INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL VOLUNTEERS

Introduction and Background

International Technical Volunteers (ITV) is an independent registered non-government and nonprofit civil society organization based at Nairobi-Kenya. ITV prime motto is capacity building and services delivery to the deprived and marginalized people of the society.

In 2015 a group of educated, dynamic and like-minded youth working in the development sector, got together to establish an organization, for addressing the most urgent and pressing needs of the people of Southern Nyanza and Rift valley Provinces of Kenya. True to this spirit the organization was named International Technical Volunteers (ITV)since the group was solving and dealing with technical issues concerning the society in large.

Considering their association with the development sector the group was cognizant of the plethora of problems plaguing the two regions. Consequently, the organization’s focus was not kept limited either in in terms of geography or sector. Whilst operating in different districts of the province, ITV has been carrying a range of interventions in the areas of education, health & hygiene, youth & women empowerment, emergency response & preparedness, governance, free legal aid, human rights, etc. 

The type of activities undertaken by the organization range from capacity building to service delivery, with focus remaining on the deprived and marginalized segments of the society. Whereas in terms of operations what characterizes ITV’s functioning are its efforts to (a) enlist involvement of the locals when initiating activities at the grass root level; and (b) mobilize women for bringing peace, tolerance, and development in society.  

Mission Statement

The mission of ITV is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system

Based, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society

Vision 

“An enabling environment for the realization, respect, and protection of fundamental human rights among youth and develop their leadership qualities to make them active contributor within the society”

Goal 

The goal of ITV is to contribute in improving the living standard of the vulnerable communities of Kenya and Africa in large through community mobilization, capacity building, advocacy & strengthening of institutions at the grass root level. 

Strategy 

A sustainable strategy is devised to achieve the maximum, a need based and right based approach initiated ascertains the problem with fully community involvement and mobilizing all indigenous and local resources. The program goal are materialized with a helping hand from members donor agencies, Philanthropists.  

Thematic Programme / Areas of Focus

Health

WASH

Youth Empowerment 

Education

Community Physical Infrastructures

Emergency Response and Preparedness

Women Empowerment

Free Legal Aid and Education

Democracy

Overall Objective

The overall development objective of (ITV) is enhanced ability in the target communities to tackle their own economic, social and environmental problems for sustainable community development.

To educate the deprived and under privilege common folk about the basic human rights and find basis to incorporate their efforts and mobilization to achieve maximum output

To enable the community in development of local level institutions and assist them in undertaking community based welfare and development interventions.

To Provide quality legal assistance to juvenile victims of sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking, especially street children in conflict with law and children in detention, vulnerable to sexual abuse

To provide a place for students to relax and enjoy an inexpensive, healthy meal in a fun atmosphere. International Technical Volunteers also makes itself available to student groups for meetings and special events

Promote Gender equality.

To devise and organize for women and children particularly to their rights to acquire educations and improve their health and earnings.

To ensure full participation of local level grassroots organizations in decision making process including problem identification, planning, management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation aimed at sustainabilitTo facilitate easy access to credit and motivate communities for group saving leading towards small enterprise development and income generating activities aimed at economic empowerment.

To work for environmental protection, pollution abatement, water supply and hygienic sanitation.

To fight against drug abuse and launching programmes aimed at rehabilitation of drug addicts

To establish a resource centre aimed at facilitating target communities and local level institutions through information, education and communication.

Assisting communities in disaster prediction and mitigation through various relief and rehabilitation programmes.

To develop effective linkages with government line agencies, nongovernment organizations, and donor agencies working for community development.

  Human resource development and training aimed at skill enhancement and knowledge up gradation in order to ensure better implementation of participatory rural development programmes by community partners.

Conservation of natural resources, bio-diversity and environmental protection.

Implementation of programmes aimed at basic health care services (preventive and curative) including maternal health, child health, safe drinking water, hygienic sanitation, management of waste disposal, population welfare, immunization, etc. leading towards reduced mortality.

To establish new community schools and upgrade the existing ones in order to provide education facilities to those most in need with special focus on female child.

Implementation of women welfare and development programmes aimed at socio-economic empowerment of women through their participation in all developmental programmes.

Raising awareness of environmental issues through advocacy, networking, public interest litigation and education.

Organizing issue-specific and objective-oriented campaigns building social pressure to influence decision-making at national and international levels in favour of deprived, marginalized and vulnerable segments of the community.

Our Specific Objectives Includes:

To Provide quality legal assistance to juvenile victims of sexual abuse 

Increased household income and economic activities.

Establish youth Group different area in Kenya and beyond.

To Provide Education Service in marginalized areas.

To educate the deprived and under privilege common folk about the basic human rights and find basis to incorporate their efforts and mobilization to achieve maximum output.

Promote Gender equality.

Humanitarian assistance in natural and manmade disaster.

To devise and organize for women youth and children particularly to their rights to acquire educations and improve their health and earnings.

To increase the education of the target community for the betterment of their own subsistence.

To establish working relations amongst provincial government, bar councils and like-minded non-government organizations

Improve health conditions by providing basic health and hygiene education and services to the communities residing in neglected areas

What ITV Does?

Influenced by the new development paradigm, which puts people before things, ITV follows a participatory approach in every sphere of its work. The traditional knowledge of the rural poor is valued and respected, and there is confidence that rural people are capable of self-reliant organization. On a practical level, the fundamental thrust of this approach is decentralization and empowerment.

For a community to be able to work for its own development and reduce its dependency there is a need for full involvement at all stages of the development cycle. The participation of communities in identification, planning, management, implementation and evaluation of projects is a key factor in ITV work. Internally a participatory approach is adopted in managing the affairs of ITV.

Externally, ITV role as a “change agent” helps to develop community management structures that are capable of managing their own development. This increases the ability of the community to demand accountability in all their affairs, from leaders and officials. It reinforces the community’s belief in the value of their own development choices and efforts. These community management structures are not parallel structures, but are built upon traditional institutions, promoting equitable representation and participation

Human resource development is an essential part of our development work. This means ensuring that the community is trained and skilled, as well as organized, to maximize the potential of the community to take hold of its own development.

ITV strongly believes in maximizing its impact by transferring field experiences into knowledge to influence the development policies and practices of NGOs, donors and government agencies. This is important for working towards the long-term goal of eradicating poverty.

Approach 

During the process of social mobilization, ITV adopted a participatory, self-help, self-sustainable approach through community involvement and formation of volunteer groups in remote rural areas of Kenya. 

Philosophy 

Sustainable rural development is a dynamic process posing various needs at different phases of time. These can be dealt with continuous interventions based on designed frameworks that incorporate the requirements projected by the communities and with the help of the communities by strategizing for public-private partnership.

Scope of Work 

ITV has strong linkages with major NGOs and funding agencies working in Kenya. It has undertaken initiatives in Kenya with special reference to North Eastern, Eastern, Coast, Central, Nairobi, Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western, through collaboration with local CBOs and activists. ITV enjoys a rich experience of working in the diverse socio-cultural environment of Kenya and an extensive networking with the Sub-county & County Governments, civil society institutions, media and Volunteer groups. 

Organizational Values

Honesty

 Respect for individual 

Integrity

Participation in communal activities

Transparency in all transactions

Accountability to all the actions/deeds performed by an individual

Creativity

Cost efficiency 

 Gender sensitivity

Values guiding our work

TRUE: Ensuring transparency at all levels of our work

PROFICIENCY : Providing creative expertise and strong commitment

SOLIDARITY: Within our NGO and with the people we aim to support

JUSTICE: Within our NGO as well as in society

INTEGRITY To act according to the values we wish to promote

FLEXIBILITY Showing our willingness to change and learn

 Guiding Principles:

International Technical Volunteers follows the below mentioned guiding principles in implementation of its projects/programmes:

Use of indigenous knowledge

Making efforts to achieve highest quality standards

Promoting a culture of innovation and creativity

Meeting deadlines

Enhancing networking and coordination

Facing challenges

Professional Strength 

Highly qualified, experienced and devoted professionals and board members and staff; 

Adaptability to cope up and meet the requirements of diverse socio cultural environment of Kenya and Africa in large, NEMA and UN ABITAT 

Overwhelming support of local people. 

Acceptance as a representative of common people of the area. 

Extensive network to undertake initiatives at grassroots; 

Availability of state-of-the-art modern equipment and tools; 

Strong partnerships for undertaking innovative initiatives; 

ITV follows the following strategy in implementation of its programmes and projects.

Community/Social mobilization:

ITV while implementing its programme/projects as a first step undertakes community mobilization so that to raise awareness in community on health and hygiene, importance of education in modern day affairs, gender related issues, socio-economic development and environmental protection. For this purpose ITV management holds meetings with the community members, conducts training/capacity building sessions and also launched campai

Advocacy:

ITV advocacy is achieving better results in the field of social/rural/community development, ITV also believe in advocacy and therefore, the management has always strongly advocated for the issues related to ITV. For achieving this objective, ITV through its strong advocacy as approached the line departments of Government of Kenya and Beyond, NGOs, CBOs, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), members of the community, notables and ITV has always promoted the right based approach and supported the dialogue as an important tool for achieving the above mentioned objectives. 

Service delivery:

ITV is staunch believer in a very strong and efficient service delivery in the fields of health, education and environment. For this purpose, ITV management has always delivered services in the communities in a transparent manner taking care of quantity and quality. It is only because of this very reason that the ITV interventions have always helped in meeting the community needs and achieving the desired objectives.

Net Working:

ITV has always promoted the networking with other NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, media groups and concerned stakeholders for achieving the goal of sustainable development. Networking with other organizations has always proved very productive by playing as medium between the service providers and those at the receiving end. Networking basically provides opportunity for looking at the issues from different angles i.e. from local, national and finally at regional level. At every level the perspective of issue changes, which then helps in comprehending the issue. 

Target groups

ITV basically works mainly for the poorest of the poor in the rural areas of the province. Its target groups include the men, women and children in the rural communities of the province who are still living in miserable conditions and deprived of very basic necessities of life. Besides, ITV also focuses upon the urban populace living in slums and other such area. For achieving its goal and objective, ITV target groups also include health workers, paramedics and other staff related to health issues, teachers, students, environmentalists and stakeholders in the field of health, education and environ

 Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention 

This thematic area entails following important features for development: 

Establishment of community health centers at remote areas where people don’t have access to the health facilities. 

Develop awareness campaigns for HIV prevention, reproductive health; life skills based education and sexual rights. 

Develop immunization programs for venereal diseases and epidemics. 

Organizing events for public health along with government. 

Child Protection 

Under this theme ITV focuses on holistic development of children its protection and    rights, following interventions are planned over the time:  

Child rights education and protection awareness at different levels and different stakeholders. 

Development of safe learning places for children at schools, hospitals, and community centers. 

Children confidence building programs, walks, sessions, campaigns, and trainings. 

Development of children groups and developing leadership skills in them. 

Formation of local women groups and their capacity building.

Women Empowerment 

Women Empowerment aims at promotion women to take lead role in democratic norms and culture in the operational area. Two types of activities are undertaken in this theme: one aim at building capacities of women and communities and their groups to engage effectively with government and other stakeholders for getting their constitutional and legal social, economic and political rights, the other aims at working directly with state institutions for creating an environment that can guarantee the rights of women citizens. It also focuses on enhancing women income generation skills through capacity building and micro credit. Under this program following sub activities are also conducted: 

Community Based Infrastructure 

Under Community Based Infrastructure development, a wide variety of construction and rehabilitation of rural infrastructure schemes through community participation. Some examples are underground village drainage schemes, community latrines, water course lining, tube wells, and brick pavement in villages.

     Free Legal Aid and Education

ITV is providing free legal aid and education through its established firm of senior lawyers to vulnerable and marginalized victims of society particularly to women and children.