These voluntary activities attracted more people to participate and before long the vision translated to an established institution that would carry out the activities in a legal, coordinated and professional manner.
Initially HWWK received financial assistance from Rotarians for Fighting AIDS and Rotary Club of Nairobi East to help vulnerable children in Mukuru with provision of basic education and appropriate nutrition. Rotary Club of Nairobi East supported HWWK to build a Hall in Mukuru Kwa Ruben to serve the community.
HWWK programs were officially launched on 23rd February 2003 in Mukuru Informal Settlement by the then U.S. Ambassador Mr. Johnny Carson. Thus began our work with HIV prevention.
Vision
Empowered Healthy Communities
Mission
HWWK is a faith based organization that exists to work with youth and children to improve their quality of life through responsive and innovative health programming among underserved communities in Kenya
Core Competencies
- Community mobilization
- Community participation and engagement
- Community systems strengthening
- Community based service delivery/interventions
- Partnership building
Values
- Rights– Based programming
- Accountability and transparency in all our actions to ensure credibility
- Openness to feedback, ideas and learning to ensure we are creative and innovative
- Quality, excellence and the continuous improvement of services to deliver high impact and cost effective support for our stakeholders
- Service to the poor and underserved to bring hope and change lives
- Stakeholder participation for community based solutions
Guiding Priciples
- Gender:HWWK is committed to addressing the inequalities and harmful norms that put both men and women at risk of disease, poor health and violence.
- Ensure strategic collaboration and coordination:Programs will ensure strong collaboration between HWWK and the counties where we work, the target populations, the local community and community organizations, to ensure a synergistic approach. We will also collaborate and cooperate with the GOK and with our donors as they coordinate on a national level.
- Community capacity, ownership, and leadership:HWWK will focus on engaging in activities and capacity building efforts that lead to county and local ownership and leadership. In the counties HWWK will focus on developing, supporting, and sustaining the stakeholder capabilities that exist, especially in regard to community based organizations, target populations and groups.
- Evidence-based Interventions:Interventions will be aligned and directly respond to the needs of youth, children, key and priority populations in Kenya with respect to the current evidence based interventions being used, and recommendations on best practices and lessons learned from other stakeholders.
- Invest in leadership, capacity and systems for long-term sustainability:The programs will support civil society to cultivate leadership, build expertise and capacity, and strengthen systems to ensure responsiveness and sustainability.
- Increase involvement of the private sector:The programs will continue to leverage the private sector through public private partnerships and other arrangements to improve the well-being of youth, children, key and priority populations