Facilitating Community Meetings: Empowering Communities for Sustainable Change
As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer serving in Eregi, Kenya, facilitating committee meetings has become a cornerstone of my work. These gatherings are more than discussions—they are dynamic platforms where ideas are shared, decisions are made, and collective action takes root. In the spirit of Community-Led Development (CLD), my role is to guide conversations and ensure every […]
Strong Matches; Rural Community Edition
In the heart of a verdure valley lies a rural community that flourishes on simplicity and strong relationships. The lush fields ripple like a green sea, dotted with humble homes, intertwining dirt roads, and a vibrant drapery of life. As part of my initiative to integrate and promote the CorpsAfrica mission, I embarked on a […]
“I Have Done This Before”– The Danger of Complacency and the Power of Discovery
There is a certain comfort that comes with familiarity. Having served as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in my home country, Ghana, I thought I had it all figured out when I embarked on my current exchange service in Senegal. The thought “I’ve done this before” crept in, but as I settled into a different cultural setting, […]
Embracing the Journey: Reflections on Community, Challenges and Growth
Not a single day had I ever imagined being called Mwalimu. Perhaps it’s because of the roles I’ve played in my community so far, but I love and feel proud of the title. It’s a humbling experience that makes me wonder if schoolteachers feel the same way about the honor. In moments of reflection, I […]
Doses of Humility
One of the hardest humility pills I had to swallow was recognizing that not everyone would immediately embrace you or your ideas. In communities, especially those that have faced broken promises or misaligned interventions, people are familiar with NGOs giving handouts and often meet volunteers with skepticism. As a Volunteer, I quickly learned that my […]
The Friend Who Called at Just the Right Time
It was a Sunday evening, and I had just wrapped up my daily activities within the community. The day hadn’t gone as planned—it was one of those frustrating days that left you feeling drained and questioning everything. I was sitting in my room, wrestling with a storm of negative thoughts. Doubts about my decision to […]
Kindness That Feels Like Home
From the moment I arrived in Ghana, it was the smiles that stood out to me. Genuine, warm, and ever-present, they greeted me like old friends. It didn’t matter that I was a stranger in a foreign land; their kindness wrapped around me like a comforting embrace. Living in a new country is never easy. […]
Anticipation and Mobilization for Community Asset Mapping Day
Preparing for the Community Asset Mapping Day in Eregi was both a challenging and rewarding experience for me. Mobilizing the community required clear communication, dedication, and persistence. My goal was to bring community members together to collaboratively identify their local strengths and resources—a crucial first step toward community-led development. Through household visits, meetings with local […]
Tales of a CorpsAfrica Volunteer: Deep Dive Expedition
Reflecting on my transformative journey with CorpsAfrica, the past two and a half months since my deployment have been marked by significant milestones, deep learning, and challenges. Post-deployment, I engaged with various community-focused groups both within and outside the community. This interaction provided an opportunity to connect with community stakeholders and explain the modus operandi […]
Lessons from Community Assets Mapping
Community asset mapping has to be the magical key to unlocking the potential of a community and turning it into a reality. I realized this after I conducted one at Mwanika, Meru County. Underdevelopment and poverty that often roam in our communities are mostly driven by the mindset of the community members. If we manage […]