In Kenya, the Ford Foundation, a US-based non-governmental organisation, made headlines this week after the government accused it of funding anti-government protests in the country.
The organization denied the accusations, but The government has persisted in demanding accountability for funds allocated in the form of subsidies to selected Kenyan NGOs.
Along with these requests and accusations made against The American organisation, reports have revealed that First Lady Rachel Ruto has also benefited from grants awarded by the Ford Foundation through her own organisation.
The Kenya Times (TKT) has done a fact check and confirmed that the Joyful Women Organization (JOYWO), founded by the First Lady, did indeed receive the grants.
Since 2006, Joyful Women Organization has received two grants from the Ford Foundation, according to the foundation’s East Africa grantees page.
In November 2014, the organization received a total grant of $100,119 (approximately Ksh. 13,115,589 at current exchange rate) from the Ford Foundation. The grant was aimed at promoting table banking microcredit models that encourage women’s entrepreneurship and livelihood projects.
In another confirmed grant, Joyful Women Organization received $105,000 (approximately Ksh. 13.75 million at current exchange rate) in May 2020. This grant was for “Support to Automation of Operations for Institutional Strengthening.”
According to its website, Joyful Women Organization (JOYWO) was founded by First Lady Rachel Ruto, driven by a desire to see women meet their basic needs and realize their potential. “Joyful Women is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 out of compassion for women who are excluded from the financial sector but have a desire and need for access to credit and finance,” it says.
Its mission is to promote the economic empowerment of women in Kenya and beyond, through financial inclusion, collective action, voice and influence.
In addition, its flagship project involves providing financial resources to women so that they can participate in livelihood projects through “table banking”.
The Ford Foundation in Kenya
The organization is among the Kenyan NGOs that have benefited from grants from the Ford Foundation.
On 19 July 2024, the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the President of the Ford Foundation, Darren Walker, demanding accountability for grants awarded to around fifteen named NGOs.
Permanent Secretary Korir listed these 16 NGOs, accused of having benefited from grants totalling Ksh 752 million from the foundation.
Some of these Ford Foundation funded NGOs, according to the Permanent Secretary, have been at the heart of the protests against the Finance Bill and anarchic mobilisations that have sought to disrupt the peace and security of the state.
Following the letter, some Kenyans were quick to point out that the Foundation had also funded Rachel Ruto’s NGO in the past.
In response to concerns raised regarding funding for the First Lady’s NGO, Permanent Secretary Korir Sing’oei invited interested parties to make similar requests.
“The letter requests specific information on Ford Foundation grants. It is a targeted request that does not call into question the overall activities of the organization. I am sure that a similar request regarding funding from JOYWO, OGP and others can also be made by any concerned person,” the Permanent Secretary said.
The Ford Foundation, which runs civic education and government programs around the world, including in Kenya, has since responded to the government. In a July 19 statement, it stressed that its funding operations are transparent and that information on specific initiatives is available on its official website.
source : The Kenya Times
Similar articles
