About
Turkana Development Trust
The TDT is an LDO established by a Consortium of Turkana County civil society organizations (CSOs), private sector groups, and FBOs as a community-owned, community-led, community managed development organization in Turkana County. TDT is a charitable trust to mobilize and establish a fund with a mission to foster sustainable community-led, community-owned, and community-based integrated development initiatives in Turkana. The purpose of the Trust is to facilitate the development of a unified voice and legitimacy of the citizens in Turkana at all levels and in all villages. The Trust Deed underlines that the objective for which the Trust is established: to operate on the principles and values of inclusivity, public participation, and gender equity, while embracing youth, people living with disabilities, the grassroots-based community, and faith-based and private-sector organizations.
Vision
The vision of TDT is: Empowered and resilient communities able to influence and engage in development matters in the County.
Mission
The Mission of the Trust is: .enhance synergies amongst civil society organizations, private sector and faith-based organizations and government in addressing social economic needs in the county by influencing governance and development decisions.
Principles and Values
Good governance and inclusivity
Integrity, transparency, and accountability
Excellence, innovation, and professionalism
Equality, equity, and non-discrimination
Strategic collaboration and partnership
Sustainable development
Respect and promotion of the rule of law, human rights, and justice
Turkana Development Trust (TDT) -Objectives
- Work with civil society organizations, private sector and faith-based organizations in the country in capacity building, resource mobilization, advocacy, research, monitoring and evaluation and learning;
- Empower communities by increasing their voices in governance and development matters;
- Create enabling environment for information sharing among communities, civil society organizations, private sector, faith-based organizations, government and development partners;
- Increase civil society organizations, private sector and faith-based organizations capacities in oversight role in public finance management in the country;
- Promote and facilitate knowledge creation and management on development related matters and creation of repository of relevant data for improved decision making;
- Mobilize resources, raise funds and moneys and to receive donations, subscription, and contributions of moneys or assets and property of any kind to be used for the purpose of the Trust;
- Register and mobilize membership to the Trust;
- Facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the Trust in Keeping with the vision, mission principles and values; and,
- Do all things herein contained and others as by law permitted
- Promote community philanthropy through partnerships with individuals, state actors, and private sector, provide technical and financial support to local civic society, leadership and citizen development;
- Receive grants, bequests and monies meant for sub-granting to charitable organizations as per the terms and conditions set by the grantors;
- Create, acquire, own and manage the assets of the Trust and any associated charity organization
Our Recent Activities
Registration fees for full membership
LDO: USAID Inspired
TDT is inspired by the USAID’s localization agenda spelt out in USAID Kenya County Development Cooperation Strategy, 2020-2025.[1] This agenda is also spelt out in the Annual Program Statement (APS), 2019, Kaunti Kuimarisha Uendelevu – Strengthening County Sustainability. The APS 2019 underlines the importance of enabling local development actors to have greater voice in the development processes at the county level on argument that, to succeed and effectively address local needs, ‘county development efforts require greater involvement, control, and leadership from local communities’ themselves’.[2]
The USAID CDCS gives impetus to establishment of LDOs specifically to accelerate the journey to self-reliance through forming countywide partnerships of local development actors. The partnerships have a responsibility to promote community led, community-owned, and community managed development.[3] The APS itself envisages a county where there is a strong partnership between the government – both national and county – civil society and the private sector, all working towards one end: building self-reliance for local community development.[4]
[1] USAID. 2020. Kenya County Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), October 2020 – October 2025. Nairobi: USAID Kenya and East Africa. The goal of this strategy is that Kenya’s competitive private sector, resilient communities and civil society organizations, and citizen-responsive public sector better collaborate to drive inclusive growth and well-being for Kenya’s self-reliance.
[2] USAID. 2019. Annual Program Statement 2019, pg. 7
[3] See USAID’s Localization Agenda: Elevating USAID’s Commitment to Sustained Development. 2021
[4] APS, 2019 op-cit
LDO Theory of Change
TDT is established for the purpose of fostering sustainable community led, community owned and community based integrated development initiatives in Turkana. The Trust will facilitate the development of a unified voice and legitimacy of the citizens in development endeavors at all levels. The Trust will seek to empower communities to have voice and build capacities for resilience to lead development in line with their aspirations.
The theory of change for TDT as an LDO is: IF local organizations in Turkana can be structured and organized to have agency and voice; IF local organizations have technical and institutional capacity to design and implement local driven sustainable programs and IF there is an enabling environment in the county for local organizations to thrive; THEN these organizations will empower communities in Turkana County to influence development priorities, demand better county government performance and improvement of services delivered AND fundamentally improve the social, economic and governance outcomes in the county.