The adoption of Sustainable Development Goals was adopted and localized in Kenya as a United Nation Member states in 2017. One of the ways of creating ownership of the Sustainable Development Goals in Kenya, has been through coordination of the government, cooperation of agencies and individual projects among partners working closely with the SDGs coordination unit, at the Ministry of Devolution and Planning. Wibena Impact as an organization provides an appropriate framework for the integration of SDGs targets across in Kenya, through integration, monitoring and evaluation framework which is the tool for measuring progress towards the Vision 2030 targets. This is done by providing youth and women with the necessary skills to become innovators in economics and social entrepreneurship. In a society where youth and women are empowered the society thrives this is because they make up more than half the world population.
The organization also prioritizes on providing practical training to the vulnerable people so that they can be self-sufficient. Collaborations with various stakeholders and policy makers has helped in ensuring that Wibena Impact comes up with a clear education and community development initiatives based on knowledge and other skills. In this way the implementation of the SDGs projects that embrace the leave no one behind principle is made possible. Those who were traditionally left out of development dialogues in their communities are brought on board to lead specific thematic working groups with proper mandates.
By learning from various organizations running various projects geared towards the attainment of SDGs, Wibena has learnt that through Integration of SDGs in the climate action aspect to their various activities done by communities such as a group in Kibera running an urban gardening project and this comes under sustainable cities and communities and zero hunger which involves planting subsistence crops making them able to get food and sell the surpluses order to make money. Wibena Impact have been able to come up with various programs such the skills development program, business mentorship program and leadership skills development.
The organization also aims to bring change in leadership and governance in every level of society through nurturing leaders who strive to serve others in their own organizations, local communities and even governing institutions. Youths are encouraged to take leadership roles even though older people have been specifically assigned to lead and collate their input and voice in certain SDG policies. Youth inclusion in community development projects brings out the sustainability aspect of these SDG goals and policies. Development projects of communities are geared towards including the youth to ensure that they have an input in each of the goals that have been laid out. This does not mean that the older generation are completely locked out as the main aim is to integrate everyone’s voice. Youths being the main source of labor they are able to create innovative strategies for growth and adaptation of SDGs this in turn leads to coming up with solutions in communities. When youths are employed poverty is eradicated. No poverty is one of the goals that is being tackled through development of innovative business models, industry-relevant curricula and entrepreneurial training programs.
Through research Wibena Impact identifies and integrates the voices of marginalized groups in development plans. This is becoming a reality as public participation structures have become institutionalized and all County Assemblies have provision for representation of marginalized groups. Those who are at risk of being left behind when it comes to attaining SDGs are communities living in hard to reach areas, those living in urban informal settlements and older persons especially those living with disabilities. But, there is significant number of efforts exist to get to these hard to reach and areas.
On this last decade of SDGs there has been more action and tactics in advocating for how sustainability can be achieved. The mechanism of reviewing and following up on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is regularly done by conducting inclusive reviews of progress at the national and county levels in Kenya; it involves multiple stakeholders that are expected to serve as a basis for the regular reviews.
There is always something new to learn from WIBENA IMPACT…. Kudos to the organizers