We support people in need in Kitui, Kenya. 
We work to provide the marginalised with clean water and access to education, and to empower them by boosting their economic independence. 

 

 

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Why We Must Help

Gross National Income (GNI) Comparisons

 

Kenya

Ireland

United Kingdom

GNI per capita, Atlas method

US$580 

US$44830

US$40560

GNI per capita, PPP

US$1470 

US$34730 

US$33650 

Fertility (births per woman)

5   

2

2

Life expectancy at birth, yrs.

53 

79

79

Source: World Bank. PPP=Purchasing Power Parity.   Data is for 2006

Food Security in Kenya.jpg (90042 bytes) Food security map of Kenya and surrounding countries. Click to enlarge

Some Facts about Kitui that we in the developed world cannot ignore:

Socio-Economic Indicators (2000)

Total number of Households

103,902

Average Household size

5.3

Number of female headed households

5,620

Number child-headed families

780

% Children needing special protection

35%

Number of disabled children

2,805

Absolute Poverty (Rural & Urban)

65%

Income from Agriculture

75%

Income from Rural Self -employment

3%

Wage employment

15%

Urban self-employment

7%

Number of unemployed

192,678

 

  1. The staggering level of overall poverty- two thirds of the population live on less than €12 per person per month.

  2. Only 25% of children in Kitui receive a secondary education. Of the poor, 13% have no education, only 12% reach secondary level and few complete their education.

  3. Kitui has 1 doctor for every 16,000 people: 40% of hospital beds are occupied by HIV/AIDS patients: HIV infection rate is 14%. Malaria, respiratory and eye infections, diarrhoea , and skin diseases are widespread.

  4. Only 6% of the population of Kitui have access to mains treated water. At least 62% have to walk more than 15mins to access water of any quality.

  5. Population density is low (average 41 persons per sq km, 8-9/sq km in more remote districts (Ireland=59/sq.km.)) and communities are widely scattered. Road infrastructure is essentially non-existent: except for the Nairobi-Kitui-Mwingi triangle other roads are “constructed” of weather prone murram (dirt). This makes large scale income generation projects very difficult.

  6. The Government of Kenya (GoK) has identified secondary education, affordable primary healthcare, and water supplies as the main priorities in improving quality of life for the poor.(Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2000–2003 Prepared by the Government of Kenya July 13, 2000)

 

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