When I reflect on my journey this past month, I’m reminded that sometimes the seeds we plant through service bloom in ways we never quite expect.

A Foundation Built on Service
My story with community service began years ago, rooted in a simple belief: that meaningful change starts at the grassroots level. As a conservation biology graduate with a master’s in plant ecology, I’ve always understood the delicate balance between communities and their environment. Understanding theory is one thing—putting it into practice is quite another.

That’s where the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Parklands came into my life. Since my early days as a youth volunteer, I’ve been drawn to organizations that don’t just talk about change, but actively create it. When I took on the role of President at the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Parklands, I knew I wanted to lead projects that would make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

The Mashuru Borehole Project: Where Everything Changed
Our most ambitious project to date has been the borehole drilling initiative in Mashuru, Kajiado. Water scarcity is one of the most pressing challenges facing communities in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions. When we embarked on this project, our goal was straightforward: provide sustainable access to clean water for a community that desperately needed it.

But here’s what I didn’t anticipate: the connections we would forge along the way.

It was through this borehole project that I first encountered Ustawi Global. Initially, they were our partners—the organization that connected us to the Mashuru community and helped us understand the deeper context of the challenges we were addressing. But as we worked together, something remarkable happened. Our shared values became apparent: a commitment to community-driven solutions, sustainable development, and empowering individuals to become agents of change in their own communities.

The Ustawi Global Philosophy
Ustawi Global operates on a philosophy that resonates deeply with my own experiences in conservation and community work. Their mission focuses on regenerative well-being, authentic relationships, and entrepreneurship skills—essentially, creating the conditions for collective flourishing.

What struck me most about their approach is how it mirrors what I’ve learned through Rotary: that sustainable change doesn’t come from imposing solutions from the outside, but from walking alongside communities, understanding their unique challenges, and co-creating pathways forward.

From Partner to Team Member
As our borehole project progressed, my interactions with Ustawi Global deepened. They saw in me not just a project coordinator, but someone who shared their vision and brought complementary expertise to the table—conservation biology, grassroots organizing, and a genuine commitment to community empowerment.

When they approached me about serving as their Kenya Liaison, it felt less like a job offer and more like a natural evolution of work I was already passionate about. My role as Chief Operating Officer at Ready Aiders Foundation had already taught me the importance of building bridges between organizations, communities, and resources. This new position would allow me to do that on an even broader scale.

The First Month: Learning and Listening
January marked my first full month as Kenya Liaison for Ustawi Global, and it has been a period of intense learning and connection. My primary focus has been understanding how Ustawi Global’s model of integrated learning experiences and community empowerment can be most effectively implemented in the Kenyan context.

I’ve been working to:

• Build relationships with community leaders and organizations across Kenya’s diverse regions
• Identify opportunities for collaboration that align with Ustawi Global’s mission
• Share insights from my conservation biology background to inform sustainable development approaches
• Bridge connections between international partners and local communities

What’s become clear is that this role draws on every aspect of my professional journey—from my academic training in ecology to my leadership experience in Rotaract, and my operational work at Ready Aiders Foundation.

Looking Forward: A Season of Growth
As I settle into this new role, I’m energized by the possibilities ahead. The borehole project in Mashuru continues, but now it’s part of a larger tapestry of initiatives focused on regenerative development, entrepreneurship, and community resilience.

I’m also conscious that my journey with Rotary continues. Leadership in service organizations isn’t about choosing one path over another—it’s about weaving together different threads of impact. My presidency at the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Parklands and my work with Ustawi Global complement each other beautifully, each making the other stronger.

The Lesson: Service Opens Doors
If there’s one lesson from this experience, it’s that genuine service opens unexpected doors. When I committed to the Mashuru borehole project, I was focused on one community’s need for water. I didn’t anticipate that this act of service would introduce me to an organization whose mission aligned so perfectly with my own values, or that it would lead to a role where I could amplify impact across Kenya.

That’s the power of service—it connects us to opportunities and communities in ways we can’t always predict, but which feel right when they arrive.

As I look ahead to the coming months, I’m grateful for the foundation that Rotary has given me, excited about the potential of Ustawi Global’s work in Kenya, and committed to ensuring that every project we undertake genuinely serves and empowers the communities we’re privileged to work alongside.

The journey continues, and I’m honored to walk this path.