Home News Monitoring Visit: Kenya 2025 (Part 2)
In November 2025, a monitoring visit to Kenya was conducted with the aim of assessing the impact of development cooperation projects supported by the Slovak Republic. This article follows the first part of the series on the monitoring visit to Kenya and focuses on activities implemented during the second half of the programme, particularly in the coastal region of Kilifi and in the western part of the country.
The monitoring visit continued from Thursday, 13 November to Monday, 17 November. The delegation visited healthcare facilities, local community and social organisations, rehabilitated public spaces, as well as initiatives in the field of sustainable agriculture and local value-added processing, in order to assess the impacts of the implemented projects.
Selected activities from these days illustrate how the projects contribute to the empowerment of women and mothers, the strengthening of local communities, and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the regions where they are implemented.
On Thursday, the monitoring visit continued with visits to the Kilifi Innovation Hub, Mazingira Park and Kilifi County Hospital, where local initiatives supporting education, innovation, sustainable development and improved diagnostic capacities in healthcare facilities were presented.
The project Coast Innovation Hubs Network – Knowledge for All focused on strengthening local communities, including women and girls in Kenya’s coastal regions, through education, innovation and skills development. Its aim was to support inclusive development and reduce the vulnerability of target groups, including in the context of climate change adaptation.
Project participants took part in trainings focused on innovation and ICT (information and communication technologies), the blue economy, entrepreneurship and talent development. The outcomes included the development of strategies, implementation plans and partnerships supporting the sustainable development of communities in Kenya’s coastal regions.
A microgrant supporting the modernisation of Mazingira Park in the coastal area of Kilifi Creek promoted sustainable development and community engagement.
The project included the installation of green infrastructure, such as waste separation bins and benches painted by Slovak artists.
As a result, the park’s functionality as a community space improved, a waste separation system was introduced, and the overall value of the public space for the local community increased. The project also contributed to strengthening environmental awareness in the coastal region.
Kilifi County Hospital was part of the same Business Partnerships Programme project as Mater Hospital, mentioned in the first part of the monitoring report. The project, implemented in cooperation with the Slovak company Powerful Medical, focused on expanding diagnostic solutions in the field of cardiovascular diseases through the use of a medical AI solution for automated interpretation of ECG recordings (AI-powered PMcardio).
The visit included a tour of the hospital, a demonstration of the use of diagnostic equipment and a meeting with the County health official responsible for healthcare in the Kilifi region.
The project aimed to strengthen doctors’ capacity to identify diseases at an early stage and to improve access to ECG interpretation at the primary healthcare level. Pilot operations of the diagnostic solutions were launched in three healthcare facilities.
The project thus laid the groundwork for further development of diagnostics, improved access to healthcare and supported the digitalisation of health data, contributing to more effective and sustainable healthcare in the region.
On Friday, the delegation visited cashew nut and tropical fruit processing facilities, a local school, and met with representatives of the Sote Hub organisation, which regularly organises the Blue Economy Innovation & Investment Summit.
The objective was to gain insight into projects supporting the sustainable use of natural resources, food security and climate change adaptation.
The visits provided insight into modern and sustainable processing of cashew nuts and tropical fruit for export. The current activities of beneficiaries Integra and Grow Fairly, supported by SlovakAid under projects SAMRS/2025/GREEN/1/20 and SAMRS/2025/PPP/1/61, build on several previous initiatives implemented in the coastal regions of Kwale and Kilifi.
One such initiative focused on improving local farmers’ livelihoods through support for organic and fair-trade certification and training in good agricultural practices. Farmers were involved in the distribution of cashew seedlings, trainings and certification processes, which contributed to increased production and provided a sustainable source of income.
School agri-clubs were also involved in sustainable agriculture activities, providing young people with a practical platform for learning and cultivating climate-resilient cashew trees. Cashew nuts are highly nutritious and are used, for example, in the production of nutritional pastes, while trees planted on school grounds also serve as natural shade. The positive impacts of these projects underline the importance of partnerships with SlovakAid.
The summits, implemented as microgrant projects, created a platform for discussion, innovation and cooperation among entrepreneurs, investors and start-ups in the blue economy sector. They included panels on climate change, presentations of sustainable technologies, networking activities and a hackathon focused on addressing ocean-related challenges.
The event supported the sustainable development of coastal regions, strengthened cooperation between communities, the private sector and government, and raised awareness of cybersecurity issues.
The monitoring visit continued with a visit to the Ecoworld Recycling project, supported through SlovakAid microgrants. The projects focused on the development of a circular plastics economy in the coastal Kilifi region and on engaging local communities in environmentally beneficial activities.
The objective is to formalise the waste picker sector and thus create a driving force for the circular plastics economy. The project brings social, economic and environmental benefits, improves the quality of life of local residents and contributes to the protection of coastal ecosystems.
As part of the project, a social enterprise was supported, which created a space for plastic sorting and recycling, and more than 300 women and young people received training and employment opportunities in sorting and recycling. The initiative also increases the volume of recycled plastic, improves working conditions and educates communities about the possibilities of the circular economy.
Ecoworld Recycling processes plastic waste for further use, strengthens the role of women and youth in sustainable development and contributes to the protection of the oceans.
The final day of the monitoring visit focused on healthcare projects in the West Pokot region. The monitoring team visited the Dr Roden Health Clinic and also met with the local organisation I_REP Foundation, which was supported through SlovakAid microgrants.
Grant projects and a microgrant focused on providing healthcare to people in remote areas of the West Pokot region. The aim was to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, improve access to healthcare and combat harmful practices such as female genital mutilation.
The projects included the reconstruction of the maternity ward and operating theatre, outpatient clinics, hospital rooms and storage facilities, training for local health workers and the distribution of newborn kits. The result was a significant reduction in childbirth-related deaths, improved access to healthcare and strengthened empowerment of women.
One of the projects brought substantial improvements in healthcare in a remote area, with a focus on mothers and children. It introduced 24-hour emergency services, ambulance transport and telemedicine support. The project included training for health workers, equipping an ambulance, digital consultations with specialists and environmental activities, including tree planting and a solar system.
SlovakAid support also included a microgrant focused on providing accommodation for healthcare staff near the Dr. David Roden Health Clinic. The aim was to free up hospital wards for patients and improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery. The project created new accommodation capacity for eight staff members, involved the local community in construction, used local materials and installed rainwater harvesting systems. The new facilities are also used by volunteer doctors from Slovakia.
A microgrant supported the organisation I_REP Foundation, which focuses through community meetings and workshops on stopping gender-based violence, raising awareness of the negative impacts of female genital mutilation and forced marriages, supporting the economic and health self-sufficiency of women and young couples, and connecting the community with healthcare services and schools. The impact of the project implemented by I_REP Foundation was improved communication and respect within families and an improved position of women in partnerships.
The monitoring visit to Kenya made it possible to assess a diverse range of projects and microgrants supported by SlovakAid and partner organisations. Visits to Kilifi, Watamu and West Pokot provided an overview of the impact of projects on local communities, health, environmental solutions and economic opportunities.
The findings confirmed that projects focused on sustainable development, the empowerment of women and youth, healthcare, the circular economy and the blue economy have a significant multiplier effect - not only improving living conditions but also strengthening local capacities and creating conditions for further innovation and development.
The visit also made it possible to obtain feedback directly from project partners and beneficiaries, which is essential for evaluating completed projects and planning future interventions. The monitoring results therefore serve not only to assess current projects but also as a basis for strategic decision-making by SlovakAid in supporting development initiatives in Kenya.
Photo source: SAIDC, Integra, I_REP Foundation