Our Experience
Most of the work is carried out by DiPaD management staff and a group of experienced
consultants who work with us on regular basis. We have an established database of
specialist consultants in various work fields. An important feature is to ensure that
each contract is under the personal supervision of one of our directors each of whom
has substantial personal experience and is well-known in the fields of program
management, gender and development, community development, monitoring &
evaluation, conflict transformation and peacebuilding. With this approach, we are able
to ensure that our extensive in-house experience is directly available to our clients in the
delivery of contractual requirements as well as to the communities we work with.
The following is a record of our past experience:
USAID Kenya and USAID East Africa offered eight scholarships to qualified Kenyan women to attend the Women’s Peacebuilding Leadership Program at Eastern Mennonite University in the USA in June 2014. The women leaders studied for a Graduate Certificate in Peacebuilding Leadership that included courses in peacebuilding and leadership theory along with practical skills, as well as a strong mentoring program to assist the women to enhance their peacebuilding efforts within Kenya. The program targeted women peacebuilding practitioners who are recognized in their community as possessing leadership potential and dedication to their community.
The main objective of program is to create awareness of the impact of violence and trauma on individuals, groups and societies, and offer strategies and tools for addressing trauma and breaking the cycles of violence brought about by unhealed trauma. The learning retreat also aims at providing strategies for stress management and self care for judicial officers who find themselves frequently exposed to violence or traumatic events in the nature of their work.
The program looked into ways of introducing restorative justice approaches and concepts to professionals and practitioners in Kenya working for the justice system namely judges, magistrates, prosecutors, prison officers and police; and explore ways of integrating these concepts to promote trauma informed judicial systems and enhance alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in Kenya.
The staff audit examined the internal frameworks of an organization by looking into the Human Resource (HR) function and personnel data of employees. The areas for HR data selected included personnel data, job data, position data and training data.
The analysis involved a review of the organizational structure and looked into the functional areas and clear demarcation of roles to determine the scan of reporting. Other areas of the assessment were channels of communication, scope of work for each employee, reporting requirements, employee data and qualifications in line with the required job specifications and roles. The task also sought to analyse if employees were aware of the expectation of the organization’s mission and vision in line with their roles and responsibilities.
The main goal of the program was to create awareness on the effects of trauma and stress and provide strategies for building resilience and self care for the soldiers.
DiPaD has conducted programs within the Kenya Defence Forces to provide resilience and self care strategies for the soldiers working with the Special Forces and African Union troops in Somalia. Based on the initial interventions, it has become apparent that the need for self care strategies is urgent and it is only a matter of time before the effects of traumatization are experienced on a larger scale, given the ongoing deployments. On the other hand, the program provides awareness for the participants to appreciate that even the bravest of soldiers is not immune to the effects of trauma and seeking help and recognizing his physical, psychological and emotional responses to trauma is
not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and resilience.
“Justice under the tree” is a traditional justice system among the Kuria people of Migori County that resolves communal disputes and ensures that conflicts are peacefully resolved among the community members to strengthen the community social fabric. The system has provided cheap, quick and culturally relevant remedies to the justice needs of the community members. It has a structure of twenty members elected by the community who form the Ebaraza and meet regularly to hear disputes and resolve conflicts at communal level thus providing access to justice for the majority of the Kuria people.
To strengthen and support these justice model the learning community members have developed project that seek to integrate elements of restorative justice to the Ebaraza system and link it to the formal justice system to complement each other in enhancing access to justice and conflict resolution for the people of Kuria sub county, Migori County.
The program was organized by Shakababo Conservancy Association –a CBO in Tana River, in collaboration with Daima Initiative for Peace and development
(DIPAD) Nairobi office.
The program targets Pastors from Tarasaa Division in Tana Delta Sub County and from Lamu County with the following objectives; to enable pastors release stress that could negatively impact the lives of communities they serve; to enhance the capacities of Religious leaders on stress management and trauma healing; to promote restorative principles on peace and justice at the grassroots level and to reach out to Imams within Tana Delta and create a collaborative effort words reconciliation between the Oromo and the Pokomo communities.
The program goal is to develop a learning community of peacebuilders who are able to integrate teachings on trauma, restorative justice and resilience into
their work. The program is being implemented in partnership with Mennonite Central committee, Kenya (MCC)
It takes a holistic approach to trauma, drawing on trauma science, conflict transformation, restorative justice, and human security; pays attention to the body, brain, beliefs and needs; and recognizes multiple forms and sources of trauma.
It takes a holistic approach to trauma, drawing on trauma science, conflict
transformation, restorative justice, and human security; pays attention to the
body, brain, beliefs and needs; and recognizes multiple forms and sources of
trauma.
Restorative justice work takes seriously victims’ needs, offenders’ needs and community needs as well as the responsibilities of each – in such a way as to move toward justice in a way that might restore peace in relationships.
By sharing these approaches and encouraging formation of a learning community, this plan hopes to integrate restorative justice and trauma and resilience lessons into peace work in Kenya and broaden the understanding of - and responses to – trauma beyond emergency, individual-focused, psychosocial support, and justice beyond commissions and lawsuits
Following the traumatic events of the attack on Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi, DiPaD initiated the project to create spaces for caregivers, security and media personnel and people who were directly affected, to process their experiences and learn strategies for self-care.
This project reached out to small community of caregivers, security and media personnel so that they can educate themselves and their organizations to 1) engage in healing their own secondary trauma and 2) enlighten their organizations about the length and complexity of the healing journey 3)learn about tools for addressing trauma for individuals and groups.
In general, the project was able to demystify some of the approaches used to respond to traumatic events and in a context where a) there is a lot of denial about trauma and b) approaches on short term responses that focus on physical and psychological first aid rather than the socio therapy processing models that also involve emotional and spiritual safety as well as paying attention to the justice needs of the victims.
The project was a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education Kenya,
UNICEF Kenya and DiPaD. The Purpose was to establish the extent to which
the Peace Education programme has been able to influence a culture of peace
in schools.
DiPaD undertook a thorough evaluation of the implementation of peace
education programme in schools where teachers were trained on peace
education in Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western, Eastern and Central provinces and
isolate best practice and propose areas for improvement.
The evaluation research sampled at least 20 districts from the five provinces
and at least 100 primary schools. At the school level, information was collected
from head teachers, pupils and school management committees. School
observation was done to ascertain nature of Peace Education clubs activities,
peace education lessons and availability of peace education materials.
After the evaluation, a report was compiled and sharing of lessons learnt in
programme implementation proposed to inform future practice and for national
peace education policy development.
The program involved a national symposium for women political aspirants and
leaders in Kenya hosted by the 2011 Nobel Laureate Ms Leymah Gbowee from
Liberia.
The new constitution of Kenya that was promulgated in August 2010 provided
immense opportunities for enhanced participation of women in politics and
decision making at all levels of society. Yet, even as the next general election
approaches, there seems to be little enthusiasm and momentum amongst
women, particularly at the devolved county level, to actively and meaningfully
engage in politics.
The intention of this project was to support the development of a united, strong
Kenya through supporting women to step into political leadership roles so they
can bring their talents and strengths and make important contributions to the
actualization of the 1/3 gender parity in Kenya.
Outcome:
- Awareness of the opportunities available to women from the new constitution enhanced
- Confidence and support for women to develop their leadership skills and contribute to Kenya’s political future increased
- Networks and structures over the long term to continue to support the three points listed above created.
The project was a collaborative effort between UNICEF Kenya, Ministry of
Education and DiPaD. The goal of the project was to involve Children and
Youth from all the 47 counties in Kenya to participate in an Education for
Peace and Non Violence campaign during the run up to the general elections in
2013
Outcome:
- A nationwide peaceful and nonviolent campaign launched to generate
constructive engagement and linkages among children, youth, the
national and political leadership, and various communities in Kenya.
- A peaceful legacy and transition passed on from one generation to
another using the Peace Torch as a rallying symbol of national unity and
friendship among Kenyans.
- An increased outreach and awareness on peace and violence prevention
created through peace messages on social cohesion between
communities.
- A total of twenty one “peace and non violence zones” created and
designated in schools as centers of non-violence and awareness on the
negative impacts of violence.
