Our Vision
An empowered community with unlimited opportunities for all.
Mission
To empower vulnerable populations to access opportunities necessary for sustainable self-reliance.
Goal: To link vulnerable individuals, communities and existing community organizations to access life changing skills and opportunities.
Objectives:
To enhance the capacity of PLWHIV to access care health and social services, through establishing community networks and collaborations in their support.
To Strengthen the capacity of households and communities to protect and care for OVC.
To enhance the capacity of communities to reduce the impact and incidences of HIV/AIDS through appropriate poverty reducing development projects.
Strengthen Child Welfare and Protection Structures and Systems for effective responses Eradication of Gender-Based Violence and Child protection.
To build capacities of community interest groups in modern and appropriate techniques in agricultural practices to boost food security, nutrition and household income.
Philosophy: People have the power to participate in their development.
Core values:
Accountability to resources
Giving hope where there is no hope at all
Dignity of human being, fairness and justice for all
Promotion of people’s participation and local ownership as a backbone to sustainability.
Recognition of the existing indigenous technical knowledge.
Teamwork, commitment and patience for community work in pursuance of holistic development
CURRENT PROJECTS
USAID 4TheChild Program-Tuungane, Tulinde, Tuwekeze Tuboreshe Afya Na Elimu ya Mtoto
GZK is implementing a 5 year orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program known as USAID 4TheChild program- in partnership with Moi University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS -lead partner) and Make Me Smile Kenya (MMK) in the entire Kisumu West Sub-County, Kisumu County and Siaya County. This program addresses the UNAIDS target of 95% 95% 95%
The goal is to “increase the use of quality county-led health and social services for targeted children and adolescents.” The program seeks to help Children and adolescents living with HIV and those affected by it, to save their lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential whilst empowering local and county-level OVC stakeholders to strengthen the formal and informal HIV, child protection systems and services as well as linkages between them, including multi-sectorial service referrals and coordination to ensure quality service delivery to OVC and their Households. USAID 4TheChild program intends to achieve her goal through three main sub purses:
- Increased Targeted Services for HIV Exposed, Infected and Affected O
- Increased Economic Stability of HHs to Care and Protect OVC
3. Strengthened Capacity of Local Social Services Systems and Structures to Support OVC Services
To advance the above, the program integrates OVC/HCBC with the ART (AIDS Relief) and other ongoing OVC-PEPFAR programs. Ensuring that the OVC program integrates agriculture and microfinance to promote food security and improve incomes, Initiate collaborative activities with county partners, including the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Development, Children’s Department, and other National organizations as appropriate. To create ownership and sustainability, the program will implement J2SR within the coverage area, involving the private service providers as key stakeholders and contributors in OVC service delivery. USAID 4TheChild program uses a case management approach to OVC programming.
PAST PROJECTS
GZK together with CRS implemented the USAID MWENDO OVC project in Kisumu county between April 2018 to May 2021. The project covered Kisumu West Sub-county (West Kisumu, North West Kisumu, South West Kisumu,and Kisumu North Wards) and Seme Sub-county (North Seme, East Seme and West Seme Wards). Our core business was to prioritize interventions for “…CLHIV, Children who are directly affected by the disease, or who live in areas of high HIV prevalence and may be vulnerable to the disease or its socio-economic effects.” This Included; children who have lost a parent to HIV/AIDS, children living with HIV positive caregivers including HIV exposed infants (HEI) and adolescents living in a high HIV prevalence area (i.e. adolescent girls, children of key populations, children living outside of family care, and those out of school). Our mandate was to reach children that are most vulnerable to HIV infection to mitigate the impact of HIV and prevent new HIV infections whilst doing household economic empowerment to the already affected ones.
GZK was addressing these main objectives:
Our coverage areas for MWENDO project were as follows in Kisumu West and Seme sub-counties. The table below shows the summary of our coverage areas and the number of OVC targeted: |
Partnership
Recognizing that effective, responsive and accountable governance requires the inputs of all stakeholders, we share the learning generated through interventions done. We are committed to inspiring dialogue from the bottom upwards, promoting consultations, building consensus, and facilitating convergence, forging partnerships and engaging diverse stakeholders in all programs we undertakes.
Diversity and Inclusivity
We advocate for and practice inclusiveness in the communities we work with. We recognize diverse strengths, needs, voices, and backgrounds of all members of our community. We respect the diversity of our people as we fulfill our mission. We believe in equality of opportunity for all and to respect for difference.
Integrity and Accountability
We uphold stewardship. We believe in transparency and accountability to our donors and the communities we work with in all undertakings. We are committed to demonstrate accountability to all the partners we work with formally and informally.
Resourcefulness
We recognizing that the people we work with may be constantly in need of information and capacity building. We will continue to be creative and innovative toward generating and disseminating information and current best practice to be adopted
Leadership
We listen to and learn from our community. We address the root causes of community problems and mobilize resources for the common good. Leadership is about giving the voiceless a platform to give their opinion as well as what they feel is best suited to mitigate their problems
