Abstract:
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are important actors in complementing the role of the state in promoting human development. The Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (Oxfam), founded in Britain in 1945, as a consequence of Second World War, aimed at reducing human suffering. Since then, the activities of Oxfam have expanded to over 90 states with the aim of enhancing sustainable livelihoods and improving basic social services (Oxfam. 2020). High poverty levels, poor health services, drought, ethnic conflicts, unemployment and social inequalities necessitated Oxfam's activities in Kenya in 1963, with the aim of reducing the threats to human security. (Oxfam, 2020).
Kenya's Oxfam's Strategic Plan. 2020, focuses on several goals which include enabling poor and marginalized communities to getting a fair share of natural resources and their benefits. Another goal is enabling women gain power over their lives to participate in and contribute to public life; and also, to ensure that the severity of future humanitarian crises on communities in Kenya is reduced (Oxfam. 2020).
In Turkana for instance, the poorest county in Kenya, is suffering from drought and famine, transnational border conflicts, violence from small arms proliferation, inadequate health facilities, high illiteracy levels and national marginalization policies. According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS. 2018). Turkana had the highest poverty rate in 2017/18 with 74% of the people living below the poverty levels.
