Empowering Communities
Building a brighter future together.
Climate Change interventions
IMI Kenya’s climate change interventions in Isiolo County are comprehensive, community-driven, and aimed at enhancing resilience by:
- Improving natural resource management.
- Promoting sustainable and diversified livelihoods.
- Enhancing water security and renewable energy adoption.
- Strengthening disaster preparedness and response.
Women Empowerment
IMI Kenya’s women empowerment programs are multi-dimensional, addressing economic, social, and political barriers. By enhancing skills, access to resources, leadership, and rights awareness, IMI Kenya helps women in Isiolo become self-reliant, influential, and active agents of change within their communities.
Risk Communication
During emergencies (such as disease outbreaks, severe drought, or flooding), IMI Kenya collaborates with the County Department of Health and Disaster Management to set up crisis communication hubs.
- These hubs consolidate information from health teams and community reporters in real time.
- They serve as a central point for verifying messages and addressing rumors promptly.
Climate Smart Agriculture Programs
IMI Kenya leads climate-smart agriculture efforts in ASAL regions, supporting vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change while improving food security and livelihoods. By promoting practices like drought-tolerant seeds, rainwater harvesting, agroforestry, and efficient irrigation, IMI Kenya helps smallholder farmers boost productivity using limited resources. These interventions enhance resilience, reduce climate-related risks, and strengthen sustainable food systems in arid environments.
Digital skills training for the youth in Isiolo
IMI Kenya embarked on Digital skills training for youth in Isiolo, focusing on equipping them with skills in filming and content creation to enable them to participate in the digital economy and create income-generating opportunities. Several initiatives, including the Isiolo Youth Innovation Centre, are providing training in various digital skills, including content creation, digital marketing, and more
Apprenticeship program for the youth in Isiolo
IMI Kenya, in partnership with the Safaricom Foundation, has been actively supporting youth skills development in Isiolo County through a structured apprenticeship program. The initiative focuses on equipping young people with practical, market-relevant skills by facilitating hands-on learning opportunities with experienced artisans and skilled youth within the community.
The program has successfully provided training in a diverse range of technical and vocational skills, including but not limited to: Automotive Mechanics, Welding,Mobile Phone Repair, Masonry, Leatherwork, Beadwork,Plumbing, Electrical Installation, Motorbike Repair, Tailoring and Hairdressing
Through this collaborative approach, IMI Kenya and Safaricom Foundation aim to empower the youth with sustainable livelihoods while contributing to the local economy by building a skilled and self-reliant workforce.
Participatory storytelling for SBC
By embedding participatory storytelling in couple-centered sessions, IMI Kenya offers a powerful, evidence-informed model for gender norm transformation. The approach draws on proven SBC methodologies and adapts them through narrative, theatre, and digital media—empowering youth and caregivers to rethink gender roles and decision-making dynamics.
Participatory Scenerio Planning
IMI Kenya has been actively collaborating with the Department of Livestock in
Isiolo and other key stakeholders to enhance climate-informed decision-making
using the Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) approach. PSP is a collaborative method for designing and delivering user-centred seasonal climate information services. It brings
together meteorologists, government agencies, local communities, and other
actors to interpret forecasts and co-create actionable advisories tailored to
local needs. This approach has been implemented in Kenya, Ghana, and Niger, and
adopted by the Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme (ASDSP) across
all 47 counties in Kenya. IMI Kenya’s work in Isiolo has helped integrate PSP
into livestock sector planning, making climate information more accessible and
useful for pastoralist communitiesSustainable Livelihoodselihoods
Building Futures, One Sustainable Livelihood at a Time
Gum and Resin (Gum Arabic, Frankincense, Myrrh)
Training: IMI Kenya collaborates with community members to develop skills in sustainably tapping and collecting resin and gum from acacia and commiphora trees.
Business Support: It helps form collector groups or cooperatives to pool produce and negotiate better prices.
Processing and Packaging: This training provides instruction on cleaning, grading, packaging, and adding value to resin products.
Market Linkage: IMI Kenya connects these groups with traders, processors, and export companies.
Beekeeping (Honey, Beeswax)
Apiaries: It supports the establishment of community and group apiaries.
Training: Beekeepers learn modern practices — from choosing appropriate hives, colony management, disease control, and honey harvesting — to maximize production.
Equipment: It provides protective gear, smokers, extractors, and processing equipment.
Business Support: Beekeepers are supported to form associations and collectively market their products, securing higher prices
Poultry Keeping
- Training: Small-holder farmers are trained in improved poultry breeding, feeding, vaccines, and disease control.
- Starter Packages: Some groups, especially women and youth, are supported with starter chicks, vaccines, and feeds to kickstart production.
- Market Access: IMI Kenya assists in identifying nearby markets — restaurants, hotels, traders — for selling chickens and eggs.
- Sustainability: Poultry provides quick income, food security, and a fallback during emergencies.
Fish Farming (Aquaculture)
- IMI Kenya supports pastoral communities near water sources by promoting fish farming through the construction of earthen and cage ponds. It provides training on species selection, breeding, feeding, and disease control, while also helping communities access quality fingerlings, feeds, and market-ready business plans. This initiative diversifies household income and improves nutrition in ASAL areas.
Agro-Pastoralism (Crops + Livestock)
Drought-Tolerance: IMI Kenya promotes growing drought-tolerance, short-cycle, and high-value crops (such as green grams, cow peas, chili peppers, and aloe) alongside traditional livestock herding.
Training: It guides communities on agro-pastoral practices, including soil conservation, water harvesting, irrigation, and rangeland management.
Support: The organizations help form agro-pastoral associations or cooperatives to collectively market products and negotiate prices.
