Rona Foundation – What We Do

Our 4 Step Process Cycle with Immediate Outcome is Staff Transformation, Reflect with Community, Plan Action and Action.

Our Domains of Change are:

1. Increasing Agency: With Immediate Outcomes in SGBV, Decision Making, Access and Control over Resources, Mobility, Self-Efficacy – knowledge, Skills & Confidence and Participation in Public Sphere.
2. Strengthening Relations: Outcome Areas are SGBV, Quality of Relations with partner and with family, including to access and control over resources, Increased Social Capital (Bonding, Bridging) etc.
3. Transforming Structures: Outcomes Areas are SGBV, Gender Norms – Perceptions and Attitudes, Community level Structures, Service Provider, Collective Efficacy, Policy – County, National, Government and Global Level.
4. Advancing Inclusion: Outcome Areas are Governance and Leadership, Climate Change and Justice, and Environmental Advocacy.

Our sector specific Indicators are:- (for more info See RMF – MEL Framework)*

• Life Free from Violence
• Widows Economic Empowerment
• Food & Nutrition Security
• Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights.
• Climate Change Makers

*RMF: Results Measurement Framework
MEL Framework: Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Framework

Our target is rural widows who suffer gender inequality, neglect, and undergo sexual gender-based violence in unspoken widowhood cultural practices that remain unchallenged. They undergo harmful traditional practices such as; stigma, ostracisation, property disinheritance, widow sexual cleansing, wife inheritance, shaving of hair, etc.
Rona advocates for outlawing of harmful cultural practices meted on women when they lose their husbands as well as empower rural widows in economic education.
Our mission is to empower rural widows to heal and thrive, and to revolutionise the future of widowhood through community interventions and policy.
Today we serve more than 8,000 widows aged between 29 to 80 years, with 83 % being 36-55 years and clustered in over 60 existing self-help organised widow groups, that run Rona savings and loaning programmes (ROSALO).
98% of rural widows focus on small scale business i.e.; fishing trade and agriculture.
In Kenya, rural widows are considered the poorest of the poor. The majority of rural widows live in extreme poverty (~1 USD a week).
They lack awareness of economic empowerment programmes, social and cultural norms that discourage them from practising key entrepreneurial behaviours, and/or starting income generating projects.
Women’s economic rights and opportunities in Kenya are undermined by gender, social and health status.
More so, women and girls bear the brunt of disproportionate care burdens, disruptions in income and education, poor access to health and lack of other essential services like sanitary towels. According to the *JIAS report, 63% widows are infected with Hiv/aids upon performing sexual rituals, with only 2.7% of widowed reported having used protection since the death of
their husbands in Luo Nyanza, with Siaya being amongst the top 3 leading counties in Nyanza. Yet widows remain invisible, and less thought of.

Rona conducts skills & capacity development trainings for rural widows with key focus on sustainable project in Health, Education, Agriculture and Climate Change.

Future Plans