Cold day and sweet warm lunch
Nairobi turned grey and thin; breath showed in the kitchen doorway. We fired the jiko, kept the office warm enough to chop onions without shivering, and stirred pots until the steam fogged the window facing the lane.
Children arrived with jerseys tied at the waist and stories about cold classrooms. We served lunch while programmes ran first — a little learning, a little play — then bowls, spoons, the soft scrape of githeri finished to the last grain.
We love this part: the noise level rising, someone teasing someone else about taking two pieces of meat, a grandmother asking for a little more soup for a shy grandchild.
Bring a skill, not just a cheque
Institutions that can send instructors — art, music, carpentry, coding basics — help children pick up tools we never had at their age. If your company runs volunteer days, propose ETCO; we will schedule around the meal and the weather.
Engaging Children through Feeding Program
Thanks to Chris and Jayne, ETCO had a warm feeding program for children at our new office—bringing joy, a good meal, and community together in Kibera.
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.