Feed A Kid
Every Saturday, our Children Empowerment Programme fills the compound — at least 200 young people between nine and nineteen — with games, questions, and the low murmur of teenagers pretending they are not listening.
The gate opens to a chorus of greetings — “mzungu” jokes, shy handshakes, someone’s little brother dragging a plastic sandal. By nine, the yard is a patchwork of ages and attitudes, all of them hungry for something more than food.
Facilitators know the drill: start with respect, end with truth. A child who will not look at you in minute one sometimes asks a question in minute forty that breaks your heart cleanly.
We invite different facilitators each week: someone to speak about health, someone about anger, someone who simply tells the truth about failing exams and standing up again.
Then there is food. For many children, school used to carry the only sure meal of the day; when public schools in Nairobi County lack a food budget, weekends become a long bridge.
We learned that some children eat once daily — sometimes only what we cook on Saturday — and we refuse to treat that as normal. Gathering them is not babysitting; it is a fence against peer pressure, early pregnancy, substance abuse, and the small crimes born of empty hours.
Starting in Kibera, reaching outward
We began here, in Kibera’s noise and generosity, and we plan to adapt the model for other informal settlements — same honesty, local leaders, local menus. Partner with us for ingredients, transport, or a facilitator’s stipend; you will see the receipts in full bowls and fuller voices.
When schools reopen fully, we will still be here — because Saturdays were never a stopgap; they are a rhythm. Help us keep the sufuria deep enough for every child who comes back.
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.