A rural based initiative that turned to be a development enterprise of its kind.

Mwana Resource Centre was established in 2006 in Kwale County, Dzombo location Mwananyamala village. The centre was used as a venue offering a platform for information exchange for both the rural folk as the main clientele. This was our first site, offering meeting venue characterized by open Makuti Banda, a seminar room and three guest rooms for facilitators in a converted rural house..

A rural home converted into a resource centre for development oriented seminars/workshops in Mwananyamala. Dzombo location Kwale  county

The founders are Mr Emmanuel Pendo Kahaso (Natural Resource Management/Community Development professional) and his wife Mrs Lydiah Akinyi Pendo (Home Economist/ Educationist) all graduates of Moi University Eldoret.  The duo ventured out of permanent employment in 2005 and 2006 respectively to set up this rural based development enterprise as a  meeting centre.

The rural house transformed into a meeting centre, played a host to a myriad of workshop participants drawn from local teachers, Pastors, Women groups, youth groups, Primary & secondary candidates (Career Choice) who attended the various capacity building trainings in topical areas mainly entrepreneurship, Project Proposal writing, Farming as a business trainings, governance and leaderships, housekeeping among others.

Most of the workshops lasted from 2-3 days at a subsidized fee to cater for workshop meals. The facilitators were  mainly the founders and their learned friends who volunteered to support this initiative as most of the rural fork were self sponsored and could not afford higher fees. The founders had to subsidize the meal cost to achieve the training goals.

Leadership seminar for local FBO pastors with the founder Mr. Kahaso facilitating a session 2007

The economic challenges with minimal support for the rural initiatives and poor infrastructure posed a serious obstacle. Another reality was that demand for these services was at an all time high, but the clientele targeted could hardly afford to satisfy their quest for knowledge and information support. The rural extension support services were not visible from sectoral Government ministries, as the policy had shifted to demand driven support – yet located far from the reach of these rural folk in the district headquarters 50 – 70km away.

The Mwana Resource Centre – Diani –once a dream!

Once a rural dream replicated into an urban development enterprise – Mwana Resource Centre – Diani

This rural venture challenged by the harsh rural economic realities opened a new line of thought as the founders ventured to replicate this development enterprise in an upcoming tourist town (and a farm produce market) within the reach of the farmers at Ukunda in Diani, south coast of Kenya. The aim was to use the centre as a link for the emerging NGOs and CSOs to the rural folk to provide a platform for community development support, capacity building and information exchange initiatives. Today the centre has a network of community based organizations, FBOs and NGOs that are networked using this platform to empower our rural folk and community men, women and youth in development in Kwale County.

 Advocacy for training workshop for peace advocacy after the 2007-2008 post election violence – facilitating a session is the founder – Mr Emmanuel Pendo Kahaso

Mr Emmanuel Pendo Kahaso – (Founder) facilitating advocacy session – ‘An idea that worked’

WHO DO WE SERVE?

• Financial institutions: Equity Bank – Agents workshops, Business owner’s workshops, SMEs awareness creation forums , Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT), Cooperative Bank among others.
• Faith Based Organizations: Diani Pastors Networks, Local Council of Imams, FPFK Church Ukunda,
• Civil Society Organizations: MESPT – ABD – Danida-funded Micro Enterprise Support program, Practical Action, Other Sheep Africa, Kenya Transitional Initiative, MEWA – Youth based Anti–radicalization campaigns, Kenya Muslim Women Association(KEMWA), SOLWODI, ICRH, SCOPE- Community Health Workers Forums, Diani Residents Associations – community awareness forums on Diani Resort City Master plan, NACADA – Drug and alcohol abuse awareness forums, APHIA Plus- Peer Education forums.
• Volunteer Networks: – AISEC international volunteers,
• Tertiary institutions: University and other college students mainly Pwani University, Nairobi University, Moi University students, Medical students (KMTC), Mount Kenya university students among others.
•  Private Sector: Base Titanium Mining Company community awareness forum on the FIA report finding.
• Individual hoteliers: different individuals and team building groups use our hostels for a bonding experience.
• Wedding parties – out door catering, pre – wedding parties, & wedding receptions
• Private parties – Graduation parties, birthday parties, group parties, family gatherings,
• Retreats- children retreats, couples retreats, youth retreats men and women, team building retreats,