Draft:Queen of Peace Initiative

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Queen of Peace Initiative (QPI) is a Kenyan grassroots organization founded in 2019 and based in Isiolo County, northern Kenya. It was to address the underlying causes of conflict, climate vulnerability, and gender inequality in pastoralist communities.

History and Background Queen of Peace Initiative was formed in response to persistent intercommunal conflicts, climate-related pressures, and the marginalization of women and youth in northern Kenya. The organization’s work is rooted in leveraging women’s leadership and community-based peacebuilding models to promote resilience and equity in traditionally underserved regions.

Mission The mission of Queen of Peace Initiative is to leverage women's leadership and community power in Northern Kenya to eradicate the root causes of conflict, climate vulnerability, and injustice, building a foundation of peace, resilience, and equity.

Programs and Activities QPI implements a diverse range of community-driven programs including:

Peace and Conflict Resolution

The Queen of Peace Initiative places peacebuilding at the core of its mission. The organization facilitates inter-community dialogues to address deep-rooted ethnic tensions, land-based conflicts, and competition over natural resources. QPI empowers local leaders—especially women and youth—to become peace ambassadors by leveraging traditional conflict resolution mechanisms alongside modern peace education. It has organized peace caravans, cross-border forums, and healing circles across Isiolo and surrounding counties to promote reconciliation and mutual understanding.

Peace Program

Livelihood Development

In response to economic insecurity and high unemployment—especially among women and youth—QPI runs a livelihood development program that promotes sustainable income-generating activities. The initiative supports the formation and training of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which help community members pool resources and access microloans for small-scale businesses. Skills development in areas such as beadwork, soap-making, making reusable sanitary pads, sustainable agriculture, and poultry farming has enabled many beneficiaries to achieve financial independence and stability.

Women learning skills of making reusable sanitary towels

Health, Education, and Awareness Campaigns The Health, Education, and Awareness Campaigns program by Queen of Peace Initiative is a multifaceted approach designed to address the overlapping challenges of poor health outcomes, limited access to quality education, and low community awareness in marginalized regions of northern Kenya. The program targets vulnerable groups—especially women, youth, and indigenous communities—through coordinated outreach activities that empower individuals with knowledge and life skills. In the health component, QPI works to improve access to essential healthcare information and services. Community members are sensitized on topics such as maternal and child health, nutrition, family planning, gender-based violence (GBV) response, and mental wellness. Through mobile outreach, safe spaces, and collaboration with local health professionals, the organization helps bridge the gap between rural communities and formal healthcare systems. The education aspect focuses on promoting inclusive and equitable learning opportunities. QPI supports school mentorship programs that address school dropout rates, gender disparities in education, and harmful cultural practices like early marriage. Youth mentorship circles are established in schools and community centers to guide students on leadership, career aspirations, and personal development. Additionally, QPI advocates for the education rights of girls and children with disabilities, engaging parents and local leaders to support learning continuity.

Lastly, the awareness campaigns tackle pressing social issues through dialogue, media, and community engagement. These campaigns cover a wide range of themes, including climate change, peacebuilding, civic participation, environmental conservation, and human rights. By using participatory methods such as theatre, radio talk shows, and public forums, QPI fosters community-driven conversations that challenge harmful norms and promote informed decision-making.

Mentorship Program at Ngaremara Boys Secondary School

Environmental Conservation Queen of Peace Initiative recognizes the critical link between environmental degradation, climate injustice, conflict, and the vulnerability of pastoralist communities in northern Kenya. QPI works with local groups—particularly women and youth—to promote the sustainable management of natural resources and restore degraded ecosystems through its Environmental Conservation program. The organization conducts awareness campaigns on climate change, water conservation, and biodiversity protection, using culturally rooted messaging to encourage stewardship of the environment.

Community members are engaged in activities such as tree planting, clean-up exercises, and reforestation of degraded lands, especially in areas affected by overgrazing and prolonged droughts. The program also trains indigenous women on traditional ecological knowledge and climate adaptation strategies, helping to strengthen local resilience to climate shocks. QPI addresses resource-based conflicts and advocates for policies that protect both people and ecosystems by incorporating peacebuilding into environmental action. The initiative aligns its work with Kenya’s national climate goals and global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that environmental justice is part of its broader mission of peace and equity.

Tree planting and environmental conservation

Women's Rights Advocacy Queen of Peace Initiative is a strong advocate for the rights and dignity of women and girls, particularly in marginalized pastoralist communities. Through its Women’s Rights Advocacy program, the organization works to challenge deeply entrenched gender inequalities and harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), early and forced marriage, and gender-based violence (GBV). QPI conducts legal literacy sessions, public awareness forums, and community dialogues aimed at shifting attitudes and promoting respect for women's and girls' rights.

The organization empowers women to understand and assert their rights by training them on the Kenyan Constitution, human rights frameworks, and gender-responsive policies. It also builds the capacity of local leaders, traditional elders, and male champions to become allies in the fight against discrimination and violence. Survivors of GBV are supported through safe referral pathways, psychosocial care, and access to justice mechanisms. QPI strengthens their voice in community decision-making and policy advocacy, contributing to long-term social transformation by creating safe spaces for women to speak out and organize.

Women's right advocacy program

Indigenous Women’s Governance and Leadership The Indigenous Women’s Governance and Leadership Program is a flagship initiative of Queen of Peace Initiative that aims to enhance the visibility, voice, and influence of indigenous women in decision-making processes at both community and institutional levels. Rooted in the recognition that pastoralist women in northern Kenya face intersecting forms of marginalization, based on gender, ethnicity, and geographic location, this program seeks to dismantle systemic barriers that hinder their participation in leadership and governance. QPI provides structured mentorship, leadership training, and civic education workshops tailored to the unique context of indigenous women. These sessions cover topics such as public speaking, negotiation, leadership ethics, policy engagement, and traditional governance systems. The program also fosters intergenerational learning, connecting emerging young leaders with experienced women leaders and elders to build confidence, knowledge, and solidarity.

In collaboration with community elders, local government, and civil society, QPI advocates for inclusive governance that reflects the needs and aspirations of women. It promotes the integration of women into peace committees, resource management boards, school boards, and traditional councils, spaces where their presence has historically been minimal or excluded altogether. Through this work, the initiative contributes to more representative, equitable, and responsive governance structures in pastoralist and conflict-prone areas.

Empowering Local Women

Impact Queen of Peace Initiative has mobilized over 140 community groups, including women’s groups, youth associations, cultural elders, peace committees, and savings cooperatives, into broader, interconnected peace and development networks across Isiolo County and neighboring regions. These groups, many of which were initially isolated and working independently, have been brought together through structured dialogues, joint trainings, and shared action plans that foster collaboration and mutual support. By facilitating these connections, QPI has created platforms for collective problem-solving, joint advocacy, and peer learning, enabling communities to address shared challenges such as resource-based conflict, gender inequality, economic marginalization, and climate stress. These networks serve as a vital infrastructure for grassroots peacebuilding and community resilience, promoting coordinated responses to conflict early warnings, environmental crises, and social injustices. The initiative has not only strengthened local ownership of peace efforts but also amplified community voices in engaging with county governments, development agencies, and national policy forums.

Engaged more than 500 students through mentorship and awareness programs. Worked in partnership with organizations such as USAID, UN Women, and the United States Institute of Peace to promote peace, gender equality, and climate resilience, and worked closely also with climate organizations such as Climate Justice Resilience Fund In October 2024, the organization was honored with an award in the Women, Peace and Security: Partnering for Peace workshop hosted by the United States Institute of Peace.

Media and Recognition Queen of Peace Initiative's work has been profiled in various forums, including a video spotlight on its peacebuilding efforts: Community Women Leading Peacebuilding in Kenya – YouTube

See Also Women, Peace, and Security Climate justice in Africa Peacebuilding in pastoralist communities Indigenous women’s rights in Kenya

External Links Official website YouTube profile video