2026 marks the 25th anniversary of CFK Africa. What began as a 10×10 medical clinic in the home of our late co-founder Tabitha Festo and community-organized soccer games to prevent youth violence has grown into a thriving, internationally recognized organization and proud affiliate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with more than 80 dedicated staff. For a quarter of a century, our team has tirelessly worked to combat extreme poverty in slums through healthcare, sports programs, girls’ empowerment, and education, serving more than 200,000 people annually.
While we take great pride in our achievements, there is still much to be done. In 2026, CFK embarks on an ambitious campaign to raise $25 million to expand our programs and cultivate the next generation of leaders in sub-Saharan Africa. A key component of this campaign is our inaugural benefit, We Are Together, on October 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This event will also serve as the US launch of the Dreams book, a unique project by our girls’ empowerment program staff to bring healing and inspiration to teen mothers across the world. We will also host milestone events in Kenya, including a service trip to Kenya, coupled with a safari, and a celebration of community champions in August 2026. We invite you and your families to join us and serve our community for a rewarding and unforgettable journey into our work. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming opportunities to engage in your area.
Thank you for being a part of the CFK Africa legacy.
Rye Barcott
Co-founder; Board Chair
Jeffrey Okoro
Chief Executive Officer
Please join us for 25th anniversary celebrations across Kenya and the United States in 2026!
Please check back regularly for updates and future events as they are added.
From August 6 through August 8, 2026, CFK Africa donors and friends are invited to volunteer in the community, gain first-hand experience with our health and youth leadership impact, and engage with our staff and beneficiaries. For more information, contact info@cfkafrica.org.
Local champions are the real drivers of community change in slums. Join us for our vibrant annual community awards celebration on August 8, 2026, at Undugu Grounds in Kibera to honor the unsung heroes who live out our mission of empowering youth in slums.
Save the date for our inaugural benefit, We Are Together, on October 10, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina. This event will unite our global community under one roof for the first time and raise critical funds to empower youth in slums. Learn more, sponsor, and purchase your tickets here.
In 2026, we are launching a capital campaign to propel our work into the next 25 years. With a quarter of a century of earned community trust, proven health outreach, and workforce creation models, our We Are Together campaign will fund CFK Africa’s strategic 5-year vision to empower youth in slums toward purpose-driven mindsets by investing in the potential of African youth.
Community-centered multimedia has been at the core of our impact storytelling over the years.
These five videos collectively tell the CFK story.
For 25 years, CFK has worked alongside slum communities in Kenya to transform health systems, empower youth, and build local leadership. Leveraging what we have learned, CFK is launching the Youth Development Network, with a bold vision to connect 1 million young people across East Africa by 2031.
An animated short that illustrates the power of $26, the amount Tabitha Festo invested to start CFK’s first medical clinic in her home.
The book trailer for It Happened on the Way to War, a memoir by CFK co-founder, Rye Barcott, that details CFK’s origins.
This short film highlights the vulnerabilities young women face in slums and the beginnings of CFK’s girls’ and girls’ soccer programs.
The trailer for Without a Fight, an award-winning documentary following CFK’s early work in sports for development.
