Irene Karanja

Irene Karanja

PHC Window Coordinator, SDG Partnership Platform

Specialist in Co-Creation of Knowledge, Participatory Approaches to Development for Policy Formulation, Program Management, Communication/Advocacy and Business Development

  1. Co-Creation of Knowledge
    Participatory regeneration of new thinking in collaboration with Academia, Development Agencies, Thought Leaders and actual implementers.
    – Currently working on a role that facilitates a mutual partnership that involves curriculum strengthening from knowledge developed from practice. (Strathmore University & PharmAccess Foundation – 2016 – ongoing)
    – Creating Inter-Disciplinary dialogues to shape how Hospital Design is done in East Africa. (Associations in Medicine, AAK & PharmAccess Foundation (2018-ongoing)
    – Coordination of Global and Local Universities to respond to informality challenges in urban areas (See work done with University of California, Berkeley (2010-2014), University College London (2010), University of Nairobi -2006-2014).
  2. Participatory Development for Policy Dialogue
    Since 2002, involved in facilitating and planning up-grades of informal settlements that leveraged more government departments to use participatory urban planning processes a prerequisite to project design, preparation and implementation. I was appointed as Deputy team leader of the advisory team for the development of the Relocation Action Plan for Kibera and Mukuru Slums for the resettlement of 10,000 poor households (2006-2014).
  3. Program Management / Leadership
    In 2010, I served as a founding Executive Director of Muungano Support Trust (MuST), a secretariat of the Slum/Shack Dwellers Federation in Kenya that offers technical support to the federation, where I worked with Private and Public Institutions such as Municipalities and Service utility companies, Philanthropists, Foundations such as the Rockefeller, Ford and Selavip foundations to resource urban poor projects in nine urban areas in Kenya.
  4. Communication / Advocacy
    An enthusiast of persuasive communication for advocacy, influencing mind shifts, building critical mass and knowledge sharing. A social media expert.