World Relief Celebrates the Legacy of World Relief Kenya, Announces Transition to Nawiri Impact Africa in Kenya
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
82-year-old global Christian humanitarian organization celebrates decades of service in Kenya as Nawiri Impact Africa begins a new chapter of locally led ministry
Contact: Lauren Rasmussen, media@wr.org, 802.310.4255
BALTIMORE, Md. – Today, World Relief announced the organizational handoff of World Relief Kenya to Nawiri Impact Africa, marking a new chapter of locally governed Christian humanitarian and development work in Kenya. World Relief began working in Kenya in 1991 and formally registered in the country in 1999. As part of its localization journey, World Relief Kenya has assumed a new registered name, Nawiri Impact Africa, and transitioned to local governance and leadership. Led by a Kenyan leadership team and board of directors, Nawiri Impact Africa will build on World Relief’s longstanding work in Kenya while pursuing its vision of resilient families thriving through locally led solutions and carrying forward the commitment to “change that lasts.”
Over its 82 years, World Relief has worked across 100 countries. Due to its deep institutional value of empowering, equipping and sending local leaders, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals only maintains international offices in eleven countries today, in addition to disaster response work. The organization continues to adhere to its mission to go boldly into the world’s most fragile contexts, places where environmental factors, conflict, displacement, and other shocks intersect with opportunities for community and institutional development.
“For more than three decades, World Relief’s work in Kenya has been about more than implementing projects. It has been about working alongside communities, equipping churches to serve the most vulnerable and demonstrating the love of Christ through holistic transformation,” commented Mark Oyoo, former country director of World Relief Kenya and the executive director of Nawiri Impact Africa. “We are grateful to the churches that embraced this mission, the communities that trusted us, our dedicated staff and volunteers, and the government, donors and partners whose support has made this work possible. As one chapter closes and another begins through Nawiri Impact Africa, we step forward with confidence that the seeds planted over these years will continue to bear fruit through equipped churches, strengthened families, resilient communities and lives transformed for generations.”
World Relief began working in Kenya unofficially in 1991 and officially in 1999, with its early work developing a strong focus on responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Working in partnership with churches, World Relief helped reduce stigma and provided care, support and services for orphans and vulnerable children. World Relief later implemented PEPFAR-supported programming, strengthening its work with communities and health systems. As HIV/AIDS programming evolved, its work expanded into broader health and nutrition interventions, particularly in northern Kenya.
Building on this foundation, World Relief Kenya developed an integrated approach to addressing the interconnected challenges facing vulnerable families and communities. In partnership with churches, communities, national and county governments, donors and other partners, its work expanded across health and nutrition, food security and livelihoods, climate resilience, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection and social inclusion and economic empowerment.
In Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas, World Relief has helped communities strengthen food security, diversify livelihoods and build resilience to drought and climate-related shocks through livestock and crop production, improved goat breeds, poultry production, beekeeping and other livelihood initiatives. Innovative approaches such as Black Soldier Fly technology have also supported locally produced animal feed and more sustainable poultry production. WASH interventions have improved access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, while protection and social inclusion efforts have strengthened the safety, dignity and participation of vulnerable people.
Throughout this work, the church has remained central to World Relief Kenya’s approach. World Relief has equipped churches and church leaders to identify and respond to community needs, support vulnerable families and mobilize communities toward lasting transformation. Nawiri Impact Africa will carry this commitment forward, continuing to equip churches and work alongside communities, government, donors and other partners to strengthen families, build resilient communities and pursue change that lasts.
“The ideal culmination of an international NGO’s work is the healthy handoff of organizational and missional stewardship to a local team committed to the local community,” commented Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “One of my greatest joys in my role is getting to know our local staff around the world. Over the years, I have gotten to know our local leadership in Kenya that will lead Nawiri Impact Africa, and I believe they will lead faithfully and with great purpose. In Kenya, decades of partnership with the local church, community stakeholders and in-country leadership have blossomed into a locally-driven, Gospel-centered vision that World Relief is proud to support in a new season as a peer organization.”
In Swahili, “Nawiri” means to thrive or to flourish, and the organization’s abbreviation (NIA) evokes the Swahili word, “nia,” which means intention. Nawiri Impact Africa will carry on the existing programming provided by World Relief Kenya in Turkana and Kajiado, maintaining the level of excellence the communities and partners have come to expect. World Relief will continue to support the new local entity in the startup phase through 2028.
“We believe that this move is a faithful next step in the stories God is writing for World Relief and Kenya,” commented Lanre Williams-Ayedun, senior vice president of international programs at World Relief. “We at World Relief are eager to cheer on the work in Kenya, initially in a support role, and increasingly as Nawiri Impact Kenya’s greatest cheerleader and ultimately as a peer.”
World Relief Kenya is the final of four country offices to embark on this wave of localization. Begun in 2026, this multi-year initiative is designed to come alongside countries that have achieved development and organizational milestones that support them as they establish with local structures and systems for success into the future, in partnership with their local and national governments and the local church.
To learn more about Nawiri Impact Africa, visit nawiriimpactafrica.org and follow along on social media:
Facebook: Nawiri Impact Africa
LinkedIn: Nawiri Impact Africa
Instagram: @nawiriimpactafrica
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.