For many families, one failed season can undo years of effort.
Food insecurity in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions is not only about drought. It is about fragile systems of unpredictable rainfall, degraded rangelands, limited market access, livestock losses, and few income alternatives.
Islamic Relief Kenya works with marginalised families in hard-to-reach communities to strengthen their ability to produce food, earn income, and withstand recurring shocks. Our approach connects immediate support with long-term resilience so families are not trapped in repeated cycles of crisis.
We work alongside communities to strengthen both food production and income generation. We prioritise pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities where climate stress, poverty, and isolation intersect. These are areas where:
These interventions help increase productivity while reducing dependency on unpredictable rainfall and strengthen food security in the long run.
To reduce vulnerability, families need additional income streams. We help communities expand what they can do and earn through provision of small business grants, vocational skills training for youth, value-chain linkages and improved market access.
This diversified approach builds economic stability and resilience against future shocks.
In pastoralist communities, livestock are the foundation of food security and income. Protecting them is essential. We strengthen pastoral systems to protect community assets and reduce the impact of prolongd drought through:
Protecting livestock means protecting livelihoods.
During droughts, floods and other crises, we ensure vulnerable families receive urgent food assistance, nutritional support, and cash assistance, helping them bridge the gap to stability and prevent hunger.
By building families’ capacity to produce food, generate income, and manage risk, we support families to move from vulnerability toward greater stability and self-reliance. This work contributes directly to our wider commitment to strengthening communities and improving living conditions in sustainable ways.