Exciting to have the feeding program
Every Saturday the ETCO compound fills with the ordinary miracle of shared lunch — children first in line, elders leaning on sticks, a few young people hovering between jokes and hunger. Excitement here is not hype; it is the hush before the prayer and the sudden bustle when serving begins.
Donors and volunteers make the pots possible — someone buys greens, someone carries water, someone washes dishes until their hands wrinkle. That chain is fragile and beautiful; break one link and the meal shrinks.
The elderly eat slowly, telling stories younger ones pretend not to hear — then repeat later word for word. Youth hover between appetite and pride, sometimes serving before they sit. Children are the loudest judges: they know exactly who ladles fairly and who tries to skip the line.
If you have been looking for a straightforward way to meet neighbours and feed kids, pick a Saturday and introduce yourself at the gate. We will find a job for willing hands.
Excitement, for our team, sounds like onions hitting hot oil and the first “karibu” when a shy child takes a seat. We feel it because we know what empty Saturday mornings used to look like — and because we refuse to go backwards while donors still answer the phone.
We keep a running list of what a full Saturday costs — vegetables, maize, salt, charcoal, soap — so partners know exactly what their gift becomes. Transparency is part of respect; nobody should have to guess whether help landed in a pot or disappeared into air.
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.