03 October 2026 Today, 28 students from Mainz visited our SCN partner VICCO in Mukuru, one of Nairobi’s informal settlements. Shakur, our SCN leader, welcomed them and took them on a journey into the work of SCN, the activities of VICCO, and everyday life in the community. It was an opportunity to move beyond what…
Category: Urban life
Life in the cities
We See What We Are Looking For — But What Are We Missing?
How we look drives what we do. In business, we like to believe that decisions are driven by data, strategy and evidence. But before we analyse data, we decide what to look at. What gets our attention gets resources. What gets measured gets managed. What gets funded gets developed. And what we don’t look for…
Respect across Cultures: Lessons from Our SCN Cultural Exchange Club
At the heart of meaningful change lies one simple yet powerful value: respect. Today, across our System Changer Network (SCN) communities in Kenya and India, we hosted another inspiring session of our Cultural Exchange Club — a unique sharing platform where NGOs, community leaders, and members come together to exchange perspectives on cultural values that…
Are traditional NGOs and social engagement slowly dying?
A difficult question. But perhaps the wrong one. Maybe the better question is: Can traditional models of support survive a world that has fundamentally changed? Funding is shrinking. Donor priorities are shifting. Communities increasingly expect participation — not top-down solutions. Young professionals want purpose, speed, ownership, and measurable impact. And AI is beginning to disrupt…
From Access to Impact: Teaching AI Where It Matters Most
We use AI naturally in our daily lives—at work, in our studies, and for everyday tasks. It’s becoming almost invisible in how seamlessly it supports us. But this raises a more important question: How can people in different contexts—such as communities in Kenya—learn to apply AI effectively in ways that truly matter to them?Especially when…
Floods in Nairobi – support needed
Over the weekend, heavy rains caused severe flooding across Nairobi, leaving dozens of people dead and thousands affected. Homes, roads and small businesses were submerged within hours as drainage systems could not handle the intense rainfall. (CGTN News) For many people in the city’s urban informal settlements, floods are not a rare disaster anymore —…
AI Skills for Teachers — Practical Impact in Vulnerable Communities in Kenya
What happens when teachers in underserved communities receive hands-on AI training instead of only theory? We recently conducted a practical AI training with volunteer educators through System Changer Network Kenya, focused on real classroom use of tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity — for lesson preparation, research, and student support. Teacher feedback was clear: this is…
Kenya is calling: Discover. Empower. Make an Impact. Volunteer!
Ready for an experience that changes you as much as it changes the world? With SCN’s Volunteer Exchange Program in Kenya, you’ll step into real community projects, learn by doing, and co‑create solutions that matter. Who is it for?🎓 Students eager to turn curiosity into global experience🎒 High‑school graduates seeking a purposeful gap experience🌟 55+ changemakers…
From Mukuru to Western Kenya: How Tendo Is Scaling Community Solutions
Tendo – one of our System Changer Network Kenya Core NGOs – began its journey in the heart of the Mukuru slums in Nairobi. While still establishing itself, the team focused on empowering vulnerable communities through soap and detergent production, achieving certification from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) early on.This gave the local people…
Each Prompt Is a Bridge: Rethinking AI and Positionality
What does access to ChatGTP & co mean for farmers, fisher communities and communities living in disadvantaged environments? Artificial Intelligence is transforming how people access knowledge — but not everyone starts from the same place. Our positionality — where we live, what we’ve experienced, and the opportunities we’ve had — still shapes how we can…
🎶 SCN Cultural Exchange Club: Music as a Bridge Across Continents
As System Changer Network in Kenya and in India we are convinced that cultural topics and exchange are essential to build partnerships and successful empowerment together with our local NGOs and vulnerable communities. Therefore, we run regularly cultural exchange club sessions. Each time with the focus on a different topic. On 22 October 2025, the SCN…
From Slum Streets to Story Worlds – How a Small Library in Eldoret Is Turning Bystanders into Changemakers
Two years ago, in the heart of the Langas slum in Eldoret, a quiet but powerful transformation began: the creation of a small library at the Solasa Community Center, part of the System Changer Network (SCN) Kenya. For many children and adults here, books have always been rare treasures. In most homes, there’s no money…
