Building Resilience and Hope for Marginalized Communities in arid and semi-arid area
Vision
An organization that demonstrates professionalism in contributing to the livelihoods and resilience of the marginalized poor
Mission
To facilitate appropriate support to the “invisible poor” to realize a secure and better future.
Core Values
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Dignity to life
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Respect for cultural diversity and the rule of law
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Professionalism
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Peacemaking
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Stewardship
Purpose
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To raise the standard of living and improve the livelihood of the people living in the arid and semi-arid areas.
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To collaborate with other development actors in the region, in the effort to reduce poverty and the unique suffering of the people in the arid and semi-arid areas.
RETO-AP is a community-based organisation (CBO) registered in 2017, in Marsabit South Sub-County, Kenya, and initiated by the pastoralist communities of Marsabit County in northern Kenya.
This project is dedicated to enhancing the resilience of pastoralist and semi-pastoralist communities in Marsabit County, with a specific focus on female-headed households (FHH) and vulnerable girls. In these semi-arid areas, girls and women face escalating challenges to their health and well-being due to factors such as frequent droughts, population growth, resource conflicts, limited employment opportunities, inadequate livelihood options, low educational levels, food insecurity, and disease. To navigate these new realities, these communities need to develop robust socio-economic systems.
However, these communities are not homogeneous. While some members possess the social, political, and financial resources to adapt and thrive, others are marginalised and struggling with little hope for a better future. Targeted participants include unschooled youth working as herders, child mothers and single mothers struggling to support their children, and illiterate young men and women who lack the knowledge, vision, and agency to shape their future. By focusing on these vulnerable groups, the project aims to enhance the socio-economic capacity of the most at-risk members, thereby contributing to the resilience of the entire community.
The project adopts a multi-faceted approach to build resilience, focusing on:
Education & Life Skills: Providing opportunities for continuing formal education, basic literacy and numeracy training, technical skills development, human rights education, and leadership opportunities. Offering family and community health training for vulnerable girls, boys, and female-headed households.
Livelihoods: Supporting livestock raising, economic diversification, entrepreneurship training (e.g., ASCA), and food distribution. Fostering a community-based approach to peace and harmony among ethnic groups and raising awareness on land rights and sustainable land management practices.
Emergency Response: Drought recovery, conflict, displacement or sudden hardship.
This comprehensive approach aims to strengthen social capital, improve family health, and expand economic opportunities for the most vulnerable members, ultimately enhancing the resilience of the entire community.
