Amkeni Wakenya

Support for Civil Society

(i)    Capacity Development at the Strategic Level: Amkeni Wakenya acknowledges the different needs and interests of local and national constituents, as well as the fundamental and necessary links between the two levels.  At the national level, it supports civic advocacy organizations that mobilize constituents and press for reforms that are debated, drafted, and legislated at the executive/parliamentary level.  At the local level, it supports CBOs that focus on an array of governance and rights issues that affect communities.
While recognizing that national and local level democracy and governance-related concerns may be understood and manifested differently, meaningful governance reform requires

(i) that all citizens understand how national and local problems and needs are interlinked;

(ii) that the voice of all citizens is heard; and,

(iii) that national level advocacy efforts represent, and are supported by, local level constituents. 

The unique niche occupied by Amkeni Wakenya in the context of the support it extends to both small local level organizations, and national level advocacy institutions, makes it possible for it to play a distinctive role in facilitating strategic linkages between local, regional and national organizations and networks, with the aim of effecting coherent and integrated reform agendas and advocacy initiatives.


(ii)  At the tactical level: Amkeni Wakenya focuses on two geographic levels of support for democratic governance and advocacy activities:


a. Support for local CSOs to implement activities that mobilize and engage communities to advocate for democratic governance and reform issues at the local level.  Local level successes give communities confidence in their abilities to effect change.


b. Parallel to individual CSO support, Amkeni Wakenya seeks to foster greater impact by strengthening/supporting formal and informal CSO networks and coalitions, particularly at the regional and national levels to serve as conduits through which information and lessons learned could be shared, to aggregate and amplify the public voice, and to develop coherent reform agendas on specific issues.  Local/regional networks may also provide training to members, following TOT supported by Amkeni Wakenya.