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.
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.
🎓 ETCO Education Empowerment Program
📚 Holiday Tuition Classes Now in Progress! Give your child the opportunity to learn, grow, and stay academically active throughout the school holiday. Our experienced teachers provide quality guidance in all subjects, helping learners improve their understanding, confidence, and performance. ✅ All Subjects Available ✅ Supportive Learning Environment ✅ Open to Learners of All *High School* Levels
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.