11 December 2026: Annual Wezesha Women Conference at KICC, Nairobi from 8:00 AM EAT Register interest

Jonica Foundation

Community resilience

Jibu Rapid Response

Emergency assistance, safer shelter and partnerships that strengthen local support.

Responding with Care, Rebuilding with Dignity

Jibu Rapid Response

Overview

Jibu Rapid Response supports emergency preparedness, urgent assistance and recovery for households affected by disasters and crises. The programme works with communities to identify immediate needs, mobilise available resources and connect affected people with assistance and referral services. We prioritise women, children and other people facing heightened vulnerability, recognising that emergencies can deepen existing difficulties in accessing food, healthcare, essential supplies and safe shelter.

Why this matters

When floods swept away her already weakened home, Millicent, a woman living in Kabondo Kasipul, Homa Bay County, was left without a safe place to live. She now lives in a makeshift shelter built from weathered corrugated iron sheets. Across Kenya, the scale of this need is significant. UNICEF reported that 306,522 people had been affected by floods and landslides as of 24 June 2024, including 293,205 displaced people.

Long-term goal

Support 300 households affected by disasters or heightened vulnerability to access essential assistance, including 30 households receiving home construction or essential repairs through Jonica Homes.

Short-term goal

Provide needs-based assistance to 100 households, support five households with safer shelter, and reach 2,000 consenting subscribers with preparedness and safety messages.

Overall objective

Strengthen household preparedness and access to timely assistance by combining community needs assessment, bulk messaging, partner coordination, referrals and shelter support.

What we set out to achieve

  1. 01 Needs assessment: Assess and document the priority needs of 100 households within 12 months.
  2. 02 Emergency assistance: Provide 100 assessed households with food, dignity supplies or other essential assistance.
  3. 03 Safer shelter: Complete five household shelter projects through Jonica Homes.
  4. 04 Bulk messaging: Build an opt-in network of 2,000 subscribers and share at least 12 verified messages.
  5. 05 Community preparedness: Conduct eight preparedness sessions reaching 400 community members.
  6. 06 Coordination and referrals: Establish five active referral or response partnerships.

How we deliver

  • Identify households requiring support through community networks and local partners.
  • Assess immediate needs, existing resources and barriers to recovery.
  • Mobilise funds, food, dignity kits and other relevant supplies.
  • Register subscribers with consent and provide a clear opt-out option.
  • Share verified weather advisories, preparedness guidance and assistance updates.
  • Conduct community sessions on household preparedness and where to seek help.
  • Assess proposed construction or repair needs with qualified personnel.
  • Coordinate assistance with community organisations and relevant authorities.

Highlights

50 women living on the streets in Nairobi CBD supported with food and dignity kits.
Humanitarian networking strengthened through participation in the INGO Forum Kenya.
An active fundraising appeal through Jonica Homes to help Millicent access safer shelter.

In practice

Moments from Jibu Rapid Response

Jibu Rapid Response
Jibu Rapid Response
Jibu Rapid Response

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