Message from the Chief Executive Officer

Alpha Monthly N O V E M B E R , 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E I , I S S U E 1 7

S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T :

Message from the Chief Executive

Officer

OF in Psychosocial Conference

OF Affiliates in Target Harmoniza-

tion Meeting

CEOs/ Finance Managers in Train-

ing

Advocacy training lays emphasis on

M&E, budget tracking

ZAWADI Africa motivates OVC

PBO Bill: Nipping Development in

the Bud

Resource Mobilization TWG at OF

It also impacts vulnerable populations such as per-sons with disabilities and women, who are more ex-posed to sexual violence. Lack of private toilets in schools is a major reason why girls do not continue their education once they enter puberty. Poor sanita-tion and water supply also result in economic losses estimated at 60 billion annually in Kenya. Only 32 out of Kenya‟s 178 local government authorities have a sewerage system.

This means that 142 local authorities in Kenya lack access to any form of sewerage system and are there-fore highly exposed to diseases, according to a report on the link to health and environment. 39 per cent of people in rural areas do not have access to proper sanitation comparable to international standards.

Communities that live without safe sanitation means they are exposed to their own and others' faeces. We have to act to improve the quality of life for those who need it most.

WILFRED OWUOR,

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

Omega Foundation,

Busia Road, Milimani Est.

P.O. Box 3246-40100,

KISUMU– KENYA.

Tel: 0716 527990

0734 527990

info@omegafoundation.or.ke

www.omega-foundation.org

OF attended the Regional Psychosocial Support Initia-tive (REPSSI) Conference hosted at the Kenya Inter-national Conference Centre. Care for orphans and vulnerable children is a component of OF‟s 5 strategic pillars. OF was represented by ChiId Protection Offi-cer Ms Rosila Waringa who has shared amazing insights to staff working with children and is working with the management to improve quality of programming OVC initiatives. The theme was mainstreaming psychosocial support for child protection: Linking evidence with practice. Issues touching on integration of psychosocial support in care and support of OVC, engaging key child protection actors to create sustainable child pro-tection initiatives at community level and mainstream-ing psychosocial support into household Economic strengthening were discussed at length.

The big question was to address how we can offer PSS to children in ways that empower people.

OF in Psychosocial Conference The big question was to address how we can offer PSS to children in ways that empower people.It was unani-mously agreed that formation of networks, self defense groups and child protection teams as well as mainstream-ing of PSS using appropriate tools in child protection would lead to the realization of psychological wellbeing interventions.

Emphasis was also given to targeting elderly caregivers of OVC who bare the burden. A significant challenge for older caregivers (both men and women) is that they are often at a time in their life when they expect to be cared for by their children, and they are neither emo-tionally, financially nor physically prepared to fully pro-vide for their newly acquired dependents.

The outcome of this conference was the joint signing of a working contact between REPSSI and Governments of Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania on mainstream-ing of psychosocial support in Education sector.

Omega Foundation has over the years been in the forefront in meeting the sanitation needs of its benefi-ciaries through a myriad of projects; from construc-tion of toilets to sinking boreholes to organizing and taking part in cleanup activities.

It is regrettable that poor sanitation is the highest contributor to worlds morbidity and mortality with progress in sanitation providing significant benefits to public health as well as social, economic and environ-mental factors.

While a vast majority of the Kenya‟s population has access to mobile phones, one third of humanity, 20 million people do not have access to proper sanita-tion, including toilets or latrines, with dramatic con-sequences on human health, dignity and security, the environment, and social and economic development.

To address these issues, the “Sanitation for All” Reso-lution was adopted by the United Nations designating 19 November as World Toilet Day. World Toilet Day aims to change both behavior and policy on issues ranging from enhancing water management to ending open-air defecation.

Where there are

experts there will

be no lack of

learners. ~Swahili Proverb .

OF Affiliates in Target Harmonization Meeting

Advocacy training lays emphasis on M&E, budget tracking OF took part in a training to provide insight on ap-proaches to monitoring and evaluating advocacy interven-tions.

The training was in appreciation of the fact that M&E is a central tool to manage interventions, improve practice and ensure accountability, is highly challenging in the context of advocacy. Policy advocacy is a highly complex process shaped by a multitude of interactive forces and actors.

Participants were exposed to various aspects of public resource tracking tools including budget analysis with a focus in National and County health budgets.

Of priority during the training was the existing advocacy and monitoring processes and tools that meet advocacy and M&E needs, assist CSO‟s to adopt M&E tools and processes that can be used in advocacy and increased knowledge on the National and county budget making process.

“Incorporating M&E in advocacy will only make work easier and outcomes easy to establish .” advised Jacky Njeru an M&E expert from PACT.

Mr. John Kinuthia from International Budget Part-nership program discussed the National and County health functional assignment. Functional assignments are those duties delegated to the National and county governments in the devolved government system.

“It is the duty of CSOs to keep those in authority on toes in terms of budget allocation and implementa-tion.”

Participants were taken through exercises to compare current County budget allocations to those of the previous years, analyze whether the budget has the same priorities as the county development plan, access the degree to which the budget is allocating resources equitably within the county and establishing the levels of deficits and how they will be paid.

“The ball is now in your court as CSOs in various counties to spearhead duty-holder accountability and transparency.”Sam Mulyanga of FANIKISHA

Speaking during the meeting, FANIKISHA‟s Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) Director Henry Kilonzo reminded the participants that sustainability of the projects beyond WEZESHA by working through the exist-ing government systems and structures was vital. He further advised the participants not to “reinvent the wheel” but to innovatively replicate the activities and methods that have worked for other players . Also at the meeting was OF CEO Wilfred Owuor who advised the affiliates to show value for money in order to justify USAID support to them. “USAID like any donor wants to see its fund being put to good use.”

OF rolled out its WEZESHA project in the month of October, signing programmatic grant agreement with 8 affiliates who will support HIV service deliv-ery in 10 counties.

In an effort to harmonize targets for ease of pro-gram implementation, OF affiliates converged to discuss and agree on their respective targets before committing them to USAID.

The meeting which brought together M&E focal persons from the eight affiliates saw them present their work plans before a plenary of FANIKISHA and OF staff. The meeting also presented a learn-ing platform for both FANIKISHA and OF staff on Affiliates focus areas, outcomes and proposed strategies under each outcome areas.

OF and affiliate staff at the target har-monization meeting

OF CEO Mr. Wilfred Owuor and Head of Finance and Operations Mr. Paul Maher recently attended a finance training aimed at enhancing capacity in risk, fraud and . audit and after-audit management and required controls within the CSOs and affiliates.

The one-day training was also targeted at clearly defining the role of CEOs in financial management especially now that the CSOs are sub granting to affiliates. A dialogue session on the CEOs support in strengthening financial management led by FANIKISHA s Director of Finance Mr. Julius Anyega took the point home and clarified a myriad of related issues for the participants.

CSO CEO’s and Finance Managers’ Training The training saw the participants taken through risk management planning to increase the probability and impact of positive events and decrease the prob-ability and impact of adverse events to project objec-tives

The training could not have come at a better time given that OF is in the first phase of implementing Wezesha Project through affiliates.

FANIKISHA Chief of Party Dr. Daraus Bukunya broke down sustainability in three categories: Institu-tional sustainability, programaatic and financial . "Institutional capacity and growth never stops" .

Sam Mulyanga of FANIKISHA makes a point at the advocacy training

The Public Benefits Organizations (PBO) Act No. 18 of 2013 was an initiative of the civil society or-ganizations in Kenya is being soiled. Its noble pur-pose to promote coordination and accountability in the non-governmental sector risks obliteration. The sector that provides the economy about 15% annu-ally will be axed if an omnibus statute law is as-sented.

The Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2013 published on October 2013 contradicts the PBO Act 2013 and Government declarations to support this sector which has played a crucial role in development. The following has been inserted in the Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2013: Article 27A. (1) Any funding of a public benefits organization shall be made through the federation and not by any individual member organization (2)A public organization shall not receive more than 15% of its total funding from external donors (3) Not-withstanding subsection two ,the Cabinet Secretary responsible for finance may approve receipt of an amount of more than 15% where there are legiti-mate and compelling reasons for increasing the amount.

PBOs have contributed significantly to foreign ex-change with over 90% of the KES152 billion re-ceived in foreign exchange, making this sector a significant earner of foreign currency. The pro-posed amendments will see PBOs access only 15% of their budget from foreign funds. This will be a big blow to the sector as the 8,500 PBOs in the country are heavily donor reliant for most of their activities. 1,757 of these PBOs are delivering 47% of Kenya's public health services. The Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2013: has far reaching consequences for the people. The NGOs have continued to effectively work with Govern-ment to complement its efforts to ensure the most basic of needs are met in the most remote areas and by needy populations. It is against this background that OF in collabora-tion with the Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO) is currently petitioning for one million signatures from the public to stop the ongoing spirited campaign by the Government to shrink the civic space of expression and association. We must rise up!

PBO Bill: Nipping Development in the Bud

Omega Foundation appreciates the partnership that has developed between itself and Zawadi Africa. OF provides structures and a platform for Zawadi Africa-a foundation that promotes girl child education, spearheaded by Susan Mboya in the footsteps of her father who pioneered link-ing Kenyan students for university education in west. Omega Foundation in partnership with Zawadi Africa is creating awareness to academically talented girls from poor families that with high level commitment, there is hope for a better future. Zawadi Africa offer scholarship to qualified girls to Universities in USA and Canada.

OF „s George Onyango and MOH‟s Peris Akello in studio during one of the talk shows

While at Kunya Primary school, the outgoing class boys also attended the forum. One boy who spoke out about his situation, carried the day and soon be attached to a career mentor from a volunteer Zawadi trustees. We congratulate Sospeter Lincoln Danga for taking per-sonal commitment to share his story,

Role modeling has worked for children in the past and OF and Zawadi offers this opportunity for children to share experiences of Zawadi alumni , to build strength of purpose and tighten their resolve to succeed in their life‟s aspirations.

Resource Mobilization TWG at OF

ZAWADI Africa motivates OF beneficiaries

“Only a wise per-

son can solve a

difficult problem.”

~ Akan proverb

Children perform during the ZAWADI Africa visit

Resource Mobilization focal persons and professionals in the non-profit sector have been organized courtesy of FANIKSHA into a TWG. The aim of this approach is to enhance opportunities for partnerships across the organizations and the sector and to keep abreast of trends in the RM circles.

This month‟s meeting was hosted at Omega Founda-tion, bringing together 4 organizations-IRCK, ICL, WOFAK and OF. Agenda for this meeting were ex-hausted and key highlights include; need to concretize past plans for practical engagement in the future- a task force was established to develop a simple tool to map out strengths of the participating institution in readi-ness for joint bids and to ease referrals whenever oppor-tunities arise.

OF ,FANIKISHA affiliate, and SOS staff at the SOS Children‟s Village, Kisumu when they paid them a courtesy call