SNDAfrica

31/07/2026

Over the past two days, the PROTECT Project brought together 20 caseworkers from Miyo Woreda, Dire Woreda, Moyale Woreda, and Moyale Municipality to strengthen their capacity to identify, prevent, and respond to child protection concerns affecting children across the Kenya–Ethiopia border.

The training enhanced participants' knowledge and practical skills in child protection, case management, referral pathways, reporting mechanisms, and survivor-centred approaches, equipping them to provide timely, coordinated, and child-friendly support to vulnerable children and their families.

By investing in the capacity of frontline child protection actors, the PROTECT Project is strengthening community-based child protection systems, improving access to quality protection services, and reinforcing local mechanisms that safeguard children from violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, and harmful traditional practices.

This initiative reflects our shared commitment to ending all forms of violence against children, while advancing resilient, accountable, and responsive child protection systems across the Kenya–Ethiopia border.

Every trained caseworker represents another line of protection for a child in need. Together, we are building communities where every child is safe, protected, and given the opportunity to thrive.

Implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) with financial support from Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) through Terre des Hommes Germany,

24/07/2026

A child crossing a border should never leave their rights behind.

Across the Kenya–Ethiopia border, children continue to face risks that cannot be addressed by one country alone. Protecting them requires shared responsibility, coordinated action, and strong partnerships.

This week, the Project brought together government institutions, child protection actors, and development partners from Kenya and Ethiopia for the Quarterly Cross-Border Advocacy Meeting to strengthen collaboration in preventing and responding to violence against children and harmful traditional practices.

A key achievement of the forum was the development of a Joint Cross-Border Action Plan, a significant step towards strengthening accountability, harmonising child protection approaches, improving cross-border referral pathways, and enhancing collaboration between the two countries.

The meeting also created space for stakeholders to exchange experiences, identify emerging child protection risks, and reaffirm a shared commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of nationality or location, has access to protection, justice, and essential support services.

This collaborative effort reflects the spirit of SDG 17, which recognises that lasting solutions are built through strong partnerships.

Implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) with financial support from Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) through Terre des Hommes Germany, the PROTECT Project continues to strengthen cross-border child protection systems and transform social norms so that every child can grow up in a safe, protective, and nurturing environment.

When countries work together, children are safer. Protecting children knows no borders.

24/07/2026

Strategies for Northern Development (SND) have successfully capacity-built six community groups from North Horr and Dukana that will soon receive livelihood grants under the AICS-funded project.

Delivered in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, County Government of Marsabit, the training equipped participants with practical skills in financial management and literacy, record keeping, leadership, governance, and group dynamics. These competencies will enable the groups to manage their grants with accountability, transparency, and confidence, laying the foundation for sustainable and community-led enterprises.

The initiative goes beyond financing livelihoods, it invests in the knowledge, leadership, and systems that allow communities to drive their own development. By strengthening local capacity before grant disbursement, the project is fostering resilient businesses that can withstand climate-related shocks, improve household incomes, enhance food security and nutrition, and create lasting economic opportunities in some of Kenya's most climate-vulnerable regions.

This support is made possible through funding from the Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo through Oxfam Italia and Oxfam Kenya, and is implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) in partnership with local government institutions.

Together, we are empowering communities with not only the resources to succeed, but also the skills to sustain their progress and build a more resilient future.

22/07/2026

21/07/2026

Today, Moyale reached a major milestone in advancing child protection with the official handover and commissioning of the Moyale Child Protection Unit (CPU) at Moyale Police Station, a significant milestone in strengthening child protection services in Northern Kenya.

Beyond the commissioning of a facility, the day celebrated a shared commitment to protecting children across the Kenya–Ethiopia border.

One of the most moving moments was when children took centre stage, using poems, songs, and presentations to share their experiences and aspirations. Their voices gave government officials, development partners, and stakeholders from Kenya and Ethiopia a firsthand understanding of the challenges children face, while reminding everyone that meaningful child protection begins by listening to children themselves.

In her keynote address, the AIG Director, Gender and Child Protection, Kenya Police Service, Mrs. Dolly Oduori, applauded the partnerships behind the initiative, noting that the facility will serve vulnerable children from both Kenya and neighboring Ethiopia, strengthening cross-border protection and access to child-friendly services.

Speaking on behalf of Terre des Hommes Germany, Mr. Dennis Ratemo appreciated all partners for their collective commitment to child protection and called for continued collaboration among governments, communities, and development partners to sustain efforts that keep children safe across the Kenya–Ethiopia border.

Constructed with financial support from the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) through Terre des Hommes Germany, and implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) in partnership with the Kenya Police Service, the Child Protection Unit is a lasting investment in a future where every child is protected, heard, and treated with dignity.

Together, we are advancing the promise of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Sustainable Development Goal 16.2, to end violence against children and ensure that no child is left behind.

Because protecting children is a shared responsibility, and every child's voice matters.

18/07/2026

Over the past three days, Strategies for Northern Development (SND), through the Kenya Community Engagement and Resilience Programme (KCERP) funded by the European Union though Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund in partnership with Act Change Transform , brought together young people from Marsabit County for a practical learning workshop focused on digital citizenship, responsible online engagement, human rights, gender inclusion, and peacebuilding.

The training provided participants with opportunities to strengthen their understanding of safe online practices, critical thinking, digital storytelling, and positive communication, while exploring how digital platforms can be used to promote constructive dialogue, social cohesion, and inclusive communities.

Through interactive discussions, collaborative learning, and hands-on content creation exercises, participants enhanced their skills in developing meaningful digital content that encourages informed conversations, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.

At SND, we believe that when young people are equipped with the right knowledge, skills, and opportunities, they become powerful contributors to stronger, more resilient, and more connected communities.

European Union in Kenya

17/07/2026

Over the past two days, the PROTECT Project – Promoting Resilience and Cross-Border Transformation of Social Norms for Community-Based Child Protection in Ethiopia and Kenya successfully brought together 20 primary school directors from Miyo Woreda, Dirre Woreda, Moyale Woreda, and Moyale Municipality for a training and orientation aimed at strengthening school-based child protection systems.

The school leaders were introduced to the newly launched PROTECT Project and equipped with practical knowledge on establishing and strengthening Child Rights Clubs within their respective schools. The training underscored the vital role that school leadership plays in protecting children, promoting their rights, preventing harmful traditional practices, and fostering safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments where every child can thrive.

As trusted leaders within their communities, the participating directors are expected to champion child protection initiatives beyond the classroom by nurturing positive social norms, encouraging meaningful child participation, and strengthening collaboration between schools, families, and local stakeholders.

Funded by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) through Terre des Hommes Germany, the Project is being implemented across the Kenya–Ethiopia cross-border corridors of Moyale–Moyale, Sololo–Miyo, and Forole–Dirre. Through collaborative action, the project seeks to transform harmful social norms, strengthen community-based child protection systems, and ensure that children on both sides of the border grow up in safe, protective, and inclusive environments where their rights and well-being are upheld.

15/07/2026

Under the Ethiopia Joint Response (EJR) programme, the second phase of TeamUp has now been successfully completed across seven targeted schools in Dubluk Woreda.

Over the course of 15 structured sessions in each school, children participated in a movement-based psychosocial support programme designed to help them process adversity, strengthen peer relationships, rebuild self-confidence, and develop healthy ways of expressing emotions.

Building on the first phase of implementation, this second cycle reinforces the project's commitment to ensuring that psychosocial wellbeing remains an integral part of education and child protection. Together with Child-Friendly Spaces, positive parenting initiatives, and strengthened community protection systems, TeamUp continues to create safe environments where children can learn, play, recover, and thrive.
Because when children feel safe emotionally, they are better able to learn, build friendships, and look toward the future with hope.

The intervention forms part of the Ethiopia Joint Response (EJR), financed by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA) and implemented in partnership with Terre des Hommes Netherlands in Africa.

Together, we are helping children recover not only from crisis, but also rediscover the joy of being children.

15/07/2026

Strategies for Northern Development (SND), through the Resilience Approach in Rangeland Ecosystems (RANGE) Programme, in partnership with the County Government of Marsabit and the State Department of Cooperatives, successfully supported the County Pastoralist Livestock Cooperative Model (PLCM) Coordinating Unit Meeting held at Paradise Inn, Marsabit.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders to review the work plan and budget for the "Transforming Livestock Economies through Structured Cooperative Systems in ASAL Counties" project while strengthening coordination among implementing partners. Discussions focused on enhancing collaboration, aligning implementation priorities, and identifying strategic actions to accelerate the growth of structured livestock cooperative systems across pastoral communities.

By strengthening institutional coordination and cooperative governance, the initiative seeks to enhance market access, improve livestock value chains, increase incomes for pastoral households, and promote more resilient and inclusive livestock economies. It also reinforces the importance of collaborative partnerships in advancing sustainable development and locally led solutions across the ASAL regions.

The meeting reflects the shared commitment of partners to empowering pastoralist communities through well-governed cooperative systems that create lasting economic opportunities, strengthen resilience, and contribute to sustainable livestock development.

Embassy of the Netherlands in Kenya
Mercy Corps Kenya
University of Twente

12/07/2026

Yesterday evening, the PROTECT Project – Promoting Resilience and Cross-Border Transformation of Social Norms for Community-Based Child Protection in Ethiopia and Kenya participated in a one-hour live interactive radio talk show on Oromia Broadcasting Network (OBN FM) in Yabello.

The session provided an opportunity to introduce the PROTECT Project, its objectives, and its commitment to promoting positive social norms and strengthening community-based child protection across the Ethiopia–Kenya border. This was followed by a discussion featuring panelists from the health sector, the Department of Women and Social Affairs, and a Community Child Protection Champion (Elder), who shared insights on harmful traditional practices, unsafe migration, and their health and social consequences.

The PROTECT Project is financed by Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) through Terre des Hommes Germany