Day 2 of 3, KEPRO and PAKPRO Ngong Rivers Clean Up
Day two began with the sound of gumboots on stone — teams fanning out along three Ngong stretches where plastic had braided itself into reeds and glass glittered where children play. KEPRO and PAKPRO worked with ETCO, local authorities, and neighbours to lift waste into piles trucks could actually reach.
Every hour someone hauled a sack heavier than yesterday's excuse. Sweat stung; a supervisor whistled to keep tempo; a woman rinsed her hands in a bottle of water she could not spare.
Between loads, talk turned practical: could this waste earn someone a few honest shillings? Could sorting create jobs instead of fires along the bank? Those questions matter in Kibera, where idle hands are not laziness — they are a shortage of openings.
A county officer wiped mud on his trousers and laughed — not because the work was funny, but because laughter is how bodies forgive themselves for another hour.
By late afternoon the holding points looked almost respectable, which is to say dangerous: respectability invites dumping again unless eyes stay open.
We drank warm soda someone had chilled imperfectly and called it celebration — carbonation rising like small hopes.
Success on day two was not a polished report; it was tired people agreeing to return. If you have ideas — or capital — for small recycling trials along this river, contact us. Cleanup clears the ground; work keeps it clear.
Day three waited upstream — same gloves drying on a line, same stubborn plastic pretending it belongs in a river.
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.
Planning Meeting with PSN - Waste Management Project
Today's ETCO had logistical planning meeting at PSN Office to discuss the upcoming waste management project... Good things take time.