**A Season of Hope and Community Love! **
Merry Christmas from Kibera. The season finds us tired sometimes — honest — but still lighting stoves, still answering messages, still believing the next child through the gate matters.
This year you helped us do the unglamorous work that holds a neighbourhood together: outreach when it rained, environmental clean-ups when it was easier to stay home, talent days where a shy singer became brave for three minutes.
We felt your support in practical ways — supplies arriving, strangers becoming friends, messages that said, “We see you.” That kind of solidarity is not decoration; it is fuel.
We are not asking you to picture us perfect. We are asking you to picture us present — black, white, and grey T‑shirts; dust on shoes; M‑PESA confirmations that mean beans tomorrow.
If the holidays are hard for you too, know you are not alone in that. Community is partly built in the uncelebrated weeks — the return visits, the follow‑up calls, the clean‑up after the party.
However you celebrate, carry a little of this place with you: warmth, noise, stubborn hope. And if you can, send a year‑end gift to ETCO so January’s programmes start strong.
We will close the year the way we started it — with work that fits in gumboots and aprons, with gratitude spoken plainly, and with room for one more plate if someone arrives late.
Day 1 Unclogging
Day 1. Today, ETCO in collaboration with the Nairobi Rivers Commission, Phase 3 and Canaan Estate Management, commenced efforts to address the long-standing drainage blockage at the Phase 3 Market Stalls. While this intervention provides a short-term solution to the recurring blockage that frequently causes flooding and related challenges in both Phase 3 and Canaan Estate, as well as inconveniences road users accessing Kibera through Nyayo Highrise Ward via Kibera Access Road, we strongly urge the management of both estates to establish a regular maintenance schedule for the culverts to prevent future clogging. With the anticipated El Niño rains, proactive preparedness is essential to minimize the risk of further property damage, flooding, stormwater-related impacts, and potential loss of life. These ongoing efforts form part of our commitment to protecting the environment, improving drainage systems, and ensuring that rivers and waterways flow freely without obstruction.
Day of an African Child (DAC) - Planning Meeting
Kibera Gender Advocacy Network (KGAN) Meeting at Umande Trust Office to plan for the Day Of an African Child (DAC) on the 16TH June 2026. ETCO is a member organization.
Ngong River Regeneration Network - Zone (1-6)
The Ngong River Regeneration Network Zone Coordinators (Zones 1–6) held a productive meeting with the Commissioners representing the Ngong River, chaired by Commissioner Benjamin Langwen, alongside Commissioners John Kioli and Dr. Loice Jepkemboi Kipkiror, together with Inspector Ashford - NRC Secretariat. The meeting was highly engaging and inspiring, leaving us even more energized and committed to advancing the river restoration agenda. Together, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to not only regenerating our rivers, but also promoting a cleaner environment, encouraging food production through downstream farming, and creating sustainable job opportunities through riverine activities. #NgongRiverRestoration #NairobiRivers #EnvironmentalConservation #RiverRegeneration #ClimateAction #CommunityEmpowerment #GreenJobs