The Joy of Life
Joy, at ETCO, often arrives as githeri scooped into a bowl that is not quite big enough — laughter spilling over instead. “Life” here is the act of sharing what you have, whether that is a sack of maize, an afternoon, or a joke that makes a teenager roll their eyes and smile anyway.
A smile will not pay rent; it can still light a dark week. We chase that brightness on purpose — meals together, small memories stacked like plates — because children watch how adults handle scarcity. They learn whether to hoard or to pass the spoon.
Every Saturday we see contented faces — not because life is easy, but because belonging tastes like something. We hope the lessons stick: compassion, empathy, the habit of noticing who is left out. That is how a neighbourhood becomes gentler without pretending it is rich.
We are not naive about scale — one bowl does not fix structural poverty. But habits form in small rooms: a child who learns to wait in line learns to imagine other people’s hunger; a teenager who serves elders learns a different definition of strength than swagger on a corner.
If you want to nurture that kind of joy, fund a meal, mentor a game, or simply show up and learn names. Joy multiplies when it is shared on purpose.
We end where we began: with a table, a prayer if you pray, and the sound of spoons scraping plates — ordinary proof that life here is still full of possibility when people choose each other.
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.