HISTORY OF CFK

20o0

2000

Rye Barcott (a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) meets Tabitha Festo (a Kenyan nurse based in Kibera) and Salim Mohamed (a Kenyan community organizer) while researching ethnic violence among youth in Kibera.

2000

2001


CFK Africa is founded by Tabitha Festo, Salim Mohamed, and Rye Barcott as “Carolina for Kibera.”2001

2002

CFK’s Girls’ Empowerment Program is founded.

CFK’s first medical clinic opens.

CFK brings together male and female youth of different ethnicities to promote community cooperation and development through sports and establishes Kibera’s first all-girls’ soccer league.

2002

2003

CFK co-founder Tabitha Festo passes away after a short, abrupt illness.

CFK signs a memorandum of understanding with UNC-Chapel Hill, setting the course for our equitable research collaborations.

2003

2004

Nurse Macrine with patient Rose at CFK Africa's Tabitha Medical Clinic.

Time Magazine and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation name CFK Africa a Hero of Global Health.

2004

2005

ABC News names CFK co-founder Rye Barcott a Person of the Year.

CFK releases LightBox, a book comprised entirely of photos taken by teenage members of the Girls’ Empowerment Program and essays they have written about their lives.

2005

2006

CFK signs a memorandum of understanding with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), establishing one of the organization’s largest overseas population-based infectious diseases surveillance platforms.

2006

2007

The United Nations recognizes CFK’s Girls’ Empowerment Program as one of the world’s premier programs addressing the unique challenges and needs of adolescent girls.

CFK expands and relocates Tabitha Medical Clinic to serve more patients in Kibera.

2007

2008



The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum honors CFK with the Reflections of Hope Award.

2008

2009

CFK launches its scholarship project.

CFK opens its new three-story Tabitha Medical Clinic.

2009

2011

CFK celebrates 10 years of service in Kibera.

CFK co-founder Rye Barcott's book, It Happened on the Way to War, is published.

2011

2012

CFK begins leading community health outreach, including home health visits and health education.

Without a Fight, an award-winning documentary featuring CFK’s Sports for Development project and exploring how soccer can facilitate social change in Kibera, makes its U.S. premiere.

Harvard Business School profiles CFK as the topic for its first multimedia case study.

2012

2013

CFK begins monitoring and treating malnourished children under-5.2013

2015

CFK establishes the Information and Communications Technology Centre in partnership with Nairobits.

CFK opens the Lishe Bora Nutrition Centre.

2015

2016

CFK launches the Best Schools Initiative (BSI) to improve student retention and progress in informal schools through data-driven, cost-effective best practices.

2016

2018

CFK opens its three-story headquarters building in Kibera to house a permanent safe space for girls as well as office and meeting space.

2018

2019

CFK opens and begins operating the Tabitha Maternity Home and Young Health and Wellness Centre.

2019

2020



CFK becomes the CDC’s lead implementing partner on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) in Kenya.

CFK leads COVID-19 sample collection and contact tracing efforts in partnership with the CDC and Kenya Medical Research Institute.

CFK purchases and begins operating an ambulance in Kibera.

CFK convenes an Advisory Council.

2020

2021

CFK celebrates its 20th anniversary.

CFK leads COVID-19 vaccine distribution at Tabitha Medical Clinic.

CFK signs a memorandum of understanding with Kenyatta University, making them our first official Kenyan university partner.

2021

2022

CFK changes its name from “Carolina for Kibera” to “CFK Africa” as a signal of its ambitious plans for growth to informal settlements outside of Kibera.

CFK launches a new strategic plan (2022-2026) to guide expansion of its services to additional informal settlements across eight counties in Kenya.

2022

Millions lack access to quality health care and
education in Kenya’s 1,400+ informal settlements .