Due to the nature of the programs we undertake, we can only work on one major program and one minor project a year. Most of the major projects take 2 to 3 years from conception to actual rollout.  Minor programs may take about 12 months.  In lieu of this in the past 12 months we have accomplished a lot beginning with teaming with Kiva.Org to improve on the loan capacity for in-country rural micro finance entities.  So far Kiva has provide more than $100,000 in loan facilities to micro finance organization in Kenya.  We have worked in tracking the delivery of these services at the local level and helped manage the relationship between the local partner and the US based supporter.  This relationship is now solid enough that it needs minor oversight from us thus allowing KDN to engage is the next task.

In the coming year we will continue to be engaged on a Student Loan facility for post secondary school students in Kenya for those attending school in Kenya. The driver in this was to help reduce and stabilize the cost of education loans thereby ensuring a lot of students can access it regardless of gender, creed, region or tribe. So far we had looked at the means of covering students in vocational/trade schools (polytechnic), parallel programs in public schools and professional training courses such us nursing.  Towards the end of last year we had reached Indicative terms with a Global Financial Partner, Local School, Local Company and Local Bank in rolling a pilot program.  It is our hope that we will be able to re-engage with our partners both here in the US and locally in Kenya in order to see this through this year.  Additional information on outline on Student Loan facility can be found under the Education Sector.

If all politics is local then KDN will be looking inward in seeking a project directly beneficial to the Diaspora. Currently short listed is the need to provide affordable Term Life Insurance to all Kenyans. There are a couple of sure things in life. Death happens to be one of them. Thus a need to have a plan so that the burden of funeral, burial etc services are not left to members of the local Diaspora Community to bear. For those who have undertaken, this noble task, of rounding the community to not only morally support but also financially help support the bereaved at their time of end it’s quite commendable. We do need to alleviate this pressure on finance so that we can come to offer and celebrate the life that has past. On that basis the Term Life Program will be hoping to establish an affordable program to mitigate this pressure for those who are not in a position to have it like students, the unemployed, the part-times or even travelers etc.  We will keep you informed through you local Diaspora Organization on what is ongoing.

Asante Sanaa