BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Kiunga Youth Bunge Initiative (KYBI) is an independent non-profit organization established in 2007.As a community organization; KYBI is youth-leaning both in its operations and programs. It s premised on the fact that youths form a critical group of Kenya s population that are most vulnerable to exploitation, misrepresentation and radicalization. In this regard, our programs are tailored to grow youth intervention strategies for development as well as elevating youth participation in development matters as the surest approach for sustainable development. In delivering on our mandate, KYBI considers grassroots involvement in sustainable development critical to its operations. Therefore, over time has invested in creating lasting partnerships and trust within the community it operates. The great success we have experienced is largely attributed not only to the uniqueness and relevance of the design and implementation of our programs but also on the elaborate community workmanship strategies we use in engaging grassroots communities we work with. Our approach is to create a platform for communities to engage with development stakeholders on a mutually beneficial level with the focus on the community as the sole bearers of solutions that would work for them. In this regard, we have cultivated strong working partnerships with indigenous communities including Ishakani, Kiunga, Mpeketoni, Witu, Mambore, Faza, Rubu, Mkokoni, Mararani, Mlimani, Bodhai and Kiwayu Island among others in Lamu County in Kenya and Raskamboni, Odo, Kuda and Mdoa, in Badhaade district in Somalia among others. KYBI has operational presence in Raskiamboni-Kiunga (Kenya-Somalia border), Lamu town and Mpeketoni areas of Lamu County with our physical address within Lamu and is operated by a fully functional secretariat with full time employees