Food and Non-Food Donations
In 2020, when the pandemic pressed hard on work that already paid day-to-day, we channelled food and non-food donations to more than 6,000 people across informal settlements — not as statistics, but as neighbours with names we learned at the door.
Queues formed early; the sun climbed; someone brought a baby on a back, someone else leaned on a stick. We moved bags the way you move furniture in a small house — carefully, with apologies when elbows touched.
Non-food mattered as much as maize: soap so hands could be clean without quarrel, pads so girls could stay in class when schools returned, blankets when June cold slid under doors.
Many families lost jobs overnight; savings barely exist when hand-to-mouth is the honest description. With an average of three people per household, a small sack of maize can stretch into a week of ugali — or fail if illness arrives.
Our Community Health Volunteers walked door to door, mapping vulnerability with neighbourly precision — who is elderly, who is feeding grandchildren alone, who cannot queue for hours.
Before any parcel left our hands, we gathered people for a short session — teaching, listening, sometimes sensitising on hygiene or rights. Dignity is not only what you receive; it is being spoken to before you are handed a bag.
How you can help next
To every donor who sent cash, soap, sanitary pads, or a referral — thank you. If you want to give again, we still need bulk staples, baby soap, and funds for logistics. KSh 500 buys more than items; it buys time until a parent finds the next job.
Referrals still help: tell a church, a company CSR desk, a WhatsApp group that remembers Kibera as real houses, not a headline. We will show them the line — and the dignity before the bag.
🎓 ETCO Education Empowerment Program
📚 Holiday Tuition Classes Now in Progress! Give your child the opportunity to learn, grow, and stay academically active throughout the school holiday. Our experienced teachers provide quality guidance in all subjects, helping learners improve their understanding, confidence, and performance. ✅ All Subjects Available ✅ Supportive Learning Environment ✅ Open to Learners of All *High School* Levels
From Participation to Agency: ETCO at the SAIIA Youth Programming Innovation Lab
Last week, ETCO represented Kibra at the SAIIA Youth Programming Innovation Lab in Nairobi — where the real question wasn't youth participation, but youth agency. Here's what that means for our nine programmes, and an honest look at what it takes to build sustainably as a volunteer-run organisation.
Creating Impact, Building a Better Tomorrow
At ETCO, we're committed to creating lasting positive impact by keeping our environment safe and clean while creating meaningful employment opportunities for our communities. Through innovation and strategic partnerships with like-minded stakeholders, we're working together to achieve shared goals that drive sustainable development. We're also conducting a comprehensive economic survey to better understand the project's returns, impact, and scalability—ensuring every step we take is informed, effective, and built for long-term success.