Volunteer Spotlight: Driving more resources to tackle climate change in Kenya with Kenya Climate Ventures

Stephen Itiakorit has over 13 years of academic and professional experience in agriculture, leadership competency, gender development, mentorship, and more. He has had the opportunity to coordinate humanitarian work for national and international programs where he was able to design and develop programs for social inclusion, gender integration, women’s empowerment, climate change, and the environment.

In addition to working in the gender development sector, Stephen also spent time leading a natural resource management team through afforestation and reforestation programs. Through this exposure in the environmental field, Stephen was educated in disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and ecosystem restoration and management.

With his extensive experience in the humanitarian and environment fields, Stephen was confident that volunteering for WUSC as a South-South Volunteer was the next, natural progression in his career.

“All [of my experience] made me feel as though that my placement [with WUSC] was an easy fit.”

– Stephen

Stephen was successfully chosen as a Business Development Advisor to be paired with WUSC’s partner organisation, Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV), located in Nairobi, Kenya. With KCV, he was able to share his strategic fundraising skills; his knowledge on climate change mitigation and ecosystem restoration; his ability to track climate change trends; and more. As a volunteer, Stephen responded to KCV’s need to increase their fundraising capabilities to improve the livelihoods of women and young people across the community by supporting stakeholder consultations and interviews, and conducting climate risk vulnerability assessments and proposals for KCV.

Stephen’s vast experience in fundraising and documentation helped him build trusting relationships with staff at KCV. This trust allowed Stephen to train, mentor, and coach the KCV team and the surrounding community on the importance of understanding climate change and its effects.

This experience as a South-South volunteer not only allowed Stephen to use the skills he’s gained over the course of his career, but also allowed him to have the opportunity to see that his knowledge and skills can make a sustainable and effective impact.  

“My host contact and the WUSC team have not only made this placement enjoyable, but a life-changing experience towards my personal development through tripartite month meetings and monthly volunteer clinics. I am forever grateful and honoured to be part of [WUSC]’s change story in contribution to the triple bottom lens of social impact!”

– Stephen

Stephen’s volunteer assignment was made possible through IGNI+E, a multi-year, multi-country initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada to improve economic opportunities for youth. View our current volunteer opportunities here.