Kenya

Total Projects: 45
Project Spending: $165,282

Kenya is a country of many contrasts from its landscape to its demographics. One of East Africa’s traditional regional powers, Kenya is also one of the most unequal countries in Africa. 42% of its population of 44 million live below the poverty line. Access to basic quality services such as healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation is often a luxury for many Kenyans. Large segments of the population, including the burgeoning urban poor, are highly vulnerable to climatic, economic and social shocks (UNICEF). Kenya’s population has nearly tripled in the last 35 years, from 16.3 million in 1980 to 47 million today and 40% of the population are children under 15. This has major implications for the country’s social infrastructure. According to the World Health Organization, there is only one doctor and 12 nurses or midwives per 10,000 people in Kenya. This shortage of medical professionals is a severe problem for the nation, although major public health interventions have helped to reduce the country’s mortality rate, with national progress seen in the fight against HIV/AIDS as well as the incidence of waterborne illnesses (WHO). Despite these improvements, challenges remain. The poorest inhabitants live in rural areas and often go without healthcare, clean water and sanitation as well as many other social services which are primarily located in the cities and business regions. Poverty in Kenya is a widespread problem but it is most concentrated in rural areas. The vast majority of available work lies in the agricultural sector and hence the country is especially affected by droughts and natural disasters.