Scholarships are crucial in promoting access to education for vulnerable and marginalized students, including refugees. With support from our donors and partners, our scholarship programmes in Kenya support vulnerable and marginalized students, including refugees, to support their education through primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education. Our scholarship management programs are designed to ensure that the scholarships are awarded fairly and transparently and that the students who receive them are able to make the most of the opportunities they provide.

Windle International Kenya (WIK) empowers refugees and host communities through targeted skills and livelihood interventions designed to enhance self-reliance and economic resilience. Key initiatives include vocational training in market-driven trades such as carpentry, tailoring, welding, and electrical installation, paired with nationally recognized certifications to improve employability. Entrepreneurship programs equip participants with financial literacy, business planning, and marketing skills, while linking them to microfinance institutions for startup capital. Agricultural support focuses on climate-smart practices like drip irrigation and greenhouse farming to boost food security and income generation. Recognizing the growing importance of technology, WIK provides digital skills training in IT, graphic design, and coding, preparing beneficiaries for opportunities in the digital economy. Apprenticeship and internship placements with local businesses offer practical experience, while life skills programs build confidence and leadership capabilities, particularly for women and youth. WIK also connects beneficiaries to job markets through job fairs and cooperative formation, ensuring sustainable livelihoods in marginalized regions.

Windle International Kenya (WIK) recognizes the urgent need to address environmental degradation and climate change, particularly in regions where refugees and marginalized communities live. These areas are often more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as drought, flooding, and land degradation, which affect livelihoods, food security, and overall well-being. In response, WIK has implemented a range of environmental and climate change interventions to promote sustainability, resilience, and environmental stewardship.

Key components of our Environment and Climate Change Interventions

1. Climate-Smart Agriculture and Livelihoods

WIK promotes climate-smart agricultural practices to help communities adapt to the changing climate. This includes training refugees and host communities on sustainable farming techniques such as agroforestry, crop diversification, water conservation, and soil management. By adopting these methods, farmers can increase productivity while minimizing environmental impact.

Programs such as kitchen gardening and introducing drought-resistant crops ensure food security in areas facing water scarcity and erratic rainfall patterns.

2. Reforestation and Tree Planting Initiatives

In response to widespread deforestation, particularly in refugee-hosting areas where wood is the primary fuel source, WIK has launched reforestation initiatives. These programs involve planting indigenous and fast-growing tree species to restore ecosystems, prevent soil erosion, and create sustainable sources of firewood and building materials.

School-based tree planting programs engage students in environmental conservation from a young age, instilling a culture of tree planting and care. WIK encourages refugees and host communities to participate in tree nurseries and afforestation projects.

3. Environmental Education and Awareness

WIK incorporates environmental education into its programs, particularly in schools, to raise awareness about climate change and the importance of ecological conservation. Students are taught about waste management, the impacts of deforestation, and the benefits of renewable energy.

Community awareness campaigns on climate change mitigation and adaptation practices are also conducted, encouraging communities to adopt sustainable practices such as waste recycling, water conservation, and eco-friendly energy alternatives.

4. Climate Change Advocacy and Policy Engagement

WIK collaborates with local governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to advocate for policies that promote environmental sustainability and address the effects of climate change in refugee-hosting areas. This includes participating in climate change forums, contributing to national climate change action plans, and aligning its programs with global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Advocacy efforts are also focused on ensuring that the voices of refugees and marginalized communities are heard in national and global climate change discussions, highlighting their specific vulnerabilities and needs.

5. Water Resource Management

In areas where water scarcity is a pressing issue, WIK implements water resource management interventions to conserve and efficiently use available water resources. This includes rainwater harvesting systems, water recycling initiatives, and the rehabilitation of water points to improve access to clean water.

Water conservation education is integrated into schools and communities to reduce water wastage and promote sustainable water use practices in daily activities, agriculture, and sanitation.

6. Youth Engagement in Climate Action

Recognizing the critical role that young people play in climate action, WIK engages youth in its environmental programs through school clubs, community initiatives, and leadership training. Youth are empowered to spearhead climate change campaigns, develop innovative solutions, and advocate for more robust community climate policies.

In collaboration with partners such as DAFI (the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative), WIK involves university students in environmental research, climate change awareness, and practical projects such as tree planting and sustainable agriculture.

7. Waste Management and Recycling Initiatives

WIK encourages responsible waste management practices in refugee camps and host communities by promoting waste segregation, recycling, and the safe disposal of hazardous materials. Waste management projects include plastic recycling initiatives, composting organic waste for use as fertilizer, and the production of eco-friendly briquettes from agricultural waste.

These initiatives not only contribute to a cleaner environment but also provide income-generating opportunities for refugees and residents engaged in recycling activities.

Windle International Kenya (WIK) has significantly promoted Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in schools, particularly in refugee camps and marginalized regions of Kenya. These interventions are critical in improving students' overall health, well-being, and learning outcomes. WIK's WASH initiatives focus on providing safe water and adequate sanitation facilities and promoting hygiene education among school children, teachers, and the surrounding communities.

Safe Water Access

WIK ensures schools have access to clean and safe drinking water, which is fundamental for student health and hygiene. This is achieved by installing water tanks and piped water systems in schools. Water quality is regularly monitored to meet health standards.

Improved Sanitation Facilities

WIK-supported schools receive improved sanitation facilities, such as gender-segregated restrooms, handwashing stations, and sanitary bins. This encourages students, especially girls, to stay in school, particularly after puberty. The availability of clean and well-maintained facilities reduces absenteeism caused by poor hygiene and sanitation-related illnesses.

Hygiene Education and Behavior Change

Hygiene promotion is a vital part of WIK’s WASH interventions. Through health clubs and trained hygiene educators, students are taught about proper handwashing techniques, menstrual hygiene management, and personal hygiene practices. This education helps to instill lifelong hygiene habits that reduce the spread of diseases like diarrhea and respiratory infections.

Community Engagement

WIK’s WASH programs extend beyond the school environment by involving the local community. Parents, teachers, and community leaders are engaged in the importance of WASH practices to ensure that schools maintain a hygienic environment. Community involvement also helps sustain WASH infrastructure and encourage proper hygiene at the household level.

Windle International Kenya invests in fostering strategic partnerships, working with local and national governments, education institutions and partners to help improve learning outcomes for children and the youth. We recognize advocacy work as an integral part of our education programming that provides an opportunity to work and advocate with, not just on behalf of, communities affected by conflict. We accomplish our mandate by cultivating strategic partnerships with organizations, local communities, and the government, ensuring the effective and scalable delivery of our programs. Through partnerships and collaborations, WIK has made continuous improvements that address the demands of the beneficiaries.