Author Archive
From Sandstorms to Soapstone
After a night of less than fitful sleep, our first meeting of the day was with Jim from Smorlat who kindly drove to us first so that we could follow him to their location. I say kindly, because the road was quite unbelievably worse than the day before, with barely any suspension left on the [...]
A storm in a Tea Cup – with a Sausage or a Samosa?
We left Nairobi in the morning to head for Kissii, around 400km South West of the capital. This was my first experience of driving in Kenya, and it’s safe to say that my skills were tested along the way! Our journey took us through some incredible scenery, including a quick stop at a viewpoint to [...]
Standing Shoulder to Shoulder
Visiting Bega Kwa Bega couldn’t have been more different than this morning spent in Nairobi. We headed out to the Kariobangi district, which is a slum very much like the ones where Undugu may find children seeking an education. A slum in photographs or on the TV cannot prepare you for the sights, sounds and [...]
A Bungalow housing brilliant but humble beginnings
Undugu is a Kiswahili word for solidarity and brotherhood. Undugu Society of Kenya, located in Nairobi, addresses the needs of the urban poor, with the goal of defending the rights and welfare of children in special circumstances. Undugu touches thousands of underprivileged Kenyans through small enterprise development, informal skills training, affordable shelter, job creation and health programs. Undugu also provides food, shelter, education and rehabilitation for street children. Undugu works with artisans in Kisii, Turkana, Machakos and Nairobi to market their stone carvings, baskets and other handicrafts.
Crossing Cultures and Realising Dreams
Wow – what a start to our trip! After arriving in Nairobi with Margaret, my colleague at Shared Interest, we were keen to start our visits and meet some of the fair trade businesses we lend to from our head office back in Newcastle. Rachel, who heads up our Kenyan office, picked us up on [...]
Do we have a Common Purpose?
At Shared Interest we believe in developing our people and their capabilities for both the personal and organisational good. Since February, I’ve been lucky enough to be on the Common Purpose Meridian programme. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop as an individual and also to better understand the context that Shared Interest is operating [...]