At a refugee support centre in Nairobi, Ayub* explains how the cash assistance he received two weeks earlier met an urgent need for him, his wife, and their two children.
A refugee who fled political conflict in Somalia, he is currently working towards rebuilding his life in Kenya but continues to face significant economic difficulties.
It’s becoming more and more difficult to meet our food, rent and healthcare needs. I am forced to redirect money from our children’s education to cover more urgent needs.
Against a backdrop of shrinking humanitarian support, Ayub stresses the value of this support.
, This cash assistance is so important to us. Several aid programmes we previously relied on have suddenly ended.
To fill rising gaps in the support available to various refugee groups, Acted, through the Kenya Cash Consortium(KCC) collaborated with protection actors to identify and offer cash assistance to vulnerable individuals, especially those at risk of, or escaping abuse, conflict, among other protection threats, such as Ayub, to contribute to restoring safety and dignity to their lives. The KCC, led by Acted, and consisting of Oxfam, Concern Worldwide, and the ASAL Humanitarian Network, is implementing a project funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid, aimed at addressing the most urgent needs of refugees and crisis affected communities across Kenya through multi-purpose cash assistance.
All stakeholders in Acted’s interventions matter equally, and their views and opinions are valued greatly. As an important part of upholding this principle, Acted leads a comprehensive Feedback Mechanism for the KCC. One of the key methods of gathering insights on KCC actions is through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with representatives of the supported groups. This allows an opportunity to physically meet and freely and humanly raise concerns, to appropriately be escalated or addressed, or share constructive feedback, in a safe environment.
During one of these FGDs held after cash distribution to protection referrals, participants shared a diverse range of messages and opinions. Gratitude was the most common theme, followed by a call for continued support for overlooked groups.
Laban*, an older man suffering from a painful condition in his right foot, explained:
I can only be grateful. Receiving this support has allowed me to meet a doctor; something I have struggled to do for 3 months because, as a refugee, I am not eligible for national health insurance.
He couldn’t afford to pay cash without having to forego other necessities.
The participants raised that the ongoing cuts in support, especially to them as refugees, were heavily affecting their qualities of life. A form of aid that some said they were frustrated about, was receiving cash on loan terms. While this modality would be ideal in some contexts, most of the participants shared that they did not have a source of income reliable enough to guarantee that they could pay back the loans on time and with interest, sometimes steep, without sacrificing other basic needs. The multi-purpose cash assistance distributed under the KCC were providing windows for recovery, and a chance at building resilience.
Between 2024 and 2026, the KCC, led by Acted, has so far reached more than 50,000 among Kenya’s most vulnerable populations through multi-purpose cash assistance. Looking ahead, the focus is on working more closely with other humanitarian partners so that help reaches communities faster, more equitably, and in ways that last.
Names have been changed to protect individuals’ privacy.