Project Background
Akiba Uhaki Foundation (AUF) is a Human Rights and Social Justice Fund that works in East Africa i.e. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It was incorporated in 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya as a Limited non-profit company. It is also registered as a Trust under the Trustees (Perpetual Succession Act), Laws of Kenya and is governed by a Board of Directors. AUF aims at supporting organizations that advocate for HRSJ in the East African region to access resources that enable them effectively confront human rights and social justice challenges. It also aims at enhancing such organizations’ capacities in managing their internal systems and structures.
Project Objective:
The main objective of the AUF organization evaluation was to assess the extent to which it has achieved its desired results, generate information to inform future interventions in similar areas and advise change of strategies where necessary and thus inform new strategic plan development.
Key outputs;
- Provided support to various initiatives on building social movements, strengthening grassroots initiatives and protection of HRDs. Supported grantees in this regard include MPEDH, NAR, DRAKKAR (Rwanda); CRECO, BULAMWA, CLARION (Kenya); PDF, CHAWATA (Tanzania); CODR-UBUNTU (Burundi); and PWABC and EHAHRDP (Uganda).
- Supported social entrepreneurship for economic autonomy and independence, as a means to enhanced voice, citizen participation and claim making. These revolved around livelihood expansion and financial sustainability. Examples include work with NAGAD, SDA and CEHURD.
- Funded research and advocacy initiatives, including solidarity actions. Some of the researches went into informing follow up programs. Those supported included 26 change makers, data base of HRSJ organizations, fellowships and internships.
- Supported projects towards improved service delivery, through consumer support, linking citizens to authorities, and strengthening claim making. Grantees supported under this included CHF, CEHURD, NCD, MPEDH, NAR, CUTS Kenya etc.
- Facilitated knowledge management and learning by supporting think tanks, action research, convening’s, reflections, documentation and publication. These were in addition to direct AUF support to institutional development, technical backstopping and accompaniment.
- Resources mobilization to widen the scope, scale and reliability of HRSJ funding. As of 2013, AUF had raised a total of US$ 2, 907,0006, out of which US$ 1,262,5377 had been committed.
- Capacity strengthening of grantees/ AUF and leadership development. Supported grantees include for example Kilele Foundation and NCHRD-K, while on its part, AUF was in the process of rolling out a MEL system and establishing a grant management system.