Catholic Relief services celebrates 80 years as it plans to combat El Nino effects

CRS Executive Vice President Bill O'Keefe speaking during the CRS' 80th anniversary ceremony held at the Trademark Hotel, Nairobi. [Courtesy.]

The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has celebrated 80 years of service to humanity in over 100 countries across five continents.

During the celebrations, Robert Mgeni, Head of Programmes highlighted the organization's focus on youth programs.

"We have youth programs in various counties that ensure the youths are employed and included in our activities. We have specific personnel mandated with the work of monitoring and evaluating the activities we do, to see if they are going as planned and if not, what needs to be changed to better them."

On his part, Bill O'Keefe, Executive Vice President of Mission and Mobilization at CRS, expressed pride in Kenya's development progress.

"Kenya is a model for the success of development, and we are proud of the continuing progress going on here. We value the solidarity of everyone involved so that we can work as one and move forward together in the same direction."

He also emphasized their preparedness to handle disasters especially emanating from the global warming and climate change with expected El Nino rains set to kick in this month.

The program has also helped communities ravaged by the drought early in the year.

Going forward, CRS plans to accelerate its support to the communities expected to be worst hit by incoming rains as well as other underlying challenges like malnutrition, flooding and health challenges.

Here in Kenya, the celebrations were marked across different sectors by the CRS Kenya chapter celebrated at a colorful event with some of the communities and beneficiaries in attendance as well as Catholic Bishops across all regions of the country, that all converged at the Trademark Hotel, located in Gigiri, Nairobi.

Margaret Kahiga, Deputy Chief of Party for USAID Nawiri, shared insights into CRS's fight against malnutrition.

"The fight against malnutrition has shown positive results with a decrease in the number of malnutrition cases. We have put measures such as drilling boreholes to ensure people in semi-arid areas have access to clean water."

CRS's projects in Kenya encompass a diverse array of initiatives, including agriculture, health, multisectoral nutrition, microfinance, emergency response, HIV care and treatment, and services for orphans and vulnerable children. These projects aim to uplift communities, fostering sustainable development and lasting positive change.

As CRS celebrates its 80th anniversary, the organization is committed to creating platforms for constructive dialogues to raise awareness of its ongoing projects in Kenya.

The central theme, "Globally Rooted; Community Led," underscores CRS's commitment to collaborating closely with communities to address their unique needs.

To ensure clear and consistent messaging during the CRS@80 event and beyond, CRS is actively developing a messaging framework and seeking opportunities to enhance visibility, build relationships with stakeholders, and inspire confidence and motivation among partners.