Kenya, TB is a major public health problem and is the 4th leading cause of death in Kenya. Kenya is among the 30 high burden countries in the world with 72% of bacteriologically confirmed TB and 80% of all cases and Multi drug resistant (MDR) TB (WHO Global TB report 2017). We provide TB prevention education; address socio-economic issues related to TB including nutrition, HIV and AIDS, poverty, stigma and discrimination; and referrals for TB treatment
3. Community Livelihoods Development: The Goal of the programme is to improve food security, reduce poverty and protect the environment. We focus on
Agriculture
About 80% of Kenya’s population depend and derive their livelihoods from agriculture. However, production is seldom sufficient to avoid hunger and malnutrition in most communities due to array of factors including climate change. We help farmers make the most of their land in ways which do not damage the environment, increases farm yields and builds resilience to future climate shocks. We promote practices that improve soil fertility (soil testing, Liming, Conservation Agriculture, use of compost and farm yard manure, soil and water erosion control, agroforestry); promoting crop varieties, livestock and fish species that are climate resilient and adapted to areas we work; we promote practices integrated management practices to prevent pests and diseases, and ensure farmers gain access to high-quality seed, crop insurance and other farm inputs they need.
Business
We work with farmers to identify and engage in profitable value chains to reduce poverty. We provide business and entrepreneurship skills training, and help them establish producer groups and marketing cooperatives so that they can sell in bulk. We link them with wider markets and ensure that they adapt to what buyers want. We establish local savings and lending associations (SILC, VSLA, VICOBA) enabling farmers increase access to microfinance to grow their businesses, boost profits as well as helping markets grow.
Environment and Renewable Energy
Kenya is 1 of 12 countries that has sign-up to the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), which is designed to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across Africa by 2030. Rural communities rely directly on the environment for survival, utilizing firewood for cooking, heating and construction and using land for subsistence farming. We provide environmental education and training, promote tree planting and other measures to conserve the environment and promote use of renewable energy in particular use of solar in agriculture. In 2016, Ace Africa K received a grant from the USADF/Africa power initiative to support six community groups in Siaya County with Solar irrigation system to improve horticulture production and marketing.
4. Research: The goal of the programme is to use evidence from research to improve strategy and programme delivery.
Research is embedded under each programme area as well as undertaking long term peer reviewed researches on key strategic areas with academic and other ethical bodies in Kenya and beyond. Our key partners include National institute of Health USA through Duke University, department of public policy and Health, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Min of Health, Ministry of interior and coordination of national government, National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) and Ministry of education, science and technology.
5. Governance: The promulgation of the 2010 constitution gave the public the mandate to contribute effectively to decision making process on County priorities in the development of policies, laws and projects that address their felt needs, delivery of services to improve their lives. We promote efforts that increase citizen participation and engagement in county governance processes and service delivery as provided for in the relevant articles in the 2010 Kenya constitution, Policy, Laws, bills, Acts at County and Sub County Level
