Dire Flooding situation.
When the sky opens over Kibera, the ground remembers every blocked drain and every plastic bottle tossed aside. Near the Nairobi Dam tributaries and along the Ngong River corridors, water does not stay ‘out there’—it pushes into rooms, under beds, and across paths children use to school.
The torrential downpour lately turned a hard life into an emergency. Households near the river have watched property damage pile on top of daily struggle. Illness travels fast when families cannot stay dry, cannot wash properly, and cannot cook a clean meal in peace.
Homes are damaged. Clothes are gone. Food spoils. Bedding turns heavy with dirty water. Displacement is not only about losing a roof; it is about losing routine—the place you kept school uniforms, the corner you used to pray, the small dignity of a dry floor.
People are not asking for pity; they are asking for basics: something dry to wear, something warm to eat, a place to sleep without wondering if the water will rise again before morning. Urgent aid is not a slogan when a child is coughing through a damp night.
What families need now
We are asking for urgent help: clothes, food, bedding, and basic household goods—simple things that restore dignity when everything else feels swept away. If you can bundle items cleanly and label sizes where possible, it saves time on the ground and gets support to the right home faster.
Bring what you can to ETCO—Empower The Community Office in Soweto East village, Nyayo Highrise Ward, Lang’ata Constituency (maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PvYX6DhrWQMMLQ6J9). Questions: Collince Onyango on +254718783190, or visit www.etco-kenya.org.
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.