A successful day it is - Sports and children feeding program.
Dust rose at every turn — a child stopping a ball with his chest, another laughing as she missed a pass and chased it into laughter anyway. Soccer at Undugu Grounds is not pristine grass; it is packed earth, scraped knees, and pure stubborn joy, the kind that does not ask for a perfect pitch.
When whistles faded, we walked back toward the ETCO office where rice steamed and stew thickened. Adults and children shared benches, passing plates the way families do — not because we are naive about Kibera’s strains, but because sharing food still builds something sturdy between strangers who just defended the same dusty goal.
Sport loosens the body; a meal steadies it. Together they make a day feel whole — sweat first, then salt, then the slow return of breath. We are proud of everyone who played fair, served patiently, and washed pots when the glamour was gone, because that is where community actually shows.
We invite donors, partners, and sponsors to walk beside us for the next event — not as distant logos, but as people who help buy balls, beans, and the diesel that keeps the kitchen running.
Someone tied torn kitenge into armbands so teams could tell friend from friend in the dust. It looked small until the match tightened and bodies leaned shoulder to shoulder — then you remembered why colour matters in a crowd.
Message ETCO if you want a clear budget line; we will show you where your KSh lands.
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.