Pamoja Trust’s Civic Engagement Department works to strengthen people-centred organizing and democratic participation by supporting communities to claim their rights and influence decisions that affect their lives. Grounded in our theory of change, the department focuses on building both political power and social capital within communities, enabling them to engage the state and other actors as informed, organized, and active rights-holders.
Our work seeks to reverse entrenched power imbalances by building strong alliances between communities, social movements, Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), civil society actors, and duty-bearers at local, county, national, and international levels. Through this approach, communities move from being affected populations to evidence generators, policy influencers, and accountability actors, advancing human dignity, secure livelihoods, and inclusive development.
At the local level, we support the consolidation of social movement formations that form the backbone of social transformation in urban and rural contexts, particularly around land, housing, public finance, infrastructure development, climate justice, and refugee inclusion.
Our Core Areas of Work
Strengthening Social Movements and Human Rights Defenders
We build the capacity of social movements, HRDs, CBOs, CSOs, and Refugee-Led Organizations through training on advocacy, rule of law, Accountability mechanisms, safety and security, documentation, and resource mobilization. This strengthens community leadership, collective protection, and sustained civic action.
Policy Analysis and Advocacy
We generate and translate community-based evidence into policy analysis, advisory opinions, and simplified materials that inform advocacy at county, national, and international levels. Our work engages emerging and complex policy areas such as land governance, urban inclusion, social safeguards in infrastructure, green energy investments, and access to justice.
Engagement with Duty Bearers
We facilitate structured engagement between communities and key institutions including county governments, land administration authorities, courts, and national oversight bodies. This strengthens accountability, improves compliance with legal and safeguards frameworks, and expands access to remedies.
Budget Advocacy and Social Accountability
We support communities and budget champions to participate meaningfully in public finance processes, including county planning, budgeting, and finance legislation. Through petitions, memoranda, and budget tracking, communities influence resource allocation and oversight in defence of basic services and land tenure security.
Access to Justice and Alternative Justice Systems (AJS)
We promote people-centred justice by strengthening community access to grievance-handling mechanisms, mediation, and Alternative Justice Systems, while also engaging formal justice institutions. This approach enhances timely, accessible, and culturally responsive dispute resolution.
Regional and International Advocacy
We amplify community voices in regional and global spaces by engaging advocacy networks, contributing to international human rights mechanisms, and building strategic partnerships. This ensures local struggles inform broader policy debates on housing, land, climate justice, and corporate accountability.
Our Impact
Through civic engagement, Pamoja Trust supports communities to organize, engage, and influence power ensuring that development processes are inclusive, accountable, and rights-respecting, and that the voices of marginalized groups shape the policies and systems that govern their lives.
