Art: African Cultural Music and Dance
Between stirring pots and wiping tables on Saturdays, something new began to pulse at ETCO: the slap of skin on drum, a tentative foot finding the beat, a chorus of children who usually only hum now trying harmony. With support from Joseph Tako and our board, we bought traditional instruments — tools for teaching African cultural music and dance to young people who already carry rhythm in their bodies, but rarely get structured time to sharpen it.
Culture here is not a museum piece. It is the story families tell while cooking ugali, the songs heard at weddings, the movements older aunties still remember from village days. We want children in Kibera to own that inheritance — to know it is not backward to love your own sound.
Saturdays: food first, then art
Alongside the feeding programme, Grade 6 and above already have free computer lessons; now dance and song join the lineup while younger ones wait for lunch. In Kenya’s CBC classrooms, teachers hunt for evidence of talent — we want parents to see ETCO as a partner in that search, not a rival.
Bring your child to ETCO offices on Saturdays for practice. If you play nyatiti, drums, or anything with strings and patience, we are also looking for volunteer teachers who can stay kind with beginners. Talent grows where time and tools meet — we are trying to supply both.
Project Site Visit by Rotary Club of IPSWICH (USA) and Kikuyu (Kenya)
It was a great and engaging day of partnership and learning as we hosted the International Rotary Club of IPSWICH team, led by Environmental Lawyer Chris and his wife, Jane, Former President of Rotary Club of Kikuyu Hon. George Ngotho and Rotarian Yumbya for a visit to our project implementation sites. The visit provided an opportunity to review the project areas on the ground, discuss implementation priorities, and strengthen our shared commitment to sustainable environmental and community development. We also had the opportunity to visit the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC), where we were hosted by Commissioner Dr. Loice Kipkorir, a member of the Ngong River Committee. We explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration and align our work with the Nairobi Rivers Commission's Restoration Framework.
Community Capacity Building Training
We are currently participating in the ongoing PROVE (Public Space Governance Research, Observation, Validation and Experimentation) Pilot Programme, a four-month initiative by Public Space Networks (PSN) bringing together 11 community groups from Kamukunji and Korogocho. The programme focuses on strengthening community organizations’ capacity to manage, protect and improve public spaces as well as restoring rivers and it's ecosystems. The ongoing capacity-building training is helping CBOs and community organizations better understand the connection between public spaces, river restoration and ecosystem conservation, while exploring practical approaches and stronger collaboration among communities, government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders.
High Level NRC & Development Partners Meeting
Representing the Ngong River Regeneration Network, I'm having the privilege of attending a high-level breakfast meeting convened by the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC) in collaboration with the Kenya Permanent Mission to UN-Habitat. The meeting has brought together Development Partners, Government Agencies, Private Sector representatives, and Community representatives to deliberate on the restoration and sustainable management of Nairobi’s rivers.