About us

Who We Are

The Institute of Participatory Development was established due to the perceived failures of development projects within Kilifi County (then Kilifi District) and more so in Coast region then Coast Province generally. Coast Province/Region inhabitants are reputed to be less development conscious. The IPD founders believed in the contrary, that people in this region are development conscious and hardworking. This is because before the missionaries came to the Coast people lived an industrious and productive life. The region was formally known to export farm products to India and Eastern countries such as Mangoes, cereals, and coconuts grown and cultivated by the indigenous and exported from the Galana river delta. The culture remains dynamic and any meaningful change must embrace culture.

Our Background

The Institute of Participatory Development (IPD) is non–Political, non–religious, non–Governmental Human Development Organization registered under the NGO Co-ordination Act of 1990; Registration No. OP.218/015/9984/1271 of 9th September 1999. IPD is a part of the many Participatory Development activities of 1994 in the then Kilifi District now Kilifi County. The concept of Participation is African as portrayed in communal family set ups, Land ownership, traditional water sharing, children etc. Basically, many aspects of society are “community responsibility and community owned”. When the German Development (GTZ now GIZ) introduced Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) concepts these were similar to the culture and values of the people. Locals who participated in the process realized the relationship of the methods and their culture hence took the initiative to establish the Institute of Participatory Development (IPD) to take the lead in the promotion of what was traditional in the communities. The whole idea was to promote Participatory Development methods and blend it with the culture, making the methods merge into the people's culture for its total adoption. Sustainability of Development without people's approval or ownership has seen many projects fail.

Area Of Interest

It is our belief that a human being cannot be a subject to be developed but can only develop him/ herself. IPD is committed to facilitate this transformation particularly in the areas of Education, Health, Water hygiene and Sanitation, Environment conservation and protection, Agriculture and livestock development, sustainable livelihoods and social development.