A key new focus area for Kyeema, ‘Building Resilient Communities’ involves using a One Health and Welfare approach to support social, economic and environmental solutions identified by local partners. This ‘systems’ approach to resilience focuses on innovative, community-led projects that meet immediate needs such as disaster response and risk reduction, adapting to climate change through regenerative environmental practices, and securing sustainable housing and employment, as well as longer-term goals of increasing participation of women and girls in education, community initiatives and leadership and harnessing local knowledge and cultural traditions.
This year through the Palladium funded ‘Our Communities’ and ‘Humanitarian Relief’ funds, 4,311 people were supported to build resilience within their communities. Of these, 395 people were supported to participate in sessions on climate-related hazards and disasters (climate change mitigation, adaptation, preparedness, resilience and early warning) and 1,335 people received direct assistance in response to a climate-related or human-related disaster. Additionally, 2,090 people were supported on projects that focused on empowering women and girls. This focus area also incorporates Kyeema’s expansion into a nature-based solutions portfolio in the Pacific Region through a new project funded under the DFAT Climate Resilient by Nature program that officially started in May 2022.
Action Through Enterprise’s first community meeting in Bagri Junction Hub.
Photo credit: Action Through Enterprise
Nature-based solutions in the Pacific
This year, we started our first nature-based solutions initiative through the DFAT/World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Australia Climate Resilient by Nature program with our core partner Corals4Conservation (C4C). It will focus on improving the climate change resilience of select coral reef ecosystems in Pacific Island Countries through an indigenous-led, community-focused, nature-based solution. This will be facilitated through climate adaptation training focusing on the propagation of heat tolerant corals in established nurseries, mangrove replanting, and training in alternative livelihoods such as improved local chicken keeping as an income and food source. In May through June, we commenced stakeholder engagement and the selection process for the first coral reef restoration workshop which will focus on training young indigenous marine scientists from across the Pacific. After the training, candidates will return to their communities to set up their own coral nursery test sites with the support of Kyeema and C4C. It is hoped this will lay the groundwork for the forthcoming community-led out-planting of thermotolerant coral species and genotypes into coral reef restoration sites.
The following projects were supported by Kyeema through the Palladium funded ‘Our Communities’ and ‘Humanitarian Relief’ funds.
The following projects were supported by Kyeema through the Palladium funded Our Communities Fund and Humanitarian Relief Fund.
India
Partnering with Jnana Prabodhini Samshodhan Sanstha, the Yuva-Sathi project provided sexual reproduction, health and rights education to schools across three rural districts in Latur, Kolhapur and Pune districts in Maharashtra, improving gender empowerment through participation in sessions on gender issues and women’s equal rights. Through this project, 1,772 adolescents, teachers and parents (male and female) received education on sexual health and participated in sessions on gender issues and women’s equal rights, 31 of which received disability support services specific to their needs so that they could participate fully in the sessions.
Indonesia
This project provided support to Yayasan Pikul and the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Forum, which consists of a variety of local civil society organisations, government and military departments, after tropical cyclone Seroja in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT). The DRR forum workshops consisted of 195 people who participated in sessions on climate related hazards and disasters and collaborated on ways to build and strengthen capacity to prepare, manage and respond to natural disasters and reduce vulnerability to climate change in NTT.
Ghana
This project uses Action Through Enterprise’s ‘hub model’ to address extreme poverty in communities in Lawra, through activities designed to 1) improve participation and education of children, with a particular focus on girls, and identifying and supporting often hidden disabled children and their families; 2) support growth of small businesses to increase household income; and 3) introduce activities such as dry season farming, apprenticeships, and equality and social inclusion projects. Currently, 23 girls have been supported to attend school and get an education and 46 students have been supported through their school feeding program. As part of the dry season farming program, five people have received support to manage climate change related impacts on farming productivity. Across all the program activities, 21 people now have increased incomes. The Special Needs Awareness Program (SNAP) conducted participatory processes which involved community level problem solving and participatory decision making through a traditional process known locally as a ‘durbar’, to address the prevalence of child migration and what can be done to prevent this and maintain school attendance levels amongst youth in Bagri communities. Additionally, 45 people were trained in disability awareness and inclusion through the SNAP program.