Sustainable Solutions and Traditional Actions for Improving Nature (SuSTAIN) is a Kenyan not for profit organization in Kenya whose aim is to improve the livelihoods of local communities by building their capacities to come up with homegrown solutions to local problems.
SuSTAIN bridges the gap between climate change and environmental concerns, education, water, health, poverty, peaceful-coexistence, cultural preservation and social empowerment for communities. We pay special attention to the youth, women, persons with disabilties and the aged through partnership with the government of Kenya, well-wishers, Non-governmental Organizations and private sectors.
Our Theory of Change
Our theory of change is hinged on our conviction that communities understand their development challenges and should therefore be at the frontline solving these challenges. We see our role as that of providing strategic linkages, advocacy and access as well as capacity building to bolster the communities’ ability to solve their challenges.
Our programmes are designed with sustainability in mind where we aim at developing interventions that the target population continue to derive social ecomonic benefits beyond the period of intervention.
Our Purpose
SuSTAIN’s purpose is to help transform the lives of communities by initiating and supportive projects that inform, empower and enhance people’s dignity. SuSTAIN exists to strengthen the capacity of local communities to solve problems revolving around education, environment and climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene, peace and governance and sustainable livelihoods.
Our model is all inclusive where we work towards bringing together ideas, people and resources needed to tackle communities’ challenges with the ultimate goal of enhancing their livelihoods sustainably. Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, SuSTAIN works to help all people lead decent and productive lives.
Our Core Values
Accountability: We uphold high levels of accountability to our donors, partners and the local community.
Collaboration and partnership: We purposefully implement our programmes in partnership with all the relevant stakeholders, beneficiaries and policymakers in the sectors we work in.
Commitment: We are committed to making a long term impact in the communities work with in the present and the future.
Inclusivity: We believe that no one should be left by engaging all the relevant players in the various sectors.
Integrity: We believe in being honest, open and reliable in everything we do.
Knowledge: We continuously carry extensive research to understand the challenges facing the local communities as well as possible solutions to these challenges.
Sustainability: We believe in creating long term impacts through our projects.
Objectives
Our main objective is to improve the livelihoods of local communities by building their capacity to come up with homegrown solutions to local problems.
Our specific objectives are:
- To promote education among the local population through mentorship, scholarships, bursariesand other forms of support
- To promote and support the environmental conservation and restoration initiatives among the local communities
- To support initiatives geared towards combating and mitigating the impact of climate change among the local communities
- To support initiatives geared towards locally led climate change actions to build adaptive capacity of the local communities
- To empower the local population economically by supporting the growth of eco-friendly enterprises.
- To strengthen traditional governance structures to foster peaceful community co-existence
- To enhance sustainable livelihood of the target communities through nature based solution, climate smart agriculture and provision of starter grant