Our Story
Building Livelihoods & Empowering Communities (BLEC) was born in Turkana, Kenya, one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world. Founded in 2017 as a community-based organization, BLEC emerged from the urgent need to address chronic hunger, poverty, and social exclusion that women and youth face daily. In July 2025, BLEC transitioned into a registered NGO, strengthening its mandate to scale up impact across Turkana and beyond.
BLEC’s vision is of a self-reliant society where women, youth, and marginalized groups thrive with dignity and resilience. Guided by this vision, our mission is to nurture, empower, and transform local capacities to be self-reliant, dependable, and valued. We place communities at the center of everything we do, ensuring that our interventions are grassroots-led, inclusive, and sustainable.
Our model integrates financial inclusion, food security, and social protection. Through table banking, women and youth gain access to revolving funds, loans, and savings, enabling them to invest in small enterprises, education, and healthcare. At the same time, BLEC provides training in climate-smart agriculture, nutrition, and agribusiness, equipping families to secure food and income even during harsh droughts. By weaving in gender equality, GBV prevention, and youth empowerment, our approach ensures no one is left behind.
The results speak for themselves. BLEC has directly reached over 3,100 beneficiaries, with 1,250 farmers trained leading to crop yield increases of up to 50%. Our 150 women’s savings groups collectively revolve more than USD 200,000, with an additional USD 16,000 in loans disbursed to fuel small businesses. Over 510 jobs have been created, while households are eating better, sending children to school, and reducing reliance on food aid. Social protection measures integrated across all activities ensure safer, more inclusive communities.
Looking ahead, BLEC aims to scale its impact to reach 10,000 lives by 2030, expanding its model across Turkana and other arid regions of Kenya. With stronger partnerships, innovative financing, and a growing grassroots movement of women and youth leaders, BLEC is not only building livelihoods but transforming futures. Our story is one of resilience, empowerment, and hope — proof that when communities are given the tools and trust, they can break the cycle of poverty and hunger for good.