Amkeni Malindi

AMKENI began as a support group in the year 2009 for men who have sex with men in Malindi, Kilifi County. In 2010, the group collaborated with KEMRI that provided a conducive environment for members meeting in a safe space. This time, she grew tremendously in numbers and in the access to comprehensive services where she used the peer education model to create, reach and push for the human rights agenda to address the issues affecting LGBT Members in Kilifi County. This was culminated by a collaboration with Red Cross, Kenya to establish a DICE and UHAI in the development of a strategic plan, 2018 – 2020, and a pool of partners in the continued support for her work. AMKENI’s programmatic environment is constantly changing and is characterized by an evolving policy and political environment, shifting donor commitments, growing stakeholder numbers and expectations, evolving staffing structure and capacity, amongst other factors. The organization currently has an office space that serves as her DICE, a new Board that facilitates steering her forward and who shall be key in ensuring that there is value for money of her programs, and that the institution is effective and efficient and can align her work to the contribution of change in the community as espoused by this strategic plan. AMKENI has grown in leaps and bounds from a lean staff in 2009 to the current, who are in charge of ensuring that her services and programs are well facilitated and delivered to. Whilst the office is located in Kilifi county, the organization reach and influence has spread all over the coastal strip with national programs, achieved especially through research and partnerships with the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK) and her affiliates, intersectional HIV programs with the National Aids Control Counsel (NACC) and the National Aids Control Program (NASCOP) including with her county chapters, amongst others.