February 27 is World NGO Day - an opportunity to Celebrate, Commemorate, and Collaborate with individuals and NGOs around the world. A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is a non-profit organization that operates independently of any one government, usually with the goal of addressing a specific social or political issue. These can include charities, Civil Society organizations, membership organizations, and more. There are thousands of NGOs worldwide, of all sizes, all working to achieve better lives for the people they serve.
KIDS Initiative joins the ranks of world NGOs. As a grassroots, non-profit organization, KIDS dedicates itself to working with developing communities to facilitate sustainable development solutions. In order to make sure that we can serve communities in the best way possible, KIDS has chosen to remain a small, volunteer-based organization. By relying on personal networks and relationship-building, we are able to connect as directly as possible with communities and individuals.
By building personal relationships, we foster a long term and sustainable model of development. Instead of swooping into a community, fixing a problem, and leaving, KIDS gets to know communities first - listening to what they need, their ideas for solutions, and the challenges they are facing. Once this deeper understanding is built, KIDS works with the community to develop solutions.
Over the years, KIDS Initiative has had the privilege of supporting a wide variety of projects - all centered on improving the lives of children. Some of our earliest projects included supporting the NDII-INI Primary School and Mama Tunza Children’s Centre, based on the relationships that our founder, Cat Ross, developed during some of her first trips to Kenya over a decade ago. More recently, we have helped the Kieni Fighters of HIV/AIDS develop resources and training to provide support to women and girls in Kieni who are especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The Lemolo IDP Camp’s borehole is yet another example of how KIDS is able to develop sustainable solutions. In addition to providing reliable access to safe drinking water to Lemolo for the first time, the borehole also continues to ensure that children (specifically girls) are able to stay in school longer and focus on their studies - increasing their opportunities, while also providing new employment opportunities to youth who deliver water to the wider community. Powered by solar panels and maintained by a committee elected by the community, the Lemolo Borehole will be self-sustaining for years to come.
As a small, grass-roots NGO, KIDS Initiative is completely run by dedicated volunteers who are motivated to improve the lives of children that they may never even meet. Working across 5 Committees, ranging from Educational Outreach and Event Planning to Grant Writing and Marketing, our volunteers use their strengths to work tirelessly towards developing and implementing sustainable solutions, and showing our donors what their support has helped us achieve together!
This foundation of volunteers also means that no donations go to salaries or corporate benefits. Instead, every dollar that we receive goes directly to funding sustainable projects in developing communities. With your help, as an NGO, we can continue working to build a world where lives more and suffers less.
Join us in celebrating #WorldNGODay!
