Kenyan Droughts: A Community Based Approach

In the year 2000 Kenya suffered its worst drought in 37 years. In 2001 the Spanish Red Cross (SRC) initiated a bilateral cooperation with the KRCS on a long term basis. After the first consultations, the Kenya Red Cross Society showed interest in implementing a Drought Preparedness programme in Machakos District.

This programme focused on developing branch capacities through training to enable the Machakos branch to mobilize volunteers, and through training to work closely with and “from within” rural communities. The three-year project, implemented by the KRCS Machakos branch with technical support from the SRC, aims at strengthening the local and district capacities, through local and innovative mechanisms, to predict, cope with and recover from recurrent drought impacts (there is a drought episode every three-four years).