International Peace Initiatives
Kenya
Who they are
International Peace Initiatives (IPI), was founded in 2002 by Dr. Karambu Ringera after she met a group of women struggling to support themselves and their children while living with HIV/AIDS. After this group of women asked for help in sending their children to school, Dr. Ringera organized a dinner in Denver to raise money to support this cause. This was the start of an organization that now has seven core programs.
What they do
IPI provides programs focused on education, enterprise and empowerment. Their Amani Home is a community-based home for HIV/AIDS and economic orphans. Their INPEACE initiative aids in the prevention of conflict. They also provide funding for exceptional individuals to attend college. In addition, IPI has four other programs to empower and support women and children impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Why they do it
IPI provides orphans, women living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of violence, and communities with the tools and resources to move from violence, poverty, and crisis to stability and self-reliance. In addition, the purpose of the Amani Home is to represent a new way of thinking about orphans, where children can remain in their community while receiving an education and maintaining close relationships with their extended families.
SStS’s role
While in Kenya, the SStS group will stay near the Amani Home in order to build personal relationships with the children living there. Participants will work on bio-intensive farming and building projects at the Tiriji Eco-Center, which provides a sustainable revenue stream for IPI.