Türkiye's state-run aid agency TIKA has inaugurated a series of projects across Kenya aimed at empowering local communities through skill development. 

The agency’s latest initiative saw the handover of tailoring machines to a vocational training institute in Wajir county, northeastern Kenya, that are expected to directly benefit local artisans. 

It’s a follow up to a previous support that saw the agency provide industrial electric sewing machines to the institution, where 40 women successfully completed a tailoring training programme facilitated by TIKA. 

The Turkish aid agency formerly supported primary education in Wajir by providing early childhood education textbooks and establishing new classrooms at Hodhan and Barwaqo primary schools. 

Supplied learning materials

Through the “Inspire Programme,” a collaboration between TIKA and the UK Foreign Office (FCDO), over 500 teachers underwent training and 264 schools in the area were supplied with learning materials. 

Earlier in March, the agency supported Turkish doctors from the Yeryüzü Doktorları (Doctors Worldwide Türkiye) organisation in providing medical assistance in the coastal town of Lamu. 

Their efforts included nearly 100 medical surgeries and screenings, the restoration of a laparoscopy tower and intensive care training for local medical staff.

The agency has also made contributions in Kenya’s education sector. In April, TIKA and the Turkish Embassy in Kenya marked the Turkish national Sovereignty and Children’s Day by officially reopening the children’s section of the Kenya National Library in the capital, Nairobi. 

Türkiye-Africa cooperation

The projects in Kenya are part of TIKA’s efforts to foster Türkiye-Africa cooperation and support sustainable development across the continent. 

Operating from 22 offices in Africa, TIKA implements thousands of projects in critical areas such as education, health, agriculture, and access to clean water, underscoring Türkiye’s growing engagement and commitment to the development of African nations.