Stories of Progress
Sacrificing for Success: A Tribute to Tabitha FestoWith $26, a personal sacrifice, and a fierce commitment to serving her community, Tabitha Festo, a Kiberan nurse, laid the foundation for CFK in 2000 when she opened a 24/7 clinic attached to her home.- Championing Affordable Access to Quality HealthcareThe daughter of the late CFK co-founder Tabitha Festo, Joy Barnice Henry is committed to upholding Tabitha's legacy and championing affordable healthcare through the same clinic her mother started in 2001.
- Expanding Access to Education in Kibera and BeyondA bright kid with a passion for service, Joshua Omweno received an Angaza scholarship in 2011. Six years later, he began leading the very same program that had given him the opportunity to pursue higher education.
- Creating Global AmbassadorsIn 1999, CFK co-founder, Rye Barcott, walked into Jennifer Coffman’s office with a drive to make a difference. Neither of them knew that their conversation would lay the foundation for CFK a few years later.
- Three Fundraisers, One Common GoalFrom running one mile per day to writing a memoir to establishing and raising money for a program, three of our supporters, each from a different country, adopted creative approaches to fundraising.
- The Power of Positive Communication During the COVID-19 PandemicMitigating the COVID-19 pandemic requires community buy-in and cooperation. Positive communication strategies can help and are a critical part of an effective response.
- On the Ground: Young People Perform Vital Work on the Frontlines of COVID-19 Response in KiberaYoung people in Kibera are creative, innovative, and energetic and have devised ways to ensure continued health and education services in Kibera during the pandemic.
- Thinking Beyond Education to Empower CommunitiesGrowing up in Kibera, Board Member, Dickson Omondi, developed an appreciation for development work and an in-depth understanding of the complex challenges facing his community.
- Improving Healthcare & Serving HumanityWorking across four different health facilities has its challenges, but our Primary Healthcare Manager, Eddah Ogogo, has learned how to manage diverse groups and implement effective individualized approaches.
- CFK Healthcare Staff Featured as Frontline HeroesWhile the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create new healthcare challenges and exacerbate existing ones, CFK staff are on the frontlines continuing to provide quality healthcare and support the Kibera community.
- COVID-19 Response: Healthcare FacilitiesAt CFK, we are taking action to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic in Kibera while continuing to maintain critical healthcare services. CFK Primary Healthcare Manager, Eddah Ogogo, summarizes CFK's response.
- COVID-19 Response: Girls EmpowermentEmergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic compound existing inequalities, and women and girls often suffer the most. CFK Partnerships Manager, Ann Kungu, discusses how CFK continues to support women and girls.
- COVID-19 Response: Youth Education & LivelihoodsCOVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges faced by youth in Kibera, but CFK is continuing to provide support. CFK Education & Livelihoods Program Coordinator, Jeffrey Okoro, summarizes our response.
- Transforming EducationJeffrey Okoro is a model for how education can transform a life, and his Best Schools Initiative (BSI) embodies CFK's research platform and participatory development approach.
- Summer 2020 Fellows & Interns Tackle Projects Remotely This SummerDespite the coronavirus, CFK is engaging with young researchers in a remote capacity during the summer of 2020. Introducing this year's fellows and interns.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – COVID 19 ResponseCFK Community Health Volunteers Clinic staff received training from the CDC are putting that training to work debunking myths and promoting positive hygiene education throughout the community during COVID-19.
- CFK’s Faces of Brighter Futures | Eunice’s StoryEunice, a teenage mother and participant of CFK's Girls Empowerment Program, shares her reborn aspirations of taking journalism classes after she passes the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
- Celebrating the First Baby of Tabitha Maternity CenterMaternity care in Kibera can be challenging, but the Tabitha Maternity Center welcomed its first baby, Ivan, into the CFK family in September 2019 by offering quality care.
- Leave Only Footprints. Create Only Impact.Jaihind Sumal grew up in Nairobi and wrote a memoir, Leave Only Footprints: Indian Migrants in Kenya, about his experiences. He is currently donating 100% of the book's proceeds to CFK.
- The Stories of KiberaGuest writer, photographer, and Nairobi native, Janvika Shah, joined our content collection team this summer to help capture some of CFK’s inspiring Stories of Progress.
- Peter’s Journey to a Brighter FuturePeter Opiyo found CFK in 2006 and became the first member of his family to graduate from university. He studied Civil Engineering and hopes to use his degree to "making Africa and ultimately the world a better place."
- The Beginning of a Dream, Lencer’s StoryLencer Akinyi Onyancha understands the reality of unemployment all too well. She shares her story of navigating Kibera as a mother and a mentor working toward her dream career as a Computer Technician.
- To Enjoy the Pursuit of the DreamVelma began her journey with CFK as a single mother with little family support and no career. Now, she feels that she is “finally on the path [she has] always wanted," after finding a job with a local insurance agency.
- Inspiring and Tenacious – These are the Mothers of KiberaMotherhood can be filled with bliss, but it can also bring about traumatic consequences. Three mothers in Kibera share how they have overcome adversity for the betterment of themselves and their growing families.
- #KaribuKenya – The True Spirit of Community DevelopmentSocial work student, Ashley Coleman, joined CFK as a Peacock Fellow during the summer of 2018. She reflects on her experiences and what they taught her about community development.
- Community Development is a Way of LifeAnna Degrauw supported CFK's Binti Pamoja Centre during her time as a 2018 Peacock Fellow. She discusses what she learned about the "strength of the community in Kibera."
- Swapping My Stethoscope for SpreadsheetsAs a first-year medical student, Michelle Ikoma supported CFK's nutrition team during her time as a Peacock Fellow in Kibera. She reflects on the importance of both business in medicine in the healthcare field.
