3.4. Self-Help Groups and Community Initiatives

This is where many of these remaining, you know, they organized themselves into a self-help groups 50 to 4,000 households. And in order to obtain the land, each group member contributed its government cash handouts into a communal fund and bought rural plots of land for permanent settlement and moved there with their tents.

After the political violence in Kenya, many displaced households came together to form self-help groups. These groups consisted of between 50 to 4,000 households. To gain a stable home, the members pooled their government compensation payments into a communal fund. They used this money to purchase rural land where they could settle permanently, providing themselves with a sense of stability after the chaos they experienced.

Imagine a group of friends who have suddenly lost their homes due to a natural disaster. Instead of waiting for external help, they come together, share their small savings, and decide to buy a piece of land where they can set up tents and eventually build proper homes. This is similar to what the displaced families in Kenya did to regain some control over their lives.

So, which means whatever the cash inflows they have got, some of them they have tried to form into groups. And they put some money and they bought some plots in the rural area. So that, you know they can move with their tents. One such group is Nyandarua registered membership of 4,000 households which has acquired about 50 acres land and made their own makeshift latrines and obtained water from a nearby river.

By cooperating within their self-help groups, the households successfully purchased land, exemplified by the Nyandarua group that consisted of 4,000 members. They acquired 50 acres for their use. As part of setting up their new community, they constructed makeshift latrines and sourced water from a close river. This development not only provided shelter but also basic sanitation and water access, highlighting the importance of infrastructure in their recovery process.

Think about a group of college students who decide to rent a house together. They know they will need a place to live, so they pool their money to rent a larger house. Once they are settled, they work together to set up utilities and even build a communal garden for fresh vegetables. This is similar to how the Nyandarua group took initiative to create their community.

So, basic services is an important task, how in order to just live there for them it is not just only a shelter, it also has to be with service aspect.

The mere existence of shelter was not sufficient for the displaced communities in Kenya. They recognized that in addition to having a roof over their heads, they needed access to basic services such as sanitation, water, and healthcare. This realization led them to focus on ensuring that their new settlements were equipped with these essential services, which would improve their quality of life and promote community health.

Consider someone moving into a new apartment. They find a nice place to live but soon realize there are no grocery stores, public transport, or hospitals nearby. Simply having an apartment isn’t enough; access to shops and services is crucial to feeling settled. This parallels the need for basic services in the communities formed by the displaced persons.

And the tenure has become a big issue in this particular phase, because and also profiling the vulnerable people who are the beneficiaries is also an important task. So in that way you know, the government also try to reduce, we are planning to reduce their support so that they can slowly become independent.

The Kenyan government recognized that ensuring secure land tenure was critical for the displaced households. They aimed to profile vulnerable individuals to ensure that the support provided was equitable and effective. Over time, the government sought to taper off direct support, encouraging these communities to become self-reliant, marking an important transition from dependency to independence in their recovery journey.

Imagine a school where students are initially given all the answers to their homework. After some time, the teacher begins to ask students to solve problems on their own, to prepare them for future challenges. This is similar to the government’s strategy, where the goal was to help these communities learn to stand on their own feet.

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