Happy for partnerships
Last Saturday, the pots were on early. Steam rose above plastic chairs as children filed in for githeri, greens, and whatever the kitchen could stretch — the ordinary miracle of a meal when the week has been thin.
Spoons scraped metal bowls; a little girl debated whether her neighbour got more beans — small arguments that only happen when bellies are actually full.
ETCO did not do it alone. The Uebert Angel Foundation and The GOOD News stood beside us, ladling and laughing, making sure seconds found the smallest plates first. In Kibera, partnership is not a slogan on a banner; it is someone choosing your queue before their own meeting.
We keep saying thank you because the need does not take a holiday. Each week more families knock; each week we try to answer without turning children away. That rhythm is only possible when friends refuse to drift.
If you have ever shared ugali from one pot with cousins you did not choose, you know what this feels like — crowded, imperfect, and somehow enough for the moment.
A volunteer wiped a child's chin with the edge of her leso; the child giggled, beans stuck to their teeth — the kind of beauty budgets never line-item.
Want to help keep Saturdays honest? Send support through channels we publish on our pages, or volunteer to serve. A bowl of food is a small thing until you are the child receiving it — then it is the whole afternoon.
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.