2023 CFK Africa Annual Report
CFK Africa was founded as a locally led organization with deep roots in the informal settlement communities we serve. For 22 years, we have worked to address inequities around access to quality health care, reduce gender disparities, and develop the next generation of youth leaders ready to lead positive change.
Our Theory of Change is an ongoing process of reflection to explore how change happens in our context and communities. The seven guiding principles enable us to learn from others, build a shared commitment and approach to our work, and develop stronger strategies and partnerships.
Our team embraces the reality that informal settlements are dynamic communities where living conditions are tenuous, and things change every day. We embrace learning opportunities, from partners and from challenges faced, ensuring we are actively improving our initiatives according to community needs.
Through leadership transitions, political unrest across Kenya, and global economic challenges, we learned many valuable lessons in the past year that will shape our work in 2024.
Specifically, our team is proud of deepening our initial commitment to local leadership. We created community advisory boards, held feedback sessions, and strengthened collaborations with like-minded community organizations, building trust and credibility essential to the success of our programs.
Through these conversations, we gained a deeper understanding of our community’s needs, aspirations, and concerns, reminding us of the strength, resilience, and creativity in Kibera and other informal settlements and that change is most successful when it is co-created with the community.
We continue to place communities, their needs, and their stories at the center of our work in 2024, always learning along the way. Thank you for joining us.
Jeffrey Okoro,
Executive Director
Rye Barcott,
Co-founder; Board Chair
In July, we announced the appointment of Jeffrey Okoro as our fifth Executive Director since our founding in 2001.
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Having grown up in Kibera, Jeffrey brings a steadfast commitment to community-led development and a passion for the power of education.
CFK Africa staff were featured as thought leaders on local and international media outlets.
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Outlets include VOA International, Science Africa, and The Standard, as well as at events like the Water and Health Conference at UNC Chapel Hill and the NC Global Health Alliance conference.
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CIHEB-Kenya and Nairobi County awarded Tabitha Medical Clinic “2023 Best Facilty in Nairobi County” for best performance in the uptake of services (TX-CURR) for our ongoing scale-up of ART treatment and patient retention, growing from 1,000 patients to close to 2,000.
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by learning from our community, collaborators, and each other. Our team hosted forums across the 13 villages in Kibera to understand community needs.
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Sean Silvia, Ph.D., a health and development economist at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health is collaborating on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to maximize healthcare efficiency and quality in low-data environments.
In partnership with Stephanie Martin, Ph.D., CFK Africa conducted three nutrition-focused studies to understand adolescent diets and physical activity.
Findings from our Burn Study in partnership with Donna Schwartz-Barcott, Ph.D. and Shahla Yekta, Ph.D. emphasized the need for targeted preventive measures to reduce burn injuries among children under-5 in Kibera, resulting in the development of a stove fence barrier to be piloted in 2024.
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UNC Students engage in participatory research alongside our team in Kenya for eight weeks as part of CFK Africa’s Peacock Fellowship Program.
Peacock Fellow Stephanie Momanyi conducted research on informal settlement nutrition interventions and Peacock Fellow and UNC Ph.D. candidate Emily Seiger completed research on the dual burden of malnutrition.
in Kilfi County to were able continue their education thanks to The Funzo Project, building brighter futures for their families.
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Advocating for teenage mothers at the family, community, and institutional levels, CFK Africa’s Funzo Project provided avenues for young mothers to continue their education and advance their future economic opportunity, meeting goals set by Kenya’s Ministry of Education to ensure lifelong education for all children.
were empowered by Girls Parliament Projects and Safe Spaces, ensuring that girls can reach their full potential.
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CFK Africa’s Girls Parliament advocated for girls, encouraging girls to find their voices to demand action on issues they care about, participate in economic empowerment activities, and educate the community through large-scale events like “Lazima Nibonge” in August, generating awareness around gender-based violence.
aged 11-17 across Kenyan informal settlements engaged in community football tournaments
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Our youth programs leveraged the power of sports and play to advocate for the health and wellness of youth on and off the pitch, equipping young people with information, services, and mentorship to live healthier lives.
+ Sulney Fields Trust, Force for Boobs, County and Sub-County governments of Kajiado, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kisumu, Machakos, Mombasa, Nairobi, and Nakuru
We increased collaboration with community health providers to combine our strengths, pool resources, and share expertise for impactful and comprehensive solutions.
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Partnerships at the county level, like WASH training for public health officers from Nairobi and Kiambu on Water Quality Assurance, improved water safety while partnerships at the level of Community-Based Organizations like the Gifted Community Centre created more inclusive healthcare options for people with disabilities. These partnerships further our mission to provide quality healthcare for all.
We reinvigorated partnerships with organizations like Ajira Digital and Nairobits to ensure young people in Kibera don’t miss out on accessing online education and training resources. Our ICT and vocational trainings ensure young people have the skills to access digital job opportunities.
completed life skills, digital literacy, and vocational training, increasing their economic opportunity and life-team earning potential.
were screened by CFK nurses for health conditions including cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS.
from 21 informal settlements received scholarships with support to complete their secondary school education.
were delivered by skilled healthcare workers safely with 0 maternal or neonatal deaths.
were screened by CFK nurses for health conditions including cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS.
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Tabitha Medical Clinic served as a lifeline for patients in Kibera needing critical care during shutdowns caused by political protests. We renewed our commitment to community health by staying open during the protests, expanding our hours of operation, mobilizing community organizations and partner facilities, and promoting peace.
from 21 informal settlements received scholarships with support to complete their secondary school education.
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CFK Africa staff, Lux Sit and Jim Rogers Scholars, and other youth leaders participated in community-wide clean-ups throughout the year, addressing immediate sanitation needs, cultivating relationships, and fostering unity, building a generation committed to service and giving back.
were delivered by skilled healthcare workers safely with 0 maternal or neonatal deaths.
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Tabitha Maternity Home served the needs of women and children in Kibera, providing maternal and child health services including family planning, antenatal care, safe delivery, and postnatal care.
for malnutrition at health facilities, schools, and community centers, so they can thrive.
CFK Africa’s nutrition team conducted case-finding and outreach activities in Kibera, screening and treating children under 5 for malnutrition, and training caregivers and teachers at Early Childhood Development Centers to identify malnourished children and refer them to treatment.
from 35 primary schools in Kibera, strengthening their future promise.
As one of 10 global partners selected with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the LEAP initiative, CFK Africa’s Best Schools Initiative strengthened education across informal settlements, implementing cost-effective practices to empower students to complete their primary schooling.
teach thousands of young people to serve as WaSH champions in their communities.
CFK Africa improved water, environmental hygiene, and sanitation across informal settlements by activating student health clubs at primary schools, teaching healthy handwashing behaviors, and supporting students in becoming WaSH champions.
We showcased the talents of CFK Africa’s Lux Sit and Jim Rogers scholars.
A special event in August launched a collection of creative writings developed in an international exchange between CFK Africa scholars and students from the Emma Willard School in New York.
Our communities celebrated the ascension of the Kibera Women Soccer FC into the Kenya Premiere League.
The players on the team are using their national platform to advocate for girls’ empowerment, inspiring us with their journey.
We congratulated the 14 first graduates of our new Youth Leadership Pathway Curriculum.
These young leaders completed 3 months of modules on mentorship, service, and developing innovative solutions for issues in their communities.
In 2023, our public health team learned the value of community engagement, the importance of partnerships to enrich our knowledge and capabilities, and the impact of providing quality and affordable healthcare services to the communities we serve.
“Being a dependable partner in the community has helped improve demand for healthcare, especially for women and children, reducing preventable mortalities.”
Eddah Ogogo, Program Coordinator – Primary Healthcare
A small clinic with a big impact, CFK Africa’s Tabitha Medical Clinic is transforming healthcare in Kibera. At the heart of the clinic are people like Austrine Musili, a Pharmacy Technologist who ensures that patients receive not just medication, but also guidance towards better health outcomes.
“My responsibility at the clinic is basically to ensure patients get the best outcomes for their medications by advising on drug selection and the correct use of medicines,” he explained.”
“Tabitha Medical Clinic offers affordable medical services to patients who would otherwise lack crucial medical attention or incur huge costs in buying medicine from nearby private clinics and chemists.”
In 2023, our Education & Livelihoods team learned the importance of incorporating feedback from youth, adapting project design to changing circumstances, iterating, and innovating.
“Constantly reviewing and improving project designs by incorporating feedback from youth encourages project teams to iterate and increase innovation for better service delivery.”
– Keith Obiero, Education & Livelihoods Program Lead
As a center-back defender on the Kibera Soccer Women FC and social change champion with CFK Africa, Fatuma is determined to use her national platform to advocate for issues affecting girls.
By using her voice in safe spaces and at tournaments, she has raised awareness of issues facing young women in informal settlements, such as access to sanitary towels and combatting gender-based violence.
“I believe in empowering individuals with knowledge and skills that extend beyond the football field, ensuring holistic development and creating positive impacts within our community.”
CFK Africa is deeply committed to transparency and ensuring the financial health of our organization through the efficient use of donor funds. Thanks to the generous financial contributions from our donors, partners, and collaborators, in 2023, we deepened our commitment to girls’ empowerment and community youth soccer initiatives, providing avenues for young people to develop leadership skills and grow into changemakers.
Though disruptions caused by political protests impacted our normal operations and unforeseen administrative delays in some partner counties led to delays in project implementation, we remain committed to responsible resource management, ensuring that every dollar spent maximizes our impact and supports our mission.
A special thanks to giving platform and donor-advised fund partners who ensure the sustainability of our work including Benevity, Blackbaud, Fidelity Charitable, and Pledge.
*Data from FY 2023 audited financials.
CFK Africa benefits from a joint Kenya-US Board of Directors and a global Advisory Council who volunteer their time, expertise, and innovation as we expand our work to connect talented youth in informal settlements with opportunities. We are always learning from our leadership and are grateful for their wisdom. In 2023, we added seven new members to our global Advisory Council.
“2023 was both an exciting and transformative year for CFK Africa. We learned that it takes both audacity and humility to be authentic and remain so. We learned that we have the courage to ask ourselves tough questions about our identity, our purpose, our impact, and our aspirations. We learned the importance of embracing our deep and meaningful roots, and we learned that where we are now is the perfect place to grow from and thrive.”
Claire Rotich, CFK Africa Board Secretary
Essential learnings from 2023 shape our efforts in 2024 to continue to provide life-changing public health and youth leadership services, learn from those around us, and build trust in the communities we work.
We invite you to join the Junction to further CFK Africa’s impact in 2024. As CFK Africa’s recurring giving program, funds from the Junction catalyze the next generation of young leaders, cultivate talent, improve public health outcomes, and enable our team to respond in real-time to community needs.
We invite you to join us. By becoming a member of our recurring giving program, you’re investing in the boundless potential of individuals and providing life-saving services to those who need it most.
CFK Africa is a registered NGO in Kenya and 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S. that improves public health and economic prosperity in informal settlements through participatory research, primary health care, and education.
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