Case study taken from the Start Network Impact Report 2016.
Location: Turkana, Kenya
Project: Shifting the Power
Programme: Disasters and Emergencies Preparedness Programme
Background
The Shifting the power project in Kenya works with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and advocates for stronger links between the two organisations. At the county level across the country(specifically in Turkana), KRCS plays a key role in disaster preparedness and response by providing technical assistance with contingency planning, preparedness and response plans,disaster assessments, and response budgets and reports. In Turkana the KRCS team was instrumental in supporting the county government in hazard mapping and is now supporting the preparation of the county disaster management policy. In Kenya, the NDMA (supported by Oxfam Kenya) convenes the county coordination meeting for the County Steering Group.
Impact
In March 2016, the County Steering Group met and discussed the short rains assessment report, resulting in a commitment to bring in 30 community volunteers from Turkana east sub-county. (The county government focused on particularly dispersed areas of Kapendo, Lomeno and Taikori, which are often not involved.) These volunteers were then trained by KRCS and an inception meeting was held, which included the Commissioner of the sub-county, along with disaster, agriculture, health and ward administrators, the ministry of education and the KRCS. This demonstrates early shifts in government practice, which now draws on the resources of the KRCS and communities. The project contributed to this through advocacy and training.