In my first 24 hours in Kenya I’m noticing a lot of synergy between my first arrival as a Peace Fellow back in 2022 and my return this week.

Like in 2022, I arrived in Kenya in the wee hours of the morning, delirious from exhaustion but with much gusto to finally make it to a bed for the night.

Like in 2022, I received the warmest welcome from my colleague and host Stella, just as Monica helped me in my first few days three years ago.

Like in 2022, I arrived in Kenya during social and political unrest. In 2022, Kenya was in the midst of very contentious Presidential elections. This first week, the city was shut down for one day for political demonstrations.

But I’m not the same person I was in 2022 and this is not a traditional Peace Fellowship!

I’m returning as a Peace Fellow this year after working with Children Peace Initiative Kenya in 2022 and some time as a Board Member for the Advocacy Project. Since my last peace fellowship I earned my Master’s Degree, began working for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, bought a house with my husband, dealt with some significant health issues within our family, got a giant puppy, and was laid off as part of DOGE’s dismantling of USAID.

The loss of USAID and embracing unemployment has not been an easy road. And it would be a lie to say I’ve processed everything from the last six months or have enlightened reflections about the world and its musings as a result.

Pre-26 hour travel day excitement!

But here is what I do know: life will go on whether or not I like the way it looks. So for this one month I’m in Kenya, I am focusing on being present with Shield of Faith (SOF).

SOF is at the crossroads of environmental sustainability, agriculture, education, and community empowerment. Founded in 2020 by Stella Makena, SOF began as an embroidery collective.  The association quickly recognized challenges in the informal settlement of Kibera, noting food insecurity, pollution, and unemployment as needs to expand into composting and urban farming initiatives. Kibera and other informal settlements are significantly under-resourced and are largely self-governed. People living in informal settlements generally have limited access to public services and experience harsh living conditions.

SOF began with a group of women noticing needs in their community and doing something about it. Now, SOF is doing even more and scaling its composting and urban farming programs into schools with the goal of these sustainable practices also reaching student’s families and communities.

Stay tuned here for deep dives into SOF’s new programs and the people behind the work! 🪱