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Oxfam in Kenya

Selina Adapal, a member of Oxfam's water and sanitation committee and a water kiosk operator in Turkana, northern Kenya. Photo: Jane Beesley

From our staff

Mohammed Mursal, Wajir Programme Manager

 A lot of the work Oxfam does in Kenya involves what we call 'capacity building'. This means helping local organisations to develop, so they can be more involved in work such as peace-building, responding to emergencies, helping people prepare for disasters and pushing for policy changes that benefit poor people. 

In fact, one of the things I'm most proud of, having been with Oxfam for 17 years, is the change I've seen from Oxfam directly running our projects here to being more involved with supporting local level partners - many of which are themselves the products of our own capacity-building work. 


Full details of what Oxfam is doing in Kenya (PDF, 329KB)

East Africa food crisis

Millions of people in East Africa continue to face desperate food shortages following the worst drought in 60 years.

East Africa food crisis

In 2010-11 Oxfam helped:

550,000
people in
Kenya

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Related reports and papers

Snapshot of Oxfam in Kenya

Photo 1/10 photo by: Andy Hall

Our East Africa drought response is providing support to communities across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia suffering desperate food shortages following the worst drought in 60 years. In total we aim to reach 2.9 million people across the region with clean water, sanitation, food and cash support. Here, families queue to collect food rations from an Oxfam distribution point in Turkana.

  • Our East Africa drought response is providing support to communities across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia suffering desperate food shortages following the worst drought in 60 years. In total we aim to reach 2.9 million people across the region with clean water, sanitation, food and cash support. Here, families queue to collect food rations from an Oxfam distribution point in Turkana.
  • Northern Kenya is home to some of the highest poverty levels in the country. Access to clean water for the largely nomadic communities that live there is extremely limited. Water-borne diseases are rife, and many families must walk long distances to fetch water. Our longer-term programme includes building and renewing water sources, and providing training for people to maintain them.
  • We also work with communities in the north to help improve their livelihoods options in this arid region. One element of our programme has included supporting the development of fishing in Lake Turkana. By drying and selling their fish, herdsmen involved in the project have been able to develop a new source of income, whilst also adding extra nutrients to their diet.
  • In the capital Nairobi, an estimated 90% of slum dwellers are thought to have no access to clean water or basic sanitation services. Inadequate public waste collection also means that waterborne diseases are rife. Our urban programme includes working with entrepreneurial youth groups to help them develop and run recycling and affordable water and sanitation facilities.

The impact of our work

 Our work is first to benefit the community and by doing that we are benefiting ourselves and our community. We are the committed members... Our big purpose was to take the youth out of bad company and find activities for them.


Faith Mwende, member of Oxfam supported Kingstone Youth Group in Nairobi's Mukuru slum area