NGO REPORT

NGO Report

Introduction

Umande Trust, a Kenyan rights-based organization, has developed the BioCentre concept. This is a biogas generating latrine block, managed by community groups, which can be located anywhere in a slum as it treats human waste in-situ without requiring sewerage infrastructure. It comprises of the following:• Digester: Mixes water and human waste in anaerobic conditions to make biogas; remaining liquid effluent is 90% pathogen free and filtered on site.• BioGas: Used for cooking and can be linked to children's feeding projects. It reduces carbon emissions by converting methane to CO2 and water and by substituting the need for other fuels.• Toilets and washrooms: Ground floor to ensure disabled access with free 'child only' cubicles• Water Kiosk: selling affordable clean water• Upper Floors: Maximizes restricted urban space, has a hall and ancillary rooms for community and livelihoods activities eg cottage industries or restaurant.

Kenya lies in East Africa between 5ºN and 5ºS. It covers an area of 582,644km2 and has a population of over 30 million. Kenya achieved independence from Britain in 1963, and its founding mission was to fight poverty, ignorance and disease. The initial decade was full of promise. The economy flourished and per capita income rose, infrastructure was built up and essential services were increased across the country. Exports of tea and coffee, and an increase in foreign tourism, provided vital foreign exchange. (Zaleski 2006)

Figure 1: Kenya development indicators

Source: African development bank group

Discussion

The reasons for this decline and inequality are complex and reach far beyond Kenya itself. Mismanagement and corruption are to blame but are only part of the picture. Kenya, like many developing countries, has considerable debts and was forced to adopt structural adjustment policies. Public spending was cut and the currency (Kenyan shilling, Kshs) was devalued in an attempt to make more money available to pay back loans. At the same time prices for agricultural exports (eg tea and coffee) fell and biased international trade rules made things even harder for farmers. In recent years the tourist industry has suffered due to ethnic violence, flooding and the threat of terrorist attacks. All this has meant that Kenya has been struggling to pay an increasing debt using a decreasing income, and poor people have suffered most. In recent years there have been some promising signs of improvement in Kenya. Multi-party democracy was introduced in 1992, and a new Government was elected in 2003. The press has greater freedom and is now able to report on issues which were considered too politically sensitive a few years ago. The growth of national and local NGOs means that people have more opportunities to make changes in their lives and influence policies. (Richard 2007)

Figure 2: Some acronyms

NGO Umandi Trust is an international NGO working to fight poverty in more than 30 countries. Figure 3 shows the range of development work carried out by NGOs, governments and multilateral organisations. Over the years NGO Umandi Trust has evolved from a primarily service delivery organisation to one concerned with the promotion and defence of ...