History.

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Kenya Female Advisory Organization (KEFEADO) was initiated in July 1994 and registered with the NGO Coordinating Bureau on September 15th 1994. KEFEADO was co-founded by Ms. Dolphine Achieng Okech and Dr. Jane Okech. Dr. Jane Okech who is currently an Assistant Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Vermont , began her career as a high school teacher at Loreto Convent Msongari and Brookhouse Senior School both in Nairobi , Kenya . It was at this time that she became actively involved in activities promoting the education of women and the retention of female students in schools.

Ms. Dolphine Okech who is also the current Founding Executive Director of KEFEADO came from two decades of service with the Ministry of Education. A renowned school administrator, she served as a Head Teacher for nearly a decade at the then prestigious and multinational Victoria Primary School located in Kisumu Municipality . KEFEADO was founded in response to challenges she witnessed students facing within the school environment. Most of these problems had their roots in the social environment, which the school system alone could not adequately intervene in. The organization sought to and continues to bridge the social gaps that contribute to inequalities and inequities in Kenya both within the formal education sector and in the community, with specific focus in western Kenya region local community context .

Other Clients

Our Services

We offer the following workshop and field services at competitive rates. All our programmes are interactive and are tailor made to meet specific client needs.

Some of Our Previous/ Current Clients

CARE- Kenya

Elimu Yetu Coalition - Nyanza

UNIFEM

Vision

KEFEADO envisages a society that upholds human rights for all; practices gender equity and equal opportunity for sustainable development

Mission

To promote gender equity, equal opportunity and human rights for all in Kenya by providing holistic development and empowering women and their families through innovative and appropriate approaches

Mandate

KEFEADO is mandated to work in all parts of Kenya . The organization has prioritized rural communities and urban informal settlements as key beneficiaries of her programmes.

Core Strategy

Using education as a tool for sustainable development and women as our entry point, KEFEADO's interventions emphasize cultural and traditional practices analysis to understand the difference between power and empowerment for purposes of reduction of gender inequity and human rights abuses within the wider society.

Accolades

1999 – Recognition of the Founding Executive Director Dolphine Okech as one of the 34 World Laureates by Rural Women summit Foundation. 2003 - Commonwealth Education Fund (CEF) Innovative Award for the Year 2003 (Awarded In 2004). KEFEADO's efforts in enhancing access to education for the marginalized groups through the Role Modelling project in Nyanza was recognized by the Commonwealth Education Innovative award for the year 2003. The coveted annual CEF Innovative award attests to KEFEADO efforts and dedication to enhancing access to education opportunities for the marginalized children.

Capacity

Over a decade since its inception, KEFEADO continues to actively engage in programmatic activities aimed at promoting the education and civic rights of women, as well as gender equity through a socio-economic and cultural analysis approach. The organization continues to sustain International and local donor support, in addition to international, regional and local recognition by like-minded organizations. KEFEADO remains at the cutting edge of development through sustained resourcefulness and innovation in every new project designed hence setting the trend amongst peers in the region.

Leadership & Management

KEFEADO is managed by an Executive Director alongside a team of Programme and Administrative staff. The highly skilled team of ten is accountable to a Board of Directors that consists of individuals selected for their areas of expertise in gender, development as well as other special skills areas such as Law, Counselling Psychology, Auditing and Finance. The organization draws on its extensive network of resource persons who have either benefited from KEFEADO's training and facilitation expertise or who identify with the ethos of the organization and see their skills as furthering the organization's mandate.

Financial Integrity

KEFEADO continues to manage budgets amounting to over USD. 500,000 annually. KEFEADO is audited annually by Pannell Kerr Forster (PKF) an internationally recognised audit firm.

Resource Development

Committed to documenting our experiences, lessons learnt and strategies for future programmatic interventions, KEFEADO has:

Equipment and Assets

Some of our initiatives

On the cutting edge

As an organization that strives to remain on the cutting edge of current debates, developments and engagements in the gender and development sector, we participate, facilitate and are part of international and local conferences, workshops and movements. These are some of the spaces within which KEFEADO has networked in: