2024
RYSA (Runda Youth Sports Association)
About: Founded in 1996, the Runda Youth Sports Association (RYSA) is a prominent community organization rooted in the urban slums of Nairobi. RYSA has dedicated itself to addressing poverty and fostering empowerment through a broad spectrum of community-focused initiatives. These initiatives cover vital areas such as sports, education, health, environmental sustainability, and income generation. The organization has gained recognition and credibility through its active participation in international football tournaments, involvement in environmental campaigns, and strategic partnerships with corporate entities aimed at enhancing community development. Through these diverse activities, RYSA continues to make a significant impact on improving the lives of those in Nairobi's urban slums.
Objective of the project: Complete Phase 2 of the Learning Resource, Research Centre and Library (LRRC) in Githogoro, and equip the centre to serve as the hub for RYSA's operations and a community asset for surrounding slum communities. Funding supports the build-out of the library and research centre, 100 durable chairs, a wider upgrade of the RYSA Center including small business shops and a cyber café intended to generate sustainable income toward running costs, sports equipment for the youth programmes, and the 2024 edition of the week-long RYSA mentorship camp for high school students held each December.
A total of USD 50,550 was allocated to this project.
MCODE
About: Mission for Community Development (MCODE) is a non-profit organization established in 2009 to uplift vulnerable communities in rural Uganda. MCODE focuses on enhancing the livelihoods of orphans, vulnerable children, and women by providing access to education, health services, clean energy, water, and vocational training in organic agriculture. Their work is driven by the mission to empower individuals to improve their lives and foster community-driven development, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Objective of the project: Further scale up the Biosand water filter programme by reaching an additional 1,000 women-headed and low-income households in the Kigaya fishing community of Najja sub-county, Buikwe district, Central Uganda. Building on previous phases that have reached over 2,000 households and benefited more than 7,000 people, this next phase aims to eliminate the need to boil drinking water in an area where firewood and charcoal have become increasingly scarce. Activities include community sensitisation, construction of the filters with locally sourced materials, and training beneficiaries organised into 100 groups of 10 on the use and maintenance of the filters.
A total of USD 50,000 was allocated to this project.
Nashulai
About: Nashulai Maasai Conservancy, guided by the principle encapsulated in its name, "we coexist," focuses on integrating community welfare with environmental stewardship. The conservancy eschews the traditional "fortress conservation" model, which often displaces indigenous people, opting instead for a community-driven approach. Recognized with the UNDP Equator Prize and identified as a "human rights incubator" by UAB, Nashulai addresses global challenges including biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation, women's empowerment, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge systems across the Maasai Mara landscape in Kenya.
Objective of the project: Secure the continued lease payments for the 6,000 acres that make up the Nashulai conservancy, ensuring landowners are compensated for protecting critical wildlife corridors between the Maasai Mara National Reserve and neighboring conservancies. In addition, funding was approved toward the construction of a new student hostel at Nashulai College, which has grown from 15 students in 2019 to 220 in 2024 and urgently needs expanded accommodation to meet demand. The hostel grant is conditional on Nashulai securing matching funds from another donor.
A total of USD 105,537 was allocated to this project.