About Us
Rooted in the communities living the problem.
Gracious Givers Kenya is a women and youth led organization rooted in Nyando, Kisumu County. We work with communities where recurring floods interact with poverty, fragile livelihoods, youth unemployment and limited access to services.
Our understanding of this challenge is local and lived. It shapes how we listen, how we design activities and how we work with schools, families, community groups, government services and technical partners rather than creating parallel systems.
- Location
- Nyando, Kisumu County, Kenya
- Leadership
- Women and youth led
- Programs
- One model, three capabilities
- Working through
- Schools, youth groups, women's groups
Our story
Gracious Givers Kenya was founded from lived experience in the flood prone villages of Nyando. Here, climate shocks are not distant headlines. They are part of everyday life for families who depend on farming, small businesses, schools, local markets and informal support systems.
When floods happen, the effects reach beyond the immediate emergency. Families lose crops and income. Children miss school. Young people lose confidence in their future. Caregivers carry heavy stress. Communities are left to rebuild with limited resources.
We started Gracious Givers because we believe communities should not only be helped after a crisis. They should be supported to prepare, adapt, recover and lead their own development with dignity.
Who we are
Gracious Givers Kenya is women and youth led. Our work brings together local knowledge, community participation, technical support and practical action. We work through schools, youth groups, women's groups, families, community leaders and local structures.
Our focus is to strengthen the capacities that make recovery possible: resilient livelihoods, meaningful pathways for young people, stronger families and community systems and practical climate preparedness.
Our vision
A prosperous, united and empowered community.
Our mission
To partner with vulnerable communities in Kenya to build resilient livelihoods and achieve lasting wellbeing.
Our core belief
The strongest solutions already exist within communities. Our role is to strengthen local leadership, create opportunities and support communities to thrive with dignity.
Our values
Community Ownership
Communities are active partners and leaders in their own development.
Integrity
We work with honesty, accountability and respect.
Inclusion
We prioritize women, youth, children and vulnerable households.
Resilience
We support communities to withstand, adapt and recover from shocks.
Collaboration
We believe lasting change requires strong partnerships.
Dignity
We serve people as capable community members, not passive recipients.
Our approach
We listen before we act and build from systems that communities already use. We work through families, schools, youth and women's groups, local leaders, service providers and public structures so that solutions are locally owned and connected to support that can continue beyond a single activity.
Our approach is community led, locally rooted, integrated, participatory, youth centered and sustainable. We believe how we work matters as much as what we do.
- Community Led
- Locally Rooted
- Integrated
- Participatory
- Youth Centered
- Sustainable
Founder message
Growing up in the flood prone villages of Nyando allowed me to understand how climate shocks affect every part of community life. When floods occur, families lose crops and income, children miss school, and young people face fewer opportunities.
Gracious Givers Kenya was founded from the belief that communities already possess valuable knowledge, strength and leadership. What is often missing is access to resources, practical opportunities and partnerships that respond to local priorities.
Our work brings community members, schools, local leaders and partners together to strengthen livelihoods, support young people and families, and build resilience to climate and economic shocks.
We invite partners who believe in locally led development to work with us in building stronger families, resilient livelihoods and a more secure future for communities in Nyando.
— Leah Otieno, Founder and Executive Director
