THE CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMME IN MITIGATING THE KENYAN DROUGHT 13 NOVEMBER 2017

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1 THE CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMME IN MITIGATING THE KENYAN DROUGHT 13 NOVEMBER 2017 Shinda Washinde Raffle as a Resource Mobilization Strategy by Kenya Red Cross KRCS in partnership with Q1 conducted the Shinda Washinde raffle that was launched in November The goal was to raise resources in support of KRCS humanitarian work across Kenya. The raffle had daily draws where players won Ksh100,000, Ksh10,000 and Ksh1,000. It further had a weekly draw of Ksh1,000,000 and a coveted top prize of Ksh10million at the end of the draw. The raffle aired on television featuring KRCS programmes/initiatives that continue to transform people s lives. With the increase in demand for Red Cross services in Kenya, the KRCS ventured into the Shinda Washinde raffle to strengthen its disaster kitty and enhance response to humanitarian needs across the country. Apart from unveiling its Ksh.10 million grand prize winner on Friday, 7 July 2017, the Shinda Washinde raffle also contributed Ksh.10 million to the Kenya Red Cross disaster kitty towards drought response that has left more than three million people food insecure in 23 counties. The Ksh.10 million was utilized under the cash transfer programme and has been able to support over 3,300 families through cash support, a dignified drought intervention that allows such families to cater for their urgent household needs. Resource Mobilization Strategies by Kenya Red Cross The Kenya Red Cross Society continues to urgently appeal to all Kenyans, local and international partners and stakeholders to help tackle the ongoing drought crisis in Kenya. The funds raised will help bridge the funding gap and be distributed to the worstaffected families and communities, through a Cash Transfers Programme (CTP) that empowers them financially to meet their immediate food, non-food, and income needs.

2 Background of the Drought in Kenya As a result of failure of the 2016 long (March-April-May) and short rains (October- November-December), about 1.3 million people were affected by the drought in Kenya. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) launched an appeal to support the affected communities and began its response in five counties namely: Kilifi, Kwale, Garissa, Tana River and Makueni. In January 2017, the drought situation continued to worsen with the number of those affected rising. The KRCS revised its drought appeal seeking to raise 1 billion Kenya shillings to support 340,786 persons out of the more than 2.7 million Kenyans who had been affected. The appeal called out to Kenyans, well-wishers and partners to donate to help families that are affected by this drought. The food security situation continued to worsen with the extended dry weather conditions with the effects continuing to be felt especially in the arid and semi-arid lands leading to a government s declaration of the drought as a national disaster. The situation triggered household food insecurity, malnutrition and increased risk of disease outbreaks, vegetation deficit, drying up of water pans, large scale animal losses, loss of incomes and conflict over the struggle for resources. In April 2017, Kenya Red Cross Society revised its appeal to 2.5 billion Kenya Shillings to support about 3 million people across 23 counties (West Pokot, Wajir, Turkana, Tana River, Samburu, Narok, Marsabit, Mandera, Lamu, Laikipia, Kwale, Kilifi, Kajiado, Isiolo, Garissa, and Baringo, Tharaka Nithi, Taita Taveta, Nyeri, Kitui, Makueni, Meru and Embu) that have been affected by the drought in Kenya. Benefits of the Cash Transfer Programme The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has been using the Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) as the best and most preferred response tool due to its effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and accountability. Most crucial is the dignity that accompanies the process enabling beneficiaries to prioritize their needs at household level, unlike before when starving women and children had to queue for hours to receive food, whose quantities were neither sufficient nor of a balanced diet. A recent Real Time (RT) evaluation by the KRCS monitoring and evaluation team showed that beneficiaries are able to afford 3-4 meals a day. Meals frequency and diversity has also increased with targeted populations able to eat more than two food groups. The Emergency CTP has been taking place in various counties affected by the ongoing drought situation, in Kenya. Each household is given a monthly transfer amounting to 3000 Kenya Shillings to enable them preserve their assets and build resilience as families in disaster situations often resort to detrimental coping

3 strategies such as selling household assets like livestock, threatening their long-term wellbeing to satisfy more immediate needs. To select what households to benefit, KRCS employs a community-based approach to identify the ones in dire need of assistance. To be considered as a beneficiary under CTP, an assessment to ascertain the level of vulnerability is carried out with various aspects put into consideration. These include household food score, disability, age among many others levels of vulnerability. Current Status of CTP as a Drought Intervention by Kenya Red Cross Society The Cash Transfer Programme targeted 60,000HH in 13 counties. To date, KRCS has already transferred cash to 41,990 households (supporting about 246,120 people) for three months and targeting for the fourth month is ongoing. The CTP has had a positive impact on the affected households as established by a Real Time Evaluation that shows about 60% of cash beneficiaries can afford three or more meals daily compared to 20% before the commencement of the CTP. In addition, 75% of communities have food as the first priority in the use of cash followed with education and medical care. Resources raised locally and internationally have also been utilized on food distribution, rehabilitation of water points, medical outreaches and an animal destocking programme. Food distribution has been conducted in areas where CTP was not feasible. A total of 34,670HH (about 208,020 people) have been reached with about 900MT of food in 8 counties with Turkana and Baringo counties receiving the bulk of the food. Food prices, however, remain high and may worsen in the coming months. KRCS has continued to conduct multiple nutrition interventions in 10 counties targeting children, pregnant and lactating mothers. A total of 64,319 people have so far been reached through malnutrition screening, Antenatal care, case management and psychological support. The drought further had a severe impact on water points leading to multiple initiatives that have since seen KRCS so far repair 38 boreholes. A total of 14 boreholes have been equipped with solar to make them sustainable and cheaper for communities, 11 more boreholes are ongoing while four earth pans have been desilted ahead of the long rains of October-November and December. More destocking is ongoing where Kenya Red Cross purchases and slaughters weak but healthy animals from the communities and distributes the meat to the vulnerable community members. To date, 798 cattle and 10,982 goats and sheep have been purchased and slaughtered in 5 counties benefitting 179,664 people.

4 Cash Transfer Transforming Lives Dignity: The process is more dignified to the beneficiaries, as it does not subject the affected families to the dehumanizing practice of queuing for food. Easy Mobile Access: The MPESA mobile transfer technology has been of immense value to both Kenya Red Cross and beneficiaries. Almost all beneficiaries have access to a mobile phone making it easy to withdraw cash from MPESA agents available in the villages. The few who may not directly own a phone still get access to one through family, friends and neighbors. The easiness of MPESA has seen both the literate and nonliterate use the platform, enabling beneficiaries to have control of their support. Purchasing Power: CTP equips beneficiaries with purchasing power, giving them the choice and flexibility to make their own expenditure choices. Most families are able to strike a balance between food needs and access to other essentials such as education and healthcare. Impact: The cash transfers have triggered significant improvement of the lives of affected households, both economically and psychologically. Strengthening of Local Markets: The cash circulation has been of benefit to the local markets and communities at large. Markets have been able to bounce back, providing basic goods and services to host communities. Are the markets functional? The big question has been whether markets are readily available for beneficiaries to purchase household needs in the midst of a drought situation? To the amazement of many, the markets are functional even in the most remote areas. Traders from stable areas are able to ferry goods to areas hard hit by the drought, especially now that they know of the CTP and the purchasing power of beneficiaries. Where bank transfers are used as a mode of cash transfer, retailers within the affected counties have been used as bank agents due to their easy cash delivery mechanism to beneficiaries. Some of the Beneficiary Quotes I appreciate the Kenya Red Cross Society for the Cash transfer programme, I can now buy food and pay school fees for my children. My additional savings will allow me to reach my target of buying 24 iron sheets to build a better house, Mwenda Bishilingi, Bamba, Kiifi County. We are a total of 12 family members. I greatly appreciate the support I have received from the Kenya Red Cross as we now partake a meal a day alternating between boiled silver fish with Ugali and maize meal porridge. The money will support my family to buy more food stuff since we have very little left for us to eat, said Halima Ngala, a 60 year old and a resident of Kayafungo in Kilifi County.

5 We have countless challenges. The drought has dried up all our water sources, wiped out our pasture and livestock. The effects are severe causing mental problems to some people, said Umuro Katelo, a resident of Marsabit County. I have received money on behalf of my mother. The cash will enable us buy necessities in our home as we had spent all that we had on my brother who was ill, said Evelyn Kien, a resident of Baringo. We had suffered for two months until Kenya Red Cross came to our rescue. Some schools were on the verge of closure. Most of us even lost our livelihood but we can now smile, said Luka Loriko, a resident of Baringo. The big problem here is hunger and we hope that Kenya Red Cross will keep supporting us so as we can afford a living, Adur Ameyan, Turkana East. Our community is happy because we were extremely hungry and the Kenya Red Cross Society has helped us immensely. We are very thankful from the bottom of our hearts, Abdullah, Beneficiary at Dukana in Marsabit County.