Ujamaa Center, Mombasa
Over 15 years of solidarity and accompaniment to communities living in the Kenyan Coastal Region
About Ujamaa Centre
Ujamaa Center is a grassroots Public Benefits Organisation founded in 2001 and incorporated as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
The Center focuses on mobilizing individuals, groups, and communities to collectively work towards their own sustainable development. The organization facilitates them to reflect on and identify their social, economic and political issues and employ local tools and techniques in addressing them. Through community-based mobilizers, we offer solidarity, accompaniment and capacity building to our constituents thus ensuring they are capable of taking charge of their own development. The organization also engages in advocacy to ensure relevant, effective and responsive policies are not only in place but are well implemented.
Ujamaa Center’s work is grounded in a fundamental belief that our personnel is critical to the achievement of the organization’s goal.
Our board, staff, and associates serve out of loyalty and responsibility to the organization’s Vision, Mission and Values:
Our Mission
Ujamaa Center’s mission is to support target communities to reflect, engage and create sound and sustainable alternatives to their socio-economic and political challenges through Research; Community Mobilization and Organizing; Capacity Development; and Advocacy.
Our Vision
Ujamaa Center visualizes Individuals and Communities that have confidence, willingness, capacity and skills; to act as agents of their own development and well-being.
Our Values
Accountability
We strive to be accountable to the individuals and communities we humbly serve, transparently sharing our results, stories and lessons.
Courage
We take risks in the pursuit of transformational change. We speak the truth about issues of critical importance to the social sector and by challenging the statuesque
Excellence
We strive to provide high-quality services, content, and strategies, using our insights on experience, knowledge and data to create impact.
Transformation
We believe in urgent action, innovation, and the necessity of transformation within the world and our own organization.
Inclusiveness
We embrace differences, diversity, inclusion, and equity in our engagements with our players and beneficiaries to address the society’s most complex problems.
Collaboration
We believe in working with others and achieving together what may not be possible alone while learning from others, and sharing what others can learn from us.
Our Approach
We employ approaches that are simple and people-centered; unique and effective in achieving positive change in our target communities. Some of the approaches that profile and distinguish Ujamaa from her peers include:
The Use of Community Based Mobilizers
Ujamaa Center uses community-based mobilizers to mobilize, offer solidarity, accompany and build the capacity of their constituents to reflect on and address their socio-economic and political challenges.
Building social capital
Ujamaa Center helps build social capital within the target communities for ownership and sustainability of socio-economic and political processes and outcomes.
Focus on research and capacity development
Ujamaa Center focuses on research and capacity development of target individuals and groups to enhance their knowledge and skills to spearhead their own development.
Alignment of programs and projects to existing development blueprints
Ujamaa Center aligns its programs and projects to the existing local, national and international development blueprints including; Sustainable Development Goals, Vision 2030 and others.
Engaging with mainstream and alternative media
Ujamaa Center engages with mainstream and alternative media to profile the organizations, work and outcomes and for capacity development and stakeholders’ engagement.
Effective documentation and communication
Ujamaa Center ensures that there exists an effective documentation and communication process for coordination of effort across stakeholders, tracking progress and ensuring a functioning interface between actors.