Communities living in Kenya’s droughthit Wajir and Mandera counties face many challenges, including low literacy levels, which entrench poverty, particularly among women; and poor electrical infrastructure that forces local people to burn wood for energy, damaging the environment. In addition, competition over increasingly scarce natural resources fuels conflict, further increasing the vulnerability of local people.

An 18-month integrated project by Islamic Relief tackled these challenges, benefitting more than 2,700 people. We improved the electricity supply, setting up solar panels for over 100 businesses, 300 households and 10 schools. This reduced the need for harmful wood burning and the cost of running a small business. Islamic Relief made three boreholes solarpowered, ensuring communities have access to clean, safe and affordable water. In addition, we worked within communities to promote peace and social cohesion, gave children with special educational needs the specialist learning materials they needed to thrive, and boosted financial resources available to women entrepreneurs.