Merti Elite Homegrown Peace Initiative

Our services are provided through an integrated community approach where community participation is the key to the implementation of all the activities anchored on a graduation model under the following programs:

1. Food security and nutrition program: The organization works towards ensuring that communities focus to establishing sustainable food production projects to promote food security through interventions such as kitchen gardens, poultry and livestock keeping, Bee keeping as part of both livelihood support and economy empowerment, nutrition and food training and empowerment solutions and distribute food rations only when need be and to the very vulnerable households.
2. Support for vulnerable young mothers, orphan children, PLWD and girl’s empowerment: works towards improving access to education for vulnerable children in various Counties in Kenya especially Samburu and Turkana counties. The organization does this through; vocational training support, ECD and secondary school support, Startup kits for out of school children especially from child headed households.

• Environment, climate resilience water and sanitation: The organization works with community groups and school clubs in undertaking activities to improve climate resilience by; Preservation of the ecosystems, forests and water catchments. Increasing tree cover, rehabilitating the main water towers and water catchment areas while promoting of both community and house hold water harvesting and storage and sustainable water usage. Training through school programme to all school going children on bee keeping farming.

1. Household economic strengthening through diversification in livelihood interventions: Through sustainable agri business on both plant and livestock keeping and Bee keeping, value addition and other enterprises, MEHPI is supporting climate change adaptation in the highly vulnerable yet naturally resilient arid and semiarid regions of Turkana, Samburu, Laikipia counties. This is done through promotion of: Financial inclusion and economic strengthening at the community level for women and youth, Quality agri-production and market linkages, drought tolerant crops and strategic food reserves, community training and creation of awareness on integrated soil fertility management and provision of climate change information and knowledge, stabilization schemes for livestock and marketing, improved management of grazing systems and livestock diversification.
2. Community peace build and conflict resolution

MEHPI works to end the cycle of violence in communities through active engagement of the local communities in peace building, conflict mitigation, early warning responses, peace forums, reconciliation, intra and inter community dialogue, healing and justice. The main aim is to reduce pressures generated by resource-based conflicts in Samburu, and  the bordering Isiolo counties of Marsabit, Baringo and Turkana.

The organization has established strategic links and partnership with like-minded organizations such as catholic diocese of Maralal caritas program and Shalom center for peace and conflict resolution in cascading peace building community awareness and trainings with a focus to contribute to creating conditions for durable peace and secure livelihoods among the cross-border pastoralist communities and strengthen cross border linkages between the counties.

1. Social economic development and empowerment for refugees, immigrants and host communities.

With over 70.8 million people around the world who have been forcibly displaced, the highest displacement since World War II, Kenya has greatly been a generous host to refugees and asylum seekers since 1992 with refugee camps in Kakuma and Dadaab. The refugees, immigrants and host communities face a wide range of challenges such as lack of livelihood, food security, and access to health, nutrition, employability and sanitation among many other challenges. Kenya has host communities mainly around the areas of Turkana, Samburu, Isiolo, Garissa and Marsabit Counties. There is huge population of displaced people in Samburu north with little access to government programs to give them social and basic support.  MEHPI is carrying the little it cans to give this people back the required dignity in their local economy growth.

The organization’s interventions are aimed at creating a conducive environment that attracts investment from the private sector and financial service providers to promote the local economy, investing in basic socio-economic infrastructure, introducing sustainable and various graduation models, enhancing innovative aid delivery and increase financial inclusion for refugees, women and host communities to increase self-reliance and reduce poverty and increasing access to education and support market driven skills and capabilities of refugees, women and host communities to take part in the local economy.

• Community Health Program: The organization supports formation of community health units that integrate HIV care and intervention to the community. The community units are very instrumental in the facilitation of access to basic health at a community level, implementation of preventive health and promotion of health uptake within the community.
• MEHPI Volunteer program: MEHPI runs all its activities through the involvement of both local and international volunteers. The program duration and work schedules depend with the interests of every volunteer. Our program aims at helping the communities as well as giving an opportunity to the volunteer meet his/her goals and objectives by providing a favorable environment to the volunteers. The volunteers are given an opportunity to be as innovative as they can and to positively influence the lives of the communities they serve, this is done by exposing them to different needs within the communities around us.

MEHPI Institutional/Accounting Capacity

Financial management:  has over 2 years implementing various social economic and health project MEHPI it’s in the country with an average total grants of above Ksh 1.1m in the past 2 years. Through the years the organization has been able to gradually developed effective management, financial procurement, human resources, policies and program standard operating procedures that guide in ensuring sound running of the organization and sustaining partnerships and relationships.

MEHPI has in place an online cash management system, uses both quick books and manual financial recording and reporting, adheres to all government regulations and requirements as stipulated by the law. The organization has sound financial accounting systems and observes critical international financial reporting standards, auditing, accountability, efficiency and transparency. Banks accounts are held separately for each project and under the executive board of directors. MEHPI uses cash less money handling by incorporating bulk mobile money transfer technology.

Organization’s capacity to plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate projects.

The organization has since 2020 implemented various community empowerment programs in the areas of Samburu north through various strategic international partners. With this vast experience the organization has learned on best practices in ensuring quality project performance and operations in the Arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya. Greater involvement of beneficiaries has been a key success to the implementation and the organization will continue with the same. The organization has formed various community support groups which enable easy service delivery. MEHPI has developed strong collaborations with other stakeholders such as the county governments, national government, faith based institutions, NGOS, CBOS and various department

It’s within the government, through this key collaborations implementation of community programs is made easier.

Through various organizational capacity development programs has developed sound governing, standard operating policies and guiding MEHPI principles to facilitate all programming and service delivery.

The organization has over the past greatly taken key interest in advancing the skills and expertise of its staff and volunteers in planning, programming and monitoring. This has been done by facilitating and taking part in various trainings and career development workshops related with community development among the board members,

And the volume

Governance & executive board members profile: MEHPI is headed by a board of ten directors who are also the legal registered trustees. The board has an executive team of a chair person, treasurer and a secretary. The composition is as below;

1. Chairperson: Mr. Papa Lemeleny, he holds a degree in Education leadership and management. He is currently working with the department of TSC at Loikas School.
2. Treasurer: Mwalimu Marti Wilfred, he holds a diploma  in adult education and retired adult education officer

• Secretary: Benjamin Lokor, he holds a Master’s degree in strategic leadership, he takes the role of the Executive Director in the management and running of day to day operations.

The organization has a management board headed by the Executive director and a membership of staff leading various departments. This team is in charge of ensuring the organizations strategic plan and projects are implemented to meet the requirements as set by government, directors, donors and partners.

Mission:

To empower & care for vulnerable members of our community within the marginalized rural areas by building strong community structures which enable the beneficiaries to take charge of their own lives.

Vision:

To be an ideal grass root organization bringing together people from all walks of life, both rich and poor to a common field of alleviating human suffering through the principle of love and sharing in the marginalized rural areas by reaching out to vulnerable children.