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Organizational News

Community Honors Dr. Jennifer Riria by Naming Major Street After Her

11 June, 2026

Community Honors Dr. Jennifer Riria by Naming Major Street After Her

Residents of a village in Meru county unanimously agreed to honor one of their daughters, Dr Jennifer Riria by naming the only street leading to the populous shopping Centre in her name.

To mark this landmark decision, the community erected a sign post with the name of Dr Riria prominently displayed for all to see. The recognition was yet another reminder that service to humanity is service to God.

We at Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) congratulate Dr Riria for this amazing recognition.

Blue Economy & Climate Action

Kilifi Women Lead Mangrove Restoration and Beach Clean-Up for World Environment Day

5 June, 2026

Kilifi Women Lead Mangrove Restoration and Beach Clean-Up for World Environment Day

To mark World Environment Day, Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) translated global climate goals into tangible community action today by joining forces with local grassroots networks to plant 1,000 mangrove seedlings and conduct a massive beach clean-up across the vital Mida Creek ecosystem.

The successful field deployment, driven by ENAF’s Blue Economy and Climate Action Initiative, was executed in close partnership with the Jivunie Vi Smart (JIVIS) CBO, one of ENAF’s key Local Implementing Partners in Kilifi. The entire exercise was spearheaded directly by local custodians, including Mida Creek Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chair Maulid Ngana, Community Forest Association (CFA) Chair Twahir Kiraga, and Dabaso Mwanzo Mpya Group Leader Beatrice Ngundi, who mobilized local women’s groups to lead the restoration.

For the women of Kilifi, wading into the tidal mud to secure these seedlings is a matter of household survival. Many of these women are active actors in mariculture and coastal economies, depending directly on a healthy creek for their daily income and family well-being. By restoring the mangrove canopy, the community is actively protecting critical fish breeding grounds, reversing coastal erosion, and building long-term climate resilience against severe environmental shocks.

Parallel to the planting, the community-led beach clean-up tackled local sanitation and public health, proving that environmental protection and community health go hand in hand. By matching local leadership with institutional backing, this initiative stands as a prime example of how grassroots partnerships can turn climate policy into immediate, life-changing economic and ecological benefits.

Girls Excel

ENAF and Malaysian High Commission Unveil 18th Mobile Science Lab at Kibera Primary School on Menstrual Hygiene Day

28 May, 2026

ENAF and Malaysian High Commission Unveil 18th Mobile Science Lab at Kibera Primary School on Menstrual Hygiene Day

To mark global Menstrual Hygiene Day under the theme “Together for a period friendly world,” Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), through the generous giving of the Malaysian High Commission, officially handed over its 18th Mobile Science Laboratory countrywide at Kibera Primary School.

The deployment expands ENAF’s national educational footprint across 18 under-resourced schools in 14 counties, with Nairobi proudly joining the initiative. To ensure equity, beneficiary schools span regions from Murang’a and Kilifi to Marsabit and Busia, ensuring quality STEM access is never limited by geography or economic status.

Speaking at the launch, ENAF President & CEO Dr. Jennifer Riria highlighted the link between infrastructure and dignity under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). “Access to practical science infrastructure through these mobile laboratories is absolutely essential to ignite innovation,” Dr. Riria stated. “However, institutional investments in STEM must be protected by investments in human dignity. A girl cannot utilize a state of the art laboratory if period poverty or social stigma forces her to stay at home.”

Through the Girls Excel Initiative, ENAF pairs STEM access with dignity support. In the current intervention quarter alone, ENAF has distributed 7,678 dignity kits containing sanitary towels to 3,855 girls, directly combating school absenteeism.

This milestone represents the second mobile lab delivered in partnership with the Malaysian High Commission, following their sponsorship of a lab for the Ngala School for the Deaf in Nakuru County. Emphasizing the power of collective philanthropy, Dr. Riria invited corporate partners and policymakers to co-invest in digital connectivity and mentorship networks to sustain learners’ scientific curiosity into lifelong careers.

Financial Inclusion YISA

How a Single Interest-Free Loan Changed Addline’s Life

11 May, 2026

How a Single Interest-Free Loan Changed Addline’s Life

For 28-year-old Addline Atieno, the shoreline of Sindo was once a place where she worked for others, possessing the ambition for ownership but lacking the necessary capital to break free. Despite having a deep knowledge of the local fish trade, she remained an employee, stunted by the high cost of entry into the market.


“Before, I was working as a casual employee for someone else, where I learned the basics of fish handling and customer service” Addline reflects. “I had acquired the skills to fry and sell fish, but I needed the capital to start my own business and manage it professionally.”


Addline is a member of the Omoyo Entrepreneurship Self-Help Group, a collective of 17 women and 3 men based at Sindo Gateway. Before external support reached them, the group’s financial options were dire; they were often forced to rely on shylocks charging an exorbitant 10% daily interest. This cycle of debt meant that most earnings were returned as interest, forcing some members to abandon their businesses to work for larger traders for just KES 300 a day.


Through the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA) programme, the trajectory for Addline and her group shifted. She received specialised training in loan management, savings strategies, and business planning, which provided the foundation for her to transition from precarious labour to stable entrepreneurship.


The group eventually accessed a KES 250,000 interest-free Revolving Loan Fund, a tool designed by ENAF to provide a financial safety net for young entrepreneurs. Addline utilised her portion of the fund to launch her own fish-frying business and hotel, moving from the sidelines of the market to the centre of her own enterprise.


Addline did not just use the funds to survive; she used them to pivot. She launched her own fish-frying business, moving from the sidelines of the market to the centre of her own enterprise. The transformation was rapid. Within a few short months, the woman who once took orders was now giving them.


Today, Addline is a thriving employer who has hired three other young women from her community, providing them with the daily wages and dignified work she once sought for herself. Her hotel is now a busy landmark in Sindo where she serves local fishermen and residents.


“When I started, I was working completely alone, struggling to fry even a few kilograms of fish just to get by,” Addline explains. “Today, my business has grown so much that I have employed three young women to work alongside me. We are constantly busy, especially from noon into the afternoon when the fishermen come in to eat. I am proud that I can now pay my staff daily wages and manage a business that serves my entire community”.


Her success stands as a vivid example of how targeted training and inclusive financial support can turn individual potential into community-wide economic stability.


YISA is a partnership program with the Mastercard Foundation and consortium partners led by Farm Africa, designed to revitalise Kenya’s blue economy by integrating young people into high-value aquatic trade. Within this collaborative framework, Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) focuses on the socio-economic elevation of young women. ENAF’s role is to facilitate the transition from precarious labour to stable entrepreneurship by providing specialized training in loan management and savings strategies.

Blue Economy & Climate Action

From the Shadows of Exploitation to the Forefront of Community Leadership at Omena Beach

8 May, 2026

From the Shadows of Exploitation to the Forefront of Community Leadership at Omena Beach

“I am no longer afraid. I can now speak out and report any form of abuse. I know my rights.”

For Edna Obwory Khomo, a 33-year-old fish monger at Omena Beach, these words mark the end of a period defined by silence and uncertainty. Before the intervention of Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), Edna’s life was a daily struggle against both economic instability and systemic exploitation. Today, she has transitioned from a fearful trader into a confident, diversified entrepreneur and a vocal advocate for women’s rights at Omena Beach in Busia County.

This transformation highlights the success of the ENAF Aqua-Enterprise Program in addressing the barriers facing women in fishing communities: financial illiteracy, nutritional insecurity, and gender-based violence (GBV). By moving beyond simple aid and focusing on group formalization and skill acquisition, ENAF has empowered Edna to reclaim her dignity and secure her family’s future.

Before ENAF stepped in, Edna’s business was dictated by guesswork. Without formal records, she was unable to distinguish between profit and loss, often mixing her business capital with household expenses. This financial vulnerability was compounded by a predatory environment at the beach, where female traders often faced pressure to engage in inappropriate relationships with boat owners just to access fish. Powerless and lacking the confidence to speak out, Edna navigated a workspace that felt fundamentally unsafe.

Edna at her place of work, drying “Omena” – Silver ciprinid and “Ochonga” at Omena Beach

The turning point occurred when ENAF, through her Local Implementing Partner in Busia, SABCO CBO, identified an informal “merry-go-round” savings group that Edna was part of and enrolled them in a comprehensive economic and social strengthening program. ENAF did not just build the capacity of the group through training, but supported formalization of the “Achievers Young Women Group,” through constitution development, and their official registration with the Department of Social Services. This group structuring process positioned Edna and her group members to receive vocational skilling in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, community hygiene and sanitation including hand washing, soap making and sanitation management training, as well as kitchen gardening.

Subsequently, Edna realized drastic reduction of losses when she learnt how to  separate her business money from her domestic funds, therefore maintaining a steady stream of business capital. Now equipped with knowledge and skills to manage a kitchen garden, Edna observed a significant drop in her household food and utilities expenses as she now harvests kale and spinach from her own kitchen garden and produces her own detergent. “Today, I am proud because I can manage my business well and know whether I am making a profit or a loss,” Edna says. Furthermore, the liquid soap she produces has become a secondary income stream, sold to neighbours and fellow traders during the market’s peak hours.

Beyond the balance sheet, the most profound change is Edna’s newfound social status. Once a shy young woman who feared harassment, now serves as a role model within her group, guiding others on record-keeping and reporting gender based violence cases to the Beach Management Unit (BMU) and local authorities. While challenges such as limited expansion capital and market competition remain, Edna is no longer navigating them alone. Her story serves as a blueprint for how targeted interventions can turn a vulnerable trader into a knowledgeable leader, proving that when a woman knows her rights and her worth, an entire community begins to thrive.

Organizational News

A Decade of Transformation: ENAF Celebrates Resilience, Thanksgiving, and Inclusive Impact

30 April, 2026

A Decade of Transformation: ENAF Celebrates Resilience, Thanksgiving, and Inclusive Impact

The Board, Management, and Staff of Echo Network Africa (ENAF), together with tenants of The Jennifer Riria Hub (JRH), held a Prayer and Thanksgiving Day to reflect on God’s goodness and blessings. The prayer day, which was presided over by the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Kenya, Rev. Dr. John Maromba, was held at the JRH and attended by, among others, the Board of Directors of ENAF, H.E. Hon. David Kones, the Deputy Governor of Nakuru, tenants of the JRH, and other invited guests.

The event, themed “A Community That Shows Up,” combined spiritual reflections with tangible action, including a visit to the Holy Family Children’s Home, which hosts over 100 orphaned children. Additionally, the event saw ENAF, in partnership with the Malaysian High Commission, donate a Mobile Laboratory to Ngala School for the Deaf, bringing the number of laboratories donated by ENAF to 17.

H.E. David Kones, Deputy Governor of Nakuru, lauded the model of independence, stating, “This Hub proves that institutions can be financially independent while remaining deeply committed to social good.” Bishop Dr. John Maromba, who broke ground on the project a decade ago, added a charge for integrity, insisting, “Let the walls of this Hub not just be walls of shelter, but walls of values.”

Dr. Jennifer Riria, President and CEO, lauded the event as the manifestation of a dream that refused to die. She noted, “The Jennifer Riria Hub is the cornerstone of our sustainability strategy… ensuring our next decade is built on institutional independence for the women and girls of Africa.” By generating its own revenue, ENAF is now prepared to scale its transformative, home-grown models across the African continent.

ENAF is a Pan-African philanthropic institution that works with like-minded stakeholders to empower, position, and advocate for girls and women in Africa.

Organizational News

ENAF Cares: Supporting 104 Lives at Holy Family Children’s Home

29 April, 2026

ENAF Cares: Supporting 104 Lives at Holy Family Children’s Home

Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) and tenants of The Jennifer Riria Hub today donated food and other supplies to 104 children housed at the Holy Family Children’s Home. The donation specifically targeted 39 infants and toddlers, providing essential baby formula, diapers, clothing, and foodstuff mobilized through a campaign dubbed: ‘A Community That Shows Up’ charity drive.

The initiative was spearheaded by Staff and tenants of The Jennifer Riria Hub, a business Mall that supports the empowerment of girls and women through initiatives implemented by Echo Network Africa Foundation. Located along Kipchoge Keino Road, the Jennifer Riria Hub is an architectural marvel comprising a five-story building that offers spacious, clean, quiet, secure, and reasonably priced spaces for businesses. Currently, the Mall is almost fully occupied with available space standing at less than 30%. All proceeds are ploughed back into supporting program initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for families through targeted empowerment of girls and women.

This outreach to the children’s home was held a day before ENAF’s Thanksgiving Day scheduled for Thursday, 30th April 2026 at the Jennifer Riria Hub. The prayers and thanksgiving ceremony will be presided over by Rev. Dr. John Maromba, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Kenya, and will be attended by various stakeholders, development partners, and government leadership. The event will serve as a reflection on a “Decade of Transformation” and a celebration of the milestones achieved in empowering the women and girls of Africa.

Organizational News

Change of Guard: Honoring the Transformative Era of Dr. Nyambura Koigi and Mrs. Ursula Bahati

24 April, 2026

Change of Guard: Honoring the Transformative Era of Dr. Nyambura Koigi and Mrs. Ursula Bahati

Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) bid goodbye to Dr. Nyambura Koigi and Mrs. Ursula Bahati, who served as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively between 2019 and 2025. In her farewell speech, Dr. Jennifer Riria, President/CEO, commended the two women leaders for their sacrificial service to the girls and women of Kenya. Dr. Riria noted that during the six years of Dr. Nyambura’s leadership, ENAF had witnessed tremendous growth, including expansion to all 47 counties in Kenya and deepened impact.

Dr. Nyambura Koigi (Board Chair: 2019-2025) gets appreciated by Dr. Jennifer Riria
Mrs. Ursula Bahati (Board Vice-Chair: 2019-2025) gets appreciated by Dr. Jennifer Riria

Dr. Nyambura handed the mantle to Ms. Verity Nyagah and Ms. Joyner Okonjo as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. The colorful celebration, held at ENAF offices in Nairobi on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, was attended by both staff and members of the Board of Directors.

Organizational News

Welcoming Susan Nkubitu: New Senior Coordinator – Programs

15 April, 2026

Welcoming Susan Nkubitu: New Senior Coordinator – Programs

Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) is proud to welcome Susan Nkubitu as the Senior Coordinator – Programs, joining the Senior Management Team in April 2026. Susan brings over two decades of expertise in program quality, management and development, with a strong track record of leading high-impact, inclusive initiatives. Her professional background is set to be one of the cornerstones in ENAF’s mission to catalyze the creation of an inclusive society where girls and women, particularly those with disabilities and from marginalized communities, can enjoy their full rights and participate actively in society.

As the 52nd member of our dedicated team, Susan will provide strategic leadership across ENAF’s diverse Programme Centres. In this role, she will be instrumental in shaping program direction and strengthening delivery approaches to ensure sustainable change.

Organizational News

Double Victory for ENAF and Dr. Jennifer Riria at the 8th Edition DIAR Awards

4 April, 2026

Double Victory for ENAF and Dr. Jennifer Riria at the 8th Edition DIAR Awards

Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) and President and CEO, Dr. Jennifer Riria, have been accorded top national honors at the 8th Edition of the National Diversity and Inclusion Awards & Recognition (DIAR Awards) held at the KICC.

In a standout recognition, Dr. Jennifer Riria was honored with the prestigious DIAR Board Leadership Taifa Patron rank, placing Number 1 out of Top 30 Executives. This marks the second time the DIAR Awards have recognized Dr. Riria for her transformative leadership, following her previous recognition for National Diversity and Inclusion. This distinguished honor is reserved for executive leaders who have demonstrated exceptional governance and visionary leadership in shaping Kenya’s future through inclusion, equity, and sustainability.

Further cementing its impact, ENAF was ranked 13th among the DIAR Top 100 Taifa Organizations. This high-level national ranking validates ENAF’s journey as a catalyst for development and its relentless work in dismantling systemic barriers for marginalized groups across all 47 counties.

This dual recognition at the DIAR Awards 8th Edition reinforces ENAF’s position as a national leader in social transformation. With a presence in every county, the foundation remains committed to creating sustainable impact. For Dr. Riria and the entire ENAF team, these awards celebrate a legacy of ensuring that marginalized voices are leading Kenya’s development agenda.

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