Byzantine Refugee Mission

Byzantine Refugee Mission (BRM) is A legally registered Non-Governmental Organization in Kenya by the Government of Kenya with a focus on humanitarian assistance and development of both refugees, the internally-displaced and the local host communities in Kenya. Its headquarters are in Turkana county; a district that has one biggest refugee camp in the world called Kakuma refugee camp. Its main focus is on Humanitarian assistance & Emergency Interventions, Food security & alternative livelihoods’ interventions, WASH, Energy & Environment, Education, Health, Cross border peace initiatives, community integration & cohesion, and Advocacy, Leadership and Governance.

Vision: To build, promote, improve poor livelihoods and empower vulnerable communities in all spheres of life.

Mission: Undertaking what it takes to fortify livelihoods, alleviate the suffering from suffering, and integrate refugees and host communities through provision of life-supporting services.

Main Objective: To promote peace, access to basic social services, water, environmental sustainability and improve agricultural production.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

1. To promote livelihood-diversification and food security interventions through crop production, livestock-production, agroforestry, food-fortification, table-banking, life-support skills, business entrepreneurship and cash-based transfers for both refugees and host communities.
2. 2. To promote the availability and accessibility to safe and clean water for both human and livestock consumption through bore-hole drilling, shallow-well digging, establishment of water-harvesting structures, storage tanks, piping of water, and water-treatment for both refugees and host communities.
3. To facilitate forest conservation, establishment of man-made forests on bare lands, protection of existing rangelands and pasture lands, as well as cleanliness of the physical and atmospheric environment in both the refugee camps and host community settings.
4. To purify on the-spot the atmospheric environment and air through the establishment of carbon-3 and carbon 4-plant forests to reduce or regulate the atmospheric air-heat and ozone layer depletion in Turkana due to the effect of petroleum-explorations that are ongoing in Turkana East.
5. To promote the adoption of green-energy strategy as an alternative and sustainable source of energy for both refugee and host community households, as well as for their institutions.
6. To boost literacy by construction of school infrastructure, distribution of sanitary-wear, provide teachers to educational institutions and in-service training of teachers for both refugees and host community institutions.
7. To facilitate and construct health facilities, offer relief to the malnutritioned, create nomadic health facilities for both refugees and host community, creation of nutritional centers and psychologically supporting refugees and the host communities living with HIV/AIDS.
8. To initiate cross border peace campaigns for refugees in the camps through cohesion and intergration methodologies.
9. To take such steps by personal or written appeals, private meetings, public meetings or representations to Parliament, government entities and other bodies as may be deemed expedient to promote any of the objects of the Organization.
10. To raise, secure and utilize funds for the attainment of any or all objects of the Organization, and to do such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of these objects.

Organizational Mandate

The mandate of the organization is to contribute to the reconstruction of a friendly and peaceful world where there is a peaceful coexistence among peoples; where respect for human dignity is the pillar for justice; a world in which children and young people have equal opportunities and are empowered, challenged, motivated and assisted to realize their full potential by participating in building positive peace, contributing to non-violent social transformation and livelihood development in Turkana, Isiolo, Garissa, Marsabit and Wajir Counties.

Critical stakeholders

Refugees, asylum-seekers, The Internally-displaced persons, local host communities UNHCR, NGOs, CBOs, National Government Administration, County Governments’ administration, Schools, health facilities, faith based Organizations.

Strategic partners: Though recently registered, BRM through its membership has engaged with both local, national and international Organizations that include; SAVE The Children, National Government, RECONCILE, Friends of Lake Turkana (FoLT, LWF, SAPCONE, World Relief, APaD. We have also interacted with Seeds of Peace Africa (SOPA) International, Turkana County Government, TUPADO, LOKADO, Mercy Corps and Pact World on aspects of livelihoods, employments, periodic food security assessments, food security interventions (both emergency and recovery/food for assets’ activities. Internationally, our staff have engaged with Bread for The World, Swiss Contact, GIZ, World Bank, Save the Children International, TROCAIRE, DCA, UNHCR; UNDP and IGAD on consultancy basis.

Values upheld by the organization:

• Accountability
• Transparency
• Integrity & Ethics
• Inclusivity
• Professionalism
• Sensitivity
• Commitment to what we do
• Diversity