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

5 June, 2026 ENAF Communications

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 Communications

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.

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

11 May, 2026 ENAF Communications

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 ENAF Communications

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.

Kuza Jamii

Thriving Beyond Physical Challenges Through Family Unity

27 March, 2026 ENAF Communications

Thriving Beyond Physical Challenges Through Family Unity

“If the tea was pouring over or the baby was crying, a man in our community would never have stepped in if the woman was not there. Today, that has changed. I can stay at my shop until late because I know my home is taken care of by my husband and my children. We are finally united as a family. My husband broke long standing cultural norms to build my shop as an extension of our home so I can work safely. Even my children and their spouses have learned to share the household chores, ensuring that our progress is something the whole family owns together.”

Veronica’s journey with the Echami Business Group highlights how Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) creates intergenerational resilience through its GESI centred approach within the Kuza Jamii project. By applying the Happy Family Tree framework, ENAF helps families identify household governance as the key to ensuring that domestic resources reach their intended goals. Working in partnership with Village Enterprise, GENCAD International, Smart Regional Consultants (SRC), and CHASP Advisory, this approach proves that when the burden of care is shared, entrepreneurs can thrive regardless of physical challenges.

Across the Kuza Jamii initiative, ENAF has reached a total of 31,985 participants with GESI messaging. This partnership, supported by UK International Development and the Government of Kenya, ensures that the next generation values inclusion as a cornerstone of community strength.

Kuza Jamii

From Domestic Isolation to Entrepreneurial Success: Loljuk’s Journey

25 March, 2026 ENAF Communications

From Domestic Isolation to Entrepreneurial Success: Loljuk’s Journey

“There was a time when my culture drew a line I could not cross; my duties were confined to the house, and the idea of running a shop was a world away. Today, that line has faded. My husband now shares the weight of our home, feeding our child so that I can lead our business. This is the Happy Family we were taught to build. Before we started these lessons, I felt I was working in isolation, carrying the entire weight of our survival on my back. Now, I stand with the Atalakaros Business Group knowing that my success at the shop is supported by a partner at home. We no longer see the shop as just my work, but as our family’s future, and that unity has given us a stability we never thought possible.”

Loljuk’s success is a profound indicator of how GESI is being integrated into the fabric of daily life through the leadership of Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) within the Kuza Jamii project. By moving beyond traditional economic aid, ENAF addresses the core of household decision-making to dismantle cultural barriers that often limit women’s economic empowerment. In collaboration with Village Enterprise, GENCAD International, Smart Regional Consultants (SRC), and CHASP Advisory, ENAF uses participatory learning to ensure that men and women work as equal partners in their enterprises. This collective approach allows families to build resilient livelihoods that move beyond a total reliance on unpredictable factors like livestock trades.

Kuza Jamii

How Collaborative Planning is Securing the Future for Akuwam’s Family

24 March, 2026 ENAF Communications

How Collaborative Planning is Securing the Future for Akuwam’s Family

“Together, as a family, we sit down with my wife and our children to discuss everything that happens in our home. I used to manage our affairs alone, but I have learned that a home without a woman’s voice is like a tree without roots. Now, we plan our finances and our children’s education together. In my family, we have seen the fruit of unity. Our home is more stable, our children are staying in school, and we are no longer at the mercy of the weather alone. We have found a new way to live that values every member of our household.”

Akuwam’s experience with the Ngamanat VSLA in Isiolo captures the essence of the community forums held throughout the Kuza Jamii ASAL counties.

Echo Network Africa (ENAF) leads the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) agenda within the Kuza Jamii project by deploying the Happy Family Tree as a diagnostic tool to help participants reflect on and address deep seated gender biases. Working in partnership with Village Enterprise, GENCAD International, Smart Regional Consultants (SRC), and CHASP Advisory, ENAF ensures that men like Akuwam gain the practical skills needed to transform household governance into a collaborative partnership. This joint effort empowers every family member to contribute to a shared vision, moving the entire community toward a more equitable and sustainable future.

Mothers & Babies Behind Bars

Mothers & Babies Behind Bars: Safeguarding the Rights of Children in the Justice System

19 February, 2026 ENAF Communications

Mothers & Babies Behind Bars: Safeguarding the Rights of Children in the Justice System

Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF) has launched a strategic intervention to address the developmental crisis facing children who, due to their mothers’ legal status, are growing up within Kenya’s correctional facilities. In alignment with global human rights standards, the initiative ensures that infants under the age of four do not serve an unearned sentence alongside their parents.

While Kenyan law allows infants to remain with their incarcerated mothers, prison environments were built for punishment rather than development. These children often live in concrete cells with limited access to sunlight and specialised nutrition. ENAF’s programme bridges this gap through a “Triple-Impact” model targeting the child, the mother, and the prison staff.

A Catalyst for Systemic Change

Dr Jennifer Riria, President and CEO of ENAF, emphasised the organisation’s role as a catalyst for development. She noted that approximately 300 to 400 children are currently living in prisons across the country. Many spend their most formative years without basic childhood experiences, such as tasting fresh fruit. “A child should not serve their mother’s sentence,” she stated, urging stakeholders to provide these families with a second chance.

Dr Margaret Mutuma, Director at State Department for Correctional Services at the Mothers & Babies Behind Bars Programme Launch

The technical complexity of this mission is underscored by a strategic partnership with the State Department for Correctional Services (SDCS). Dr Margaret Mutuma, Director at SDCS, reported that while 12 “model” daycares have been established, 32 of Kenya’s 44 women’s prisons still lack even basic makeshift facilities for children. The initiative prioritises regions with high incarceration rates for survival-related offences, such as petty theft or illegal brewing, where young mothers and their children are most isolated from support.

ENAF’s Strategic Interventions

The ENAF programme moves beyond general support to provide targeted, resource-backed interventions designed to restore dignity and foster development:

Dignity: Providing “Dignity Packs” containing essential hygiene items such as soap, sanitary towels, and innerwear to restore a mother’s self-worth and health.
Development: Creating “Children’s Packs” with nutrient-dense weaning foods, diapers, and warm clothing to protect infant health.
The Legacy Project: Building prison creches – dedicated, safe, and colourful spaces for early childhood development that allow children to learn and play away from the main cells.
Sensitisation: Transforming the prison environment through gender-responsive training for staff to encourage empathy and child-friendly practices.

The Power of Shared Responsibility

This mission requires a unified response from the state, civil society, and the private sector. By working together, stakeholders can ensure that the “unseen sentences” of these children are lifted, providing them with the sunlight and safety they deserve. The goal is to reach “forgotten” prisons like Wundanyi and Siaya, ensuring no child is left behind due to geographical isolation.

Call to Action: Support the Journey

We invite you to be part of this transformative movement. Your support, whether through financial contributions, corporate partnerships, or in-kind donations of outgrown children’s clothes and toys, is a direct investment in a child’s health and a mother’s dignity.

Fund a Dignity Pack (KES 1,000): Provide essential hygiene and health items for one mother.
Sponsor a Children’s Pack (KES 50,000 per prison): Deliver nutrient-dense food, diapers, and warm clothing to infants.
Corporate Partnerships: We are seeking CSR partners to fund the construction and equipping of the Legacy Project creches.

Contact Us to Support:

For more information on how you can contribute or partner with us, please reach out to the Echo Network Africa Foundation team at info@enafrica.org or visit our offices at Muchai Drive, off Ngong Road.

Donations can be made via:

Lipa na Mpesa Paybill: 972800 Account Name: Mother & Baby

Let us walk these children out of the shadows, together.

Girls Excel

Beyond the Textbook: How Mobile Labs are Igniting STEM Aspirations

11 February, 2026 ENAF Communications

Beyond the Textbook: How Mobile Labs are Igniting STEM Aspirations

At Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), we believe that a girl’s potential should never be limited by her infrastructure. For many students in rural Kenya, Science was once a theoretical dream. It was a subject taught from textbooks without the tools to bring it to life.

In celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are sharing the findings from our latest impact assessment. While ENAF has already delivered mobile laboratories to 16 schools across 14 counties, our team recently conducted a field visit to beneficiary schools in Murang’a, Makueni, Kilifi, and Tana River to evaluate the transformation firsthand. The evidence is clear:

when you give a girl the tools to experiment, you give her the confidence to lead.

From Improvised Tools to Real Discovery

Before the arrival of the ENAF Mobile Science Labs, teachers often had to improvise using locally available materials. In some instances, they were forced to cut plastic water bottles to act as beakers for classroom experiments. Today, that narrative has changed.

Our latest monitoring visit confirmed that teachers have moved from “dry practicals” to consistent, weekly laboratory sessions. The impact on the learners has been immediate and profound. As one student shared:

It’s made me come to school daily. I can touch these test tubes and the tripod stand live!

Proven Results: A Data-Driven Success

Our commitment to accountability ensures that every intervention is tracked for measurable success. The Field Monitoring and Evaluation Report from our January 2026 visit revealed a significant shift in academic performance and student well-being:

Academic Excellence: At Mung’etheele Primary School, top scores in Integrated Science (EE1) rose from zero to four in just one term following the lab’s delivery.
Increased Retention: At Tunzanani Primary School, school dropouts fell from three to one in 2025. Teachers attribute this to increased student motivation and the provision of ENAF Dignity Packs, which ensure girls do not miss school during menstruation.
Inspiring Careers: We observed a significant shift in career aspirations. Students who previously aspired to teach English are now choosing STEM pathways with the goal of becoming doctors and integrated science teachers.
Inclusive Learning: The report verified that learners with disabilities (PWDs) have particularly benefited from the engaging, hands-on nature of the mobile laboratories.

A Hub for Regional Innovation

The impact of these laboratories extends beyond the individual beneficiary schools. Neighbouring institutions have begun requesting permission to use the facilities, effectively turning these schools into regional hubs for practical STEM learning. The monitoring visit verified that the laboratories remain in excellent condition and are handled with immense pride by the local communities.

Join the STEM Revolution

While we celebrate these milestones, our journey is just beginning. Success is proven and the impact is visible. However, thousands of girls across the country still lack access to the tools they need to lead the scientific revolutions of tomorrow.

Our mobile laboratories have already transformed STEM learning in 16 schools across 14 counties, but we need more support to scale this impact across the entire country. Help us ensure that every girl in Kenya has the opportunity to engage in STEM and touch her own future.

Watch the full documentary below to see the impact in action:

Organizational News Women's Leadership, Political Participation & Governance

A Safe Kenya is Good for All: Press Statement by the Women of Kenya

30 January, 2026 ENAF Communications

A Safe Kenya is Good for All: Press Statement by the Women of Kenya

Kenyan women, under the auspices of Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), the African Women Leadership Network (AWLN-Kenya) Chapter, and the Democracy Trust Fund (DTF), have issued a collective call for national security, education reform, and urgent action against gender-based violence.

Defending Sacred Spaces and National Security

The women of Kenya decry the worsening state of security and condemn those perpetrating violence. A primary concern raised is the recent disregard for civility evidenced by the teargassing and firing of bullets at worshippers in a church. The statement reminds the nation that places of worship are sacred spaces where women, children, and persons with disabilities find solace. Duty bearers, including law enforcement officers, the NCIC, and the ODPP, are urged to show more vigilance and sincerity in tackling violence and prosecuting perpetrators in strict adherence to the rule of law.

Addressing the Crisis in Education

Deep concerns were raised regarding the mishandling of Competence-Based Education (CBE). Issues highlighted include low transition rates from Junior to Senior School, chaotic placement processes from Grade 9 to Grade 10, and the high cost of education.

To address these challenges, the women of Kenya propose that all bursaries be consolidated into one basket to manage the financial and infrastructural crisis. The statement also commends the resilience and kindness shown by the community, such as the women from Kiboi Market in Kisii who raised over Ksh 80,000 to take an orphan girl to school, dismantling the myth that women are their own enemies.

Declaring GBV a National Disaster

The statement welcomes the report and recommendations of the Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide led by Dr. Nancy Baraza. The women of Kenya support the recommendation that H.E. the President urgently proclaim GBV as a national disaster. They commit to supporting the full implementation of these recommendations and standing behind the President in the war against GBV and technology-facilitated violence.

Conclusion

The women of Kenya conclude by committing to create safe spaces for intergenerational conversations to enhance national cohesion and mentorship. A safe and growing Kenya is good for all.

Press Statement – ENAF, DTF, AWLN – A Safe Kenya For All Download

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