World Rivers Day 2 - Mathare
Morning light finds Mathare the way it always does — thin in the alleys, bright on the tin, voices carrying across River Line. On day two of World Rivers Day, we came for another learning experience: to stand with the community in Mathare and along River Line, where the river’s story is written in both water and worry.
The day was full — events stacked beside events — and the real currency was transfer of knowledge and information. Not noise for noise’s sake, but questions surfacing where they usually stay quiet: what a healthy bank looks like, what dumping costs a neighbour, what “restoration” can mean when people already live metres from the edge.
We listened as much as we spoke. That is what a river day should be — a two-way current. We left with notebooks heavier and hearts a little lighter, because shared information is a kind of respect.
If you are in Mathare or River Line and want to partner on the next river gathering, contact ETCO — we are stronger when the story is told from both the settlement and the shoreline.
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.