CES Canada Fights Poverty in Kenya

CES Canada Fights Poverty in Kenya

CES Canada is a small NGO working in rural Kenya. Its goal is to alleviate poverty through the provision of education, water, health and nutrition. CES believes that lack of education is a key element when addressing the core roots of poverty. The path to economic freedom lies in the ability of people to be educated and to make choices and investments within their means. A top down government regulatory approach has been proven wanting in countries that cannot or will not provide quality education for all. The way out of the quagmire of poverty is from the bottom up, in small villages, communities and urban centers across each county where education and health are given equal priority with large scale national economic development strategies in place.

Before asking how poverty eradication is best pursued, the question of what poverty means is critical. Poverty is more than a lack of income. According to the United Nations, the accepted benchmark for income alone is $1.25/day.  However, simply increasing income above $1.25/day will not create long term sustainability. People living in poverty are vulnerable. They need more than an infusion of funding.

Effective poverty eradication strategies need to recognize the interconnections between various aspects of poverty. Poverty is made up of factors that together deprive people of their rights and freedoms. Malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of clean water and no electricity are daily reminders of what people in rural Kenya face. These realities reflect the realities of poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standards, environmental degradation, gender discrimination, violence and lack of access to justice.

The practicalities of eradicating poverty remain daunting at best. The most vulnerable are the children. Always depending on adults, they suffer greatly when caregivers live in acute poverty. Powerless and without a voice, their choices are limited to meeting needs for basic survival. The way forward remains largely in the domain of education, for it is here that minds and hearts can be shaped and values, skills and attitudes moulded into something positive.

The HIV/Aids pandemic has produced the phenomena of “children raising children” and “grandmothers raising children.” There are 1.2 million orphaned children under the age of 19 years living in Kenya; most cannot pay the school fees necessary to attend school. CES Canada’s scholarship program includes paying tuition and providing basic healthcare and nutrition for 300 secondary school students. Daily feeding programs, improved sanitation through Wash In Schools Program (UNICEF), access to clean water, PAD feminine hygiene education and provision of treated anti-malaria mosquito nets help each student to become brighter, better learners – all this for under $1/day.

CES Canada is involved in a “seven-fold” strategy where needy orphaned students receive scholarships and support in their education. This means that on average one CES graduate will help seven others to achieve their education. Families and communities are strengthened as these Kenyan youth find ways to rise above the grinding poverty they face.