Weekend Blessings for Children at ETCO
Monday was coming — uniforms pressed, pencils counted, the small anxieties of a new term — but Saturday still belonged to laughter at ETCO.
We set the pots, filled cups, and watched children line up with the patience you learn when food is shared, not guaranteed. Some stood on tiptoe to see what was cooking; others teased each other until a volunteer called the next table forward.
Most of these children travel to schools far from Nyayo Highrise. Holidays are when we get the long hours — the meals, the games, the conversations that do not fit into a rushed evening after homework.
That steadiness happens because people show up every weekend with rice, beans, time, and M-PESA when the budget runs thin. Special thanks to The Capital Whiskey Club for helping keep the fire lit.
Want to sponsor a Saturday lunch or bring a skill session before the next term break? Message us at etco-kenya.org — we will tell you what we are cooking and how many bowls we need.
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.