Successful Weekend again
Steam lifted from the serving dish and disappeared into the cool air around the ETCO office — the kind of Saturday smell that makes stomachs answer before words do. Volunteers moved in a practiced rhythm: pots, plates, laughter, someone calling a child by name so they did not miss their turn.
The children’s feeding programme is simple on paper and intricate in person. You ladle stew, you watch a shy grin appear, you hear a story about school, football, a little brother at home. A meal fills a stomach; the minutes around it steady a whole afternoon.
Someone always tries to sneak an extra chapati to a toddler; someone else keeps order so the line stays fair. Spills happen — quick mops, teasing, no shame. By the time plates stack high in the wash basin, the office has stopped feeling like “work” and started feeling like a yard where neighbours belong.
No one left claiming a miracle — just full bowls, shared benches, and the quiet proof that kindness scales when people show up. If you want next weekend to feel the same, bring your hands: we always need another person to wash plates or keep the queue kind.
Weekends like this also remind us why we keep donor receipts straight and why we thank people by name when we can. Food runs on trust — the trust of a child who returns next week, and the trust of someone who sent KSh and wants to know it became lunch, not paperwork.
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.