Week 3 Children Feeding Progam
January always pretends to be slow, then suddenly it is not. A few days into 2023 and we are already counting down to the school bell — uniforms pressed, fees argued over at kitchen tables, children pretending they finished holiday homework. At ETCO we are doing what we love: feeding, listening, teasing, praying quietly while the pots boil.
Our “normal” Saturday has hovered around three hundred and fifty children at minimum. This stretch blew past that. We stopped for a head count when the courtyard felt fuller than usual — more than five hundred people, children and adults together, sharing shade and patience.
When the crowd grows, so does the shopping list
That jump is not a brag; it is a budget line. More mouths mean more maize meal, more vegetables, more fuel, more hands washing dishes. We are grateful to every giver whose M-PESA ping or cash bundle makes those extra plates possible — including neighbours who carried sacks when shops felt too far.
When schools reopen, we hope children carry more than full stomachs from our Saturdays — a little courage, a remembered song, a word of encouragement they can hold when the classroom feels too loud. If you gave this month, you were part of that overflow.
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.