Location:

2-3 hours north of Nairobi, near Kinangop and directly west of the Aberdare National Park
.

Description:

Originally the residents of Kwambekenya were forest dwellers. In 1995 they were displaced from the forest by the Kenyan government for harvesting trees. The Mbekenya family allowed the displaced people to purchase small plots of land very near their original home. Adding the prefix “Kwa” meaning “belonging to”, the village of Kwambekenya was born in 1995.
Kwambekenya is a tight-knit community that is naturally bordered by a river and mountains. Most communities in Kenya are disbursed, but residents here live in close proximity to each other, giving Kwambekenya a unique sense of “community.”

A primary school classroom block was built in 2007, which began to improve the quality of education. One additional classroom block is proposed each year for the next three years. A quality education program was launched in 2008 that helped fund additional teachers, desks, and a pre-school initiative. The quality of education is on the rise, but the school’s performance remains below average for the district.

Eight acres of land was purchased by the community for a medical facility that was completed in 2009. The clinic has been self-sustaining since 2010 and serves the people in Kwambekenya and an estimated 20,000 people in neighboring villages.

Other sections of the property are being used by a women’s dairy cooperative; growing fodder for their dairy cows. The income-generating project was launched in 2011 and is expected to impact about 200 families.

With quality medical care and improving education in place, addressing the water needs in the community is the next priority.

 Community Partner(s):

• Prairie Lakes Church (IA)
• Brookhaven Baptist (TX)

Priorities:

• Water
• Education
• Micro-Enterprise Training

410 Community Coordinator:

• David Muchai

Primary Tribe:

• Kikuyu