At the end of March, the clouds in Nairobi finally parted for an evening of networking. Granting an energising in-person gathering of un-dampened leaders and unseen heroes of development who traveled from the far corners of the region; Nyamasheke, Rwanda; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Lodwar, Kenya; and Gulu, Uganda.
Hosted by a powerhouse collaboration between OC, Blood:Water, Proximate, and MAMA HOPE, the event was anything but a traditional, stuffy gathering - instead, it was an un-conference style celebration of connection.
Beyond the Shrinking Pie
The conversation in the development sector has recently been dominated by the shrinking pie of donor funds and the closure of multilateral donor support. However, the theme of the evening, Sustainability in Practice: How We Are Leading, Building & Sustaining Our Work, was intentionally designed to pivot away from anxiety and toward action.
Rather than viewing sustainability merely as consistent funding, the gathering invited participants to explore it through the lens of resilient leadership, decision-making, and regional relationship-building.
To ensure everyone met new allies, and connected deeply, guests were organized by a rainbow of color-coded tags representing the areas of focus attendees were interested in exploring sustainability in practice:
- Red: Livelihoods, Employment, & Youth Development
- Orange: Inclusion, Governance, Peace Building, Women & Girls, & LGBTQI+
- Yellow: Education, Early Childhood Literacy, & Extra-curricular Support
- Green: Environment, Climate, Food Security & Agriculture
- Blue: Health, SRHR, Mental Health, & WASH
- White: Open to explore all sectors
Feed Your Soul (and Your Inner Potato)
The evening kicked off with a unique Feed Your Soul session. The instruction was simple: do not talk about work. To break the ice, participants were asked a high-stakes question: If you were a potato, what type of potato would you be and why? This lighthearted approach ensured that attendees connected as humans first, grounding the professional partnerships to come in genuine personal relationships.
Reconnecting and meeting with other African founders was much needed therapy because sometimes we get lost in the work and forget to come out for air. Asante (Thank you).
- Noella Luka, Founder Mental Voice Africa & LDA 2025 Alumni
Focus Time: Turning Challenges into Catalysts
As the night progressed into Focus Time, the conversation shifted to intentional, peer-driven learning. Attendees paired up with others wearing the same color tags to dive deep into practical sustainability practices. Asking these three (3) questions:
- What is a current challenge or decision point you are navigating?
- What have you tried so far, and what have you learned?
- What kind of support would meaningfully move this forward?
The goal wasn't just to survive the current funding shifts, but to thrive by sharing lived experiences and building relational pathways. This focus on proximate leadership - the idea that those closest to the problems hold the most effective solutions - is at the heart of the organizations that made the night important.
“The East Africa Connect 2026 was a powerful reminder of what happens when passion and purpose come together. Speaking with Gideon Cyubahiro from GURD (Rwanda), highlighted the importance of supporting teen mothers with safe, structured pathways to rebuild their lives with dignity and access to livelihoods. Safaa Garelnabi from Uganda shared practical approaches to preventing early pregnancies, while Beryl Obiero in Kenya showcased a creative board game making civic education engaging and accessible.
The event brought together inspiring changemakers, with strong support from funders and rich cross-learning sessions that left teams energized for more. And in between it all, great conversations, shared laughter, and that unforgettable peanut sauce. Viva to collaboration and a hopeful, impactful future.”
A Foundation for the Future
As the evening drew to a close with remarks from Beatrice Onyango (OC), Vincent Mwangi (MAMA HOPE), and Ann Kungu (Blood:Water), the takeaway was clear: East Africa is not waiting for global development to fix itself. By strengthening local networks first, these leaders are building a resilient foundation for deeper, more equitable global collaboration.
Whether you identify as an irish, sweet or couch potato (when you’re done with impactful work), the message of East Africa Connect was one of hope and solidarity: we are stronger together.
About the Event:
East Africa Connect | Centralized & Community-Driven is an informal evening of connection, bringing together doers, donors, and ecosystem actors to meet in person, converse, and build relationships and partnerships for the year ahead.
Building on the momentum of previous gatherings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, this edition highlights the importance of strong local networks, strengthening East African relationships before engaging in global development spaces.
Whether you’re navigating funding shifts, leading a community-driven organization, or working to bridge silos across the ecosystem, this is a space to connect with peers who believe in building resilient regional networks as a foundation for deeper global collaboration.
About the Co-Sponsors:
OC is a global network of leaders dedicated to forging alliances and advancing social impact initiatives to alleviate poverty and injustice. Known for hosting un-conferences that prioritize relationship-building and small-group conversations over traditional speeches and PowerPoints, OC’s model allows delegates from diverse sectors (including grant-makers, social entrepreneurs, and impact investors) to exchange wisdom and build the resilient regional networks necessary for systemic change.
Blood:Water is a leading collaborative funder and technical partner that exclusively resources African-led community organizations advancing sustainable health solutions from the ground up. We identify leaders who are deeply rooted in their communities, invest in them, and support the solutions they design. Our work is built on trust, long-term partnership, and the belief that local leadership are the architects of lasting change. We bring deep partnership and resources to the best organizations on the frontlines across east and Southern Africa, because when they thrive communities have lasting access to lifesaving care.
Proximate is an independent media platform that covers the people and movements reshaping how resources flow to solve pressing global challenges through philanthropy, development, and investment. They operate on the principle that the most effective solutions must come from those with lived experience who are proximate to the problems. Through their reporting and dedicated regional newsrooms, such as the one for East Africa, they highlight participatory problem-solving and new models of development that aim to #ShiftThePower.
MAMA HOPE supports the unseen heroes of global development - grassroots leaders in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda who implement community-led solutions. They provide 9-month system strengthening training to early-stage organizations to build their resilience, reduce donor dependency, and build sustainable, community-initiated solutions. By acting as a connector between doers and donors, MAMA HOPE actively works to #BalancethePower dynamics of the development sector and advocate for the recognition of proximate leaders as strong contributors to the global development sector.
Interested in supporting the next East Africa Connect networking event? Email global@mamahope.org
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