KEFEADO is a National Women led NGO registered in Kenya in 1994. It is non-partisan, non-profit making gender concern organization based in Kisumu and working in different parts of Kenya.

Vision

A Society, which upholds human rights for all, practices gender equity and equal opportunity for sustainable development.

Mission

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

Philosophy

KEFEADO believes in Gender equality as a tool for sustainable development. Gender Equality to us refers to upholding the human values and qualities as opposed to focusing on the sex and biological roles.

The power of dialogues and reasoning.

It was and is still KEFEADO's conviction that a systematic objective dialogue and review of both authentic and perceived cultural values will enhance the identification of social ills within the society. KEFEADO therefore aims to reduce gender based violence, non-democratic processes and human rights abuse which continue to polarize disorganizes the learning institutions, a situation which leads to negative energy being spent discussing conflicts instead of focusing on academics, ethics and values enhancement. These principles have guided the KEFEADO's choice of programmes, projects and targeted beneficiaries from inception to date, and remains to be the guiding objective.

Geographical Coverage

KEFEADO works in prioritized areas of western province, Nyanza and North rift valley. The past activities of KEFEADO have covered south Rift Valley and in collaboration with Unifem, KEFEADO has worked in Muranga District in central province of Kenya.

Beneficiaries of KEFEADO Programmes

•  Although KEFEADO uses integrated approach in her programmes interventions, Key beneficiaries are women and the girls.

•  KEFEADO involves both males, females youths and women in her programmes for purposes of building development linkages, which promote gender equality, equity and human rights. It is noted that, in the traditional set up of the rural community where most KEFEADO programmes target, the inclusion of both genders is key to realizing sustainable development results. The inclusion of the male gender in understanding the functions of gender equality, human dignity, women's rights as human rights and the sexual health and rights, has resulted in very encouraging transformation processes wherever KEFEADO has worked.

Programmes and Projects of KEFEADO are:

•  Internship programme – which is meant to promote North-South relationship with leaning institutions and their communities in cross cultures exchange with a focus on IT learning and children's video documentation for in and out of school information sharing with parents, other stakeholders and community members in the diaspora . The programme activities include promotion of a reading culture, career orientation and promotion of blue color jobs among other innovations.

•  Rite of Being Project includes activities, which analyze myths, beliefs practices, and their relations to gender based violence, reproductive health rights violation, violence against women, 16 days of gender activism and the International rights instruments articulation and application.

•  National Facilitation Initiative (NFI) which includes mainstreaming Gender, CEDAW, and BPFA in the MDGs Goals, empowering women's access, participation and control using level 10 framework of empowerment and grooming young women's leadership skills as well as mainstreaming young women in Women's movement.

•  Schools outreach programme focuses on engendering the learning institutions governance structures and the learning language in the institutions of learning, community leadership and within the family set ups

•  The Role Modeling programme has activities which focus on bridging the gender and human rights gaps which affect the girls adversely and contribute to inequalities and inequities in access, retention and completion of schools.

•  The other angle of this programme facilitates dialogue sessions with stakeholders, local community leaders and parents on issues which should be addressed at their levels to make the schools and families liveable.

Consultancy services

•  KEFEADO works with other organizations in areas where it has expertise, particularly on issues concerning human rights, gender planning and mainstreaming in development work, cultural analysis and review.

•  The social dimensions approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention, stigma reduction and social impact mitigation.

•  Sexuality, sexual dialogue and reproductive health education

•  Dissemination of international rights instruments to which Kenya is a signatory and their relations to sections of the current and the draft constitution particularly as concerns women's and girls rights among other areas where KEFEADO has a niche .

KEFEADO's Current Partners

• Hivos
• Roc Amsterdam Colleges
• Sida in collaboration with WAFNET

• Raising Voices – based in Kampala -Uganda.
• Women Action Forum for Networking (WAFNET).
• Elimu Yetu coalition
• Hivos
• National Civil Society Congress in Kenya
• Women Shadow Parliament in Kenya
• Novib Oxfam Netherlands / Oxfam GB Network

•  Mt. Elgon - Rite of Being Project – Forum Theatre for Alternative Ritesof passage instead of FGM among the Sabaot community.

•  Rachuonyo - MDGs, Gender Planning and mainstreaming in development

•  Bondo District - Gender Mainstreaming in Development, HIV/AIDS prevention

Education and Gender discussion Forums

•  Migori district - Internship Programme /Role Modeling Project

•  Kisumu Municipality - Quality Education and Engendered participation in the MDGs City Planning

•  Nyando district - Grooming leadership values and skills in young girls

•  Research, documentation and publication of unique gender and rights issues in programme prioritized districts.

Results/influence KEFEADO has had in the last years and currently

The results listed here under are both programmatic and institutional. They include;

•  The recognition of the current Executive Director as one of the 34 World Laureate award winners of the prize for commitment to rural women's development in 1999

•  The commonwealth Education Fund 2003 Innovation Award under gender category –2004

•  Facilitation of the initiation and hosting of Women Action Forum for Networking (WAFNET) 2003

•  Identification of KEFEADO as the focal point for the Coalition on Violence Against Women in Nyanza & Western provinces between 1997 –2001

•  The identification of KEFEADO as the Mdgs focal point for Nyanza and western provinces by the civil society coalition on Mdgs in 2005

•  The identification of KEFEADO by Raising Voices – Kampala – Uganda as the Kenya Focal point for networking with like minded organizations on 16 days of Gender Activism and other rights matters concerning women and girls.

•  Influencing the South – South programme relationship and hosting Mothertongue Project based in Cape Town South Africa under the Rite of being project

•  Publication of Eight titles on KEFEADO work experiences, lessons learnt and best practices

•  Establishment of an interactive website and using the same to network widely.

•  Sustained local and international recognition of the organization's contribution to the reduction of gender inequalities, inequities and harmful beliefs and practices

•  KEFEADO has been able to sustain donor confidence, in terms of trend setting in the region in terms of innovation, open and interactive leadership

•  Unreserved trust and support by the objective and focused local, National, International colleagues and partners in development.

•  The sustained resourcefulness and innovation in KEFEADO over the years has earned it the credibility that it enjoys to date.

•  As a result of the dedication of the staff of KEFEADO, the asset base for programme and general institutional operations has also grown

•  KEFEADO has in the past years facilitated the professional growth of a number of women and men who have moved on and are currently serving in very demanding positions with other large organizations

KEFEADO's unique approaches to gender education, training and mainstreaming takes the community members through a process of self-actualization using the power of reason and self-analysis – whose sum total speeds up transformation, sustainable understanding and knowledge retention

The analogies used in this process are as practical as possible and are meant to help the beneficiaries to open up and think out of the box, to feel with their hearts and use their hands and brains to bring about positive change.