In light of the principle of “NOthing about us Without Us”, or NOW-Us! Voice in Kenya wishes to recognise inspiring inclusive initiatives from Kenya that promote diversity and inclusion, and trigger the self-empowerment of rightsholder groups and communities through the Nothing about us Without Us! (NOW-Us!) Awards. 

 For this reason, NOW-Us Kenya! is looking to honour ONGOING initiatives that are led by and have been fully developed by the rightsholder groups and/or communities themselves to promote/demand their inclusion in society. In particular, such initiatives should be about the promotion of:  

• Improved access to (productive) resources (finance, land and water) and employment  
• Improved access to social services, health and education in particular  
• Improved spaces for political participation and citizen engagement  

 These initiatives should be led by one or more of the following groups and/or communities:  

• People with disabilities  
• Women facing exploitation, abuse, and/or violence  
• Vulnerable youth and elderly  
• Indigenous groups and/or ethnic minorities 
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people 

 Strong preference will be given to initiatives that are able to demonstrate credible instances of intersectionality with at least one or two other rightsholder groups, including youth/elderly and women as a cross-cutting component. 

 This is a localised version inspired by the global NOW–Us! Awards, a joint partnership between Voice and the Spindle. You can read more about it through this blog here https://voice.global/blog/the-now-us-awards-reflections/ and project details of one of the winning initiatives here https://voice.global/grantees/access-nigeria/#project for inspiration!   

 Who can apply?  

 In order to be eligible for NOW-Us Kenya!, you and your initiative must fit ALL of the following criteria: 

• Your organisation (a not-for-profit organisation, community-based organisation, self-help group or social enterprise) is Kenya–based and legally registered as a local organisation (with a working bank account in your local currency).    
• If you are not a registered organisation, please list a host institution that can serve as the legal and financial host for your initiative.   
• Your organisation is fully led by individuals (staffing, governance, design and implementation) that belong to the very same rightsholder group that it serves and benefits.  
• You have a track record on being inclusive in your ways of working.  
• Your initiative is innovative and has the potential for impact. 

 *Current Voice grantees with ongoing projects cannot apply for the NOW-Us Awards. 

What do we mean by…? 

Inclusion – It is related to attitude, communication, accessibility & participation. It can be understood as a set of linked, 

1. unending processes to do with the participation of individuals: the creation of settings,
2. systems (procedures, policies, and laws) that encourage participation; and 
3. with putting ‘inclusive’ values into action. 

All three are about everyone rather than about a particular group. More on Inclusion can be found here 

Innovativeness – Innovative approaches are sought in all key components of Voice. Being innovative means not only creating new ways of working but also creating spaces for improvement in every step of your work, which can entail different steps in different contexts. This implies flexibility, to allow for the implementation of new ideas. For instance, reaching out to groups that have never been reached before requires creativity and flexibility to respond to new ideas. 

 What happens if selected?  

Only ten (10) shortlisted initiatives which meet the criteria above will be invited to attend a five (5) day innovation boot camp to be organised sometime between January and February 2023. The boot camp will be an opportunity to be bold and creative on what are the next steps for your initiative. This will be the time to imagine, design, and develop ways to expand, scale-up or experiment. It will also give you an opportunity to work with other like-minded innovation professionals. 

 At the end of the week, you will be participating in a celebration of inclusion where all applicants will be given the chance to enter the final stage by presenting their “final pitch” -live- in front of a jury! In the presence of Voice grantees and selected civil society organisations, including development partners and Embassies, the jury will announce the winner(s) of NOW-Us Kenya!  

 First, second and third ranked pitches win Innovate and Learn grants worth 25,000, 15,000, and 10,000 EUR respectively to take home lessons learned and implement the next steps for their initiatives. 

 Lastly, the first-ranked group will also be invited to attend the Partos Innovation Festival in Amsterdam on October 2023 (all expenses will be covered). They will meet other NOW-Us winners from different countries, connect with other like-minded organisations, and make their voices heard in international development conversations on inclusion. Nothing About Us, Without Us! in action!