INTRODUCTION
The organization promotes democratic governance by enhancing citizen participation and engagement, accountability, equity and inclusiveness, transparency and rule of law.
Focus Areas:
It is because of this that citizens in Kenya and Africa in general continue to demand increased space for participation. Participation in public affairs is important in another respect. It builds people’s abilities to hold authorities to account for the implementation of decisions and actions agreed upon.
The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance requires the African Union member states to recognize people’s participation as an inalienable right of the people of the continent. The quest to promote participatory democracy and to make participation an important principle in the governance of public affairs, has been an important theme in debates on governance in Kenya. Because of this, and in recognition of protracted struggles for democratic reforms, article 10 in Kenya’s new constitution has included democracy and participation of the people among the values and principles of governance, which bind all state organs and institutions as well as state officials.3 In assessing the quality of democracy in Kenya, there are questions whether successive governments have consistently upheld the rule of law, allowed citizens to freely elect their leaders, and whether or not people have been making political decision.
Introduction: I Choose Life Africa seeks to accelerate devolution by empowering County citizens through education, enhanced understanding of Public Finance Management Act and establishment of systems that strengthen accountability and transparency of the County governments and monitor their performance through regular civic education forums.
Features:
USP: It is demand driven, participatory and utilizes multiple methods of learning including: interactive lecture, small group discussions, testimonials, brainstorming role-playing and case studies. Our clients: county citizens, county governments, national government
Citizens and communities have an important role to play with regard to enhancing accountability of public officials, reducing corruption and leakage of funds and improving public service delivery. As a result, Social Accountability has become an attractive approach to both the public sector and civil society for Improving governance processes, service delivery outcomes, and improving resource allocation decisions.
I Choose Life – Africa supports involvement of citizens, users of services, and civil society organizations in the monitoring and evaluation of service delivery and public works. Score cards have been developed to support the process of monitoring how the leaders are performing with respect to their constitutional functions. The organization has in the past supported communities from county levels to ward level to develop their own monitoring plans which they have used to assess their leaders performance
One of the key area that affects "Wanjiku" directly is the government budget. The organization is conducting Budget training of citizens, opinion leaders and the policy makers we facilitate mechanisms or processes through which citizens participate directly in the different phases of the budget formulation, decision making, and monitoring of budget execution.
Participatory budgeting is instrumental in increasing public expenditure transparency and in improving budget targeting. Budgets are technical documents which are hard to be interpreted by the community yet they form part of their day to day lives. The organization in partnership with other partners has continued to conduct independent budget analysis to make them simple for the community to understand and know the implications.
Introduction:
I Choose Life Africa partnered with ERIKS Development Partner to conduct Institutional Strengthening for 3 ERIKS Kenya member Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs), for better delivery of child-focused programs.
Project Goal: To improve the capacity of 3 PBOs in Kajiado and Garissa counties to better deliver child focused programs.
Objectives: To strengthen the capacity of 3 PBOs in Garissa and Kajiado
Achievements:
Scope:
Kajiado and Garissa counties
Introduction:
I Choose Life Africa partners with county governments to develop their development models at the ward level which can be replicated at the whole county and is in line with the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP)
Project Goal: Enhance citizen participation in governance both at county and national level
Objectives:
Achievements:
Scope:
Machakos, Uasin Gishu and Nairobi
Partners:
Introduction:
In the year 2012, Fanikisha, a project of MSH, RATN, PACT and DANYA with funding from USAID, supported ICL in strengthening its institutional capacity for quality health service delivery. As a result, ICL moved from being a Grant recipient to an organization that sub-grants local CSO’s to implement health programs.
Project Goal: To improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and reduced HIV infection
Objectives:
Achievements:
Scope:
Kitui, Makueni, Machakos, Kericho, Nandi, Laikipia, Nairobi
Partners
Introduction:
In the year 2012, Fanikisha, a project of MSH, RATN, PACT and DANYA with funding from USAID, supported 10 CSOs in strengthening their institutional capacities. As a result of the process, Local organizations in Kenya came together to form the Local Organizations Institutional Strengthening Network (LOISNET). LOISNET acts as a channel and ideal partner for both donor organizations and the government to support development processes in Kenya through shaping and providing development framework and strengthening local organizations.
Project Goal: To improve capacity of local CSOs to meaningfully engage communities and stakeholders in achieving improved service delivery.
Objectives:
Achievements: Developed a strategic plan for LOISNET
Scope:
All counties