We the SACDEP Board, Staff and Development partner communities are sincerely delighted to have you as our most valued guest.
We are glad to take you with us as we share with you our thoughts, beliefs, philosophy and experiences with regard to developmental achievements and challenges in people’s livelihoods.
On this site we strive to give an overview of who we are and a brief of what SACDEP has achieved in the last 20 years of operation in Kenya. We appreciate the fact that our work continues to focus on smallholder farming communities, “those at the BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID” in facilitating them to unlock their existing potential towards achieving tangible economic benefits that ensure improved livelihoods.
Our main activities are geared towards filling the existing technological gaps through building the skills of communities on the principles and practices of Sustainable Agriculture.
ACT Alliance is the largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox churches and church-related organisations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work in the world, consisting of 155 members working together in over 140 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards.
ACT Alliance is supported by 30,000 staff from member organisations and mobilises about $3 billion for its work each year in three targeted areas:
- humanitarian aid
- development
- advocacy
ACT Alliance is deeply rooted in the communities it serves. It has earned the trust and respect of local people long before large international interventions scale up, and remains steadfast in its grassroots commitments for many years after world attention has shifted elsewhere.
This means that every day, ACT Alliance is on the frontlines:
- addressing systemic poverty
- supporting survivors of disasters, wars and conflicts
- training rural communities in sustainable agricultural techniques
- helping people adapt to environmental change,
- and influencing governments and other key decision makers to safeguard citizens’ human rights.
Members are associated with the World Council of Churches or the Lutheran World Federation.
The global secretariat of ACT Alliance is based within Switzerland, Jordan, Thailand, El Salvador, Kenya, Canada and New York. In addition, the ACT Alliance Advocacy office to the EU is based in Brussels, Belgium.
Founding Documents, Statutes and By-Laws
ACT Alliance Statutes here
ACT By-Laws here
ACT Founding Documents here
International codes and standards
ACT Alliance is a signatory to the highest humanitarian codes and standards, including the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
ACT Alliance is a member of the International Council for Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR) and a member of the CHS Alliance.
ACT is committed to the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response and has a seat on the Sphere Board.
ACT is also a member of Reuters AlertNet.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
Our mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, we work through our divisions as well as our regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence. We also host several environmental conventions, secretariats and inter-agency coordinating bodies. UN Environment is led by our Executive Director.
We categorize our work into seven broad thematic areas: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and environment under review. In all of our work, we maintain our overarching commitment to sustainability.
Our work is made possible by partners who fund and champion our mission. We depend on voluntary contributions for 95 per cent of our income.
Every year, we honour and celebrate individuals and institutions that are doing outstanding work on behalf of the environment.
We also host the secretariats of many critical multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies, bringing together nations and the environmental community to tackle the greatest challenges of our time. These include the following:
The Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
The Minamata Convention on Mercury
The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
The Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol
The Convention on Migratory Species
The Carpathian Convention
The Bamako Convention
The Tehran Convention
Youth Conservation Awareness Programme (YCAP) was first conceptualised in the year 2007, and has revolutionised over the years with different names such as Alcedo Wildlife and Kakesi Wildlife. The name YCAP was modelled around our main theme of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); through which we have changed many communities and helped stir a generation that cares about the environment.
We are a registered non-profit organization that mainly focuses on spreading Environmental Awareness. Our work is based on helping communities change perspectives towards the environment, so as to be involved in sustainable conservation activities that will improve their livelihoods.
The African Conservation Tillage Network (ACTN) was initiated following a Stakeholders’ Workshop on “Conservation Tillage for Sustainable Agriculture” held in Zimbabwe in 1998 organized by Zimbabwe Farmers Union, German Development Co-operation (GTZ), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa (ARC). Driven by the desire among players to better and share more information and experiences on CA and related aspects, the Workshop ratified the initiation of a regional network as a mechanism to stimulate and facilitate cross-cutting and mutually exchange knowledge and information from experiences of CA. In 2000, under project support from GiZ, then GTZ, the Network formally established a full-time Secretariat with a Steering Committee to manage the Network. The Network has since evolved into a neutral platform, stimulating, facilitating and challenging for mutual sharing of information and knowledge on experiences and lessons on applications of CA and expanding to the whole region.
ACTN is a registered as a pan-African not-for-profit membership association that was initially commissioned with geographical focus on Southern, Central and East Africa. However, the Network has expanded responding to active interest from rest of the continent to west and North Africa. Existing potential for synergistic collaborations and knowledge sharing, enriched by the diversity, across the continent has justified ACTN reformation into a pan-African establishment with networking value within and between regions. Membership to the Network is voluntary bringing together stakeholders and players who are:
- Dedicated to improving agricultural productivity through sustainable management of natural resources in African farming systems.
- Committed to the principles of mutual collaboration, partnerships and sharing of information and knowledge on sustainable natural resource management and drawing on synergies and complementarities.
ACTN is established at three regional levels that include (i) Southern-Central Africa Region; (ii) East and Horn Africa Region; (iii) West-North Africa Region. This enables each region to articulate its main uniqueness, thrust and strengths as basis for inter-regional sharing and interaction. A distinct North Africa region is foreseen in the future.
ACT’s work is to stimulate, facilitate and challenge for mutual sharing of information and knowledge on experiences or lessons on promotion of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in Africa. These efforts enable farmers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, researchers, learners and academicians and other stakeholders to access and share information and knowledge on CA, thereby contributing to better and more appropriate policies and programmes in the efforts to scale-up CA in Africa. Ultimately Conservation Agriculture (CA) as an approach to managing agro-ecosystems helps improve and sustain land productivity, increase profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment.
Centre For Research in Environment Kenya
Creek-Kenya has been supporting stakeholders, clients and organizations across East Africa and beyond attain and realize their business goals efficiently, cost-effectively and with the minimum of environmental and social impact.
Ecotourism Kenya promotes responsible tourism practices within the tourism industry. This entails encouraging the adoption of best practices in the use of tourism resources, working with local communities and managing wastes and emissions.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Habitat), established in 1978, is the lead agency within the UN system for coordinating activities in the field of human settlement development. It also serves as the focal point for monitoring progress on implementation of the Habitat Agenda – the global plan of action adopted at the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996.
As of 1 January 2002, the UNCHS (Habitat) and its governing body has been elevated to a fully fledged United Nations Human Settlements Programme, to be known as UN-HABITAT. With its new status, UN-HABITAT will be in a better position to help governments and other partners to implement the Habitat Agenda, and to meet the Millennium Declaration’s goal of improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020.
As a small agency with global responsibilities, UN-HABITAT needs to find ways of maximizing its impact; its resources must be focused, and policy principles and approaches must be strategic. These principles are derived from UN-HABITAT’s own experience of what works, and also from experience of its partners. National governments, local authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community organizations and the private sector are UN-HABITAT’s partners.
In addition to its advocacy and monitoring function, UN-HABITAT also plays an important role in providing technical assistance to countries and cities in the areas of urban governance, housing, environmental management, disaster mitigation, post-conflict rehabilitation, urban safety, water management and poverty reduction.
SEI Africa is based in Nairobi, Kenya and is hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre. The centre collaborates with African governments, organizations and networks, acting as a hub for SEI’s engagement across the continent. The centre’s work focuses on four key areas: energy and climate; natural resources and ecosystems; sustainable urbanisation; and health and environment.
From its establishment in August 2008 until June 2013, SEI Africa was based at the Institute of Resource Assessment at the University of Dares Salaam. As of July 2013, it is based in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre. Staff members are active across South, East and West Africa.
Green Kenya Investment Corporation is a vibrant and growth oriented Environmental Consultancy Firm that offers sustainable development solutions. Based in Nairobi, GKIC has been involved in projects in extensive works of large, medium and small scale, with varying degrees of complexity and environmental concern.
The firm comprises of a team of experts from different fields, with the aim of being a one stop shop for different consultancy services in the field of sustainable development. We offer practical and sustainable consultancies. We provide our Clients with the full range of high quality solutions and consultancy services comprising; – A responsive service delivery capability; and a first rate approach to work.
The Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA) is an independent non-profit association dedicated to facilitating the growth and development of renewable energy business in Kenya.
KEREA was formed in August 2002 by members of the Renewable Energy Resources Technical Committee of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and is registered under section 10 of the societies act.
Amongst its key roles are promoting the interests of members of the renewable energy industry among government, public sector, the general public and any other organizations that may impact on the development of the industry; and the creation of a forum for the dissemination and exchange of information and ideas on matters relating to renewable energy development and utilization in Kenya.
Care international has various programmes which include:
Food and Nutrition Security and Climate Change
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Environmental integration offers significant economic development potential: green growth provides a number of opportunities to companies through new markets, especially in the fields of:
- Energy management
- Sustainable natural resources management
- Environmental protection
In developing countries, financing this green growth is a major challenge. Agence Française de Développement (AFD) contributes to this challenge in partnership with banks in the South.
We work in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania – four countries that are severely affected by deforestation and climate change and that for many years have endured its devastating effects on both humans and the nature. Vi Agroforestry is unique in focusing on both human and environmental sustainability! Through agroforestry – growing trees alongside crops and livestock, and strengthening of farmers’ organisations, we empower smallholder farmer families to improve their livelihoods. Agroforestry, at the core of our work, provides increased access to food, access to sustainable energy sources and more income. Sustainable agriculture contributes to the mitigation of climate change and protects against the negative effects of climate change.
Since the inception in 1983, Vi Agroforestry has contributed to the planting over 120 million trees and improved the livelihoods for over 2,3 million people through education, advisory and services.
Vi Agroforestry provides outstanding expertise in agroforestry, climate change adaptation and mitigation within the agricultural sector, promoting well-proven practices based on scientific research.
Since 2001, ACWICT has implemented various successful workforce development programs that provide women and youth with skills to gain meaningful employment in the job market.
Our flexible curriculum model includes training modules that adapt to the ever changing labour market while targeting young people at different levels of education including primary, high-school, and post-secondary/tertiary education.
Our programs offer job placement support to ensure that once trained, these youth are placed into jobs, internships and or apprenticeships.
So far, we have trained and secured jobs for over 125,000 women and youth in over 20 across Kenya including Nairobi, Kisumu, Siaya, Machakos, Kiambu & West Pokot.
Founded in 1977 by the Late Professor Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement (GBM) is a grassroots non-governmental organization that has worked, primarily with women in environmental conservation and community empowerment in Kenya for over 30 years. GBM employs a holistic approach to development that addresses basic needs and challenges that communities identify as priority. GBM’s work has focused on conserving the environment by empowering grassroots communities and building their capacity to restore the environment, promote good governance, and develop climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods. To date, over 51 million trees have been planted and hundreds of thousands of women empowered.
Underpinning GBM’s Theory of Change has been a fundamental understanding that when people understand the linkages between their actions and their livelihood situations (poverty, water scarcity, soil loss and food insecurity) they are more likely to muster their energies and take action for change. GBM engages communities through its unique watershed-based 10-step tree planting procedure, and mobilizes individuals to take action and improve their livelihoods and watershed management. GBM takes community through a process of Civic, Empowerment and Environmental Education (CEE) that provides a strong sense of self-knowledge and realization which has enabled them to embrace conscious pursuit for peaceful co-existence and a people driven socio-political-economic development. Through this process, they learn to make linkages between the challenges they face and environmental degradation. This leads to community-led action and a commitment to safeguard natural resources.
Indigenous Information Network (IIN) works on both Development,Conservation of Our Environment with a focus on several multilateral agreements, rights issues for women children and for pastoralists and forest- dwelling groups in Kenya. It is a non-profit, volunteer-run non-governmentalorganization (NGO) registered in the Republic of Kenya. The organization was founded in 1996 by a group of professionals in response to addressing needs for information through media and other channels about Indigenous Peoples, their livelihoods, and the challenges they face as they struggle to exist. The organization has been involved in dissemination of information, environmental conservation activities, community development, and advocacy activities to support of Indigenous Peoples, women, girl child, youth and other isolated minorities in the region.
IIN works directly with indigenous groups from rural areas to address issues in the following areas:
- Environmental conservation- With a focus on different multilateral agreements, at the local, national, regional and international levels.
- Health issues, including sexual reproductive health,
- Women’s rights and gender mainstreaming
- Education which includes Girlchild education
- Water issues promoting access to clean water by harvesting the rain, Protecting natural source. We strongly believe without clean water no good health for the communities.
- Economic Empowerment which include fundraising, for both the communities we work especially women and the youth.
- Traditional Knowledge, and protection and preservation of our cultural
- Land rights
- Sustainable development with a focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs)
Communication Strategies:
Indigenous Information Network IIN, believes that information is empowering. Un informed community is like someone in darkness. Engaging the communities and keeping them informed on different development around them is crucial. We do this by helping to set recourse centers and conducts person in every community that we work with so that they can help reach out and share any development issues. IIN also engages in networking and information sharing between the indigenous peoples of Africa and worldwide via electronic and print media. IIN continues to use the social media and other forms of communication and information sharing – Nomadic News and other updates and promotes different communities to make use of local radios around them to share information among themselves. Nomadic News and environmental news. Nomadic News focuses on the struggles of Indigenous Peoples in Africa and makes connections between grassroots, national and international politics.
The Institute of Environment and Water Management (IEWM) is a non-governmental organization that aims to strengthen water and environmental governance and climate change resilience through unlocking the potential of communities and institutions to manage their natural resources equitably and sustainably.
IEWM has a strong track record in tackling and finding innovative solutions to address climate change, natural resource management, and water and sanitation issues, through training and capacity building, skills development, research and knowledge management. The institute’s added value and achievements relies on strategically combining effective programme management, targeted advocacy and compelling communications.
The Institute has striven to bridge the gap between local action and policy/decision making through lobbying and advocacy. It’s technical experience and influence is recognised and valued at the national level and IEWM’s interventions are clearly aligned with national policies and guidelines, actively contributing to the country’s Vision 2030.
We are a conservation organization that prides itself as the voice of conservation in the East African region. We do this through evidence based advocacy and engaging different key stakeholders to influence change.