Community Leadership Matters.
At the heart of SHOFCO’s mission is a bold belief: those closest to the challenges are best placed to drive solutions. This philosophy powers our work with over 100 community-based organizations (CBOs) across the country—each one a grassroots engine of transformation. Through strategic regranting and capacity-building support, SHOFCO is nurturing local leadership, catalyzing youth livelihoods, and advancing equity from the last mile.
Across Kenya, youth face a stark reality: unemployment remains alarmingly high, particularly in underserved regions. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reports that youth aged 20–24 are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as the national average. For young women, barriers such as limited access to education, restricted mobility, and entrenched gender roles deepen the challenge.
Yet beneath these numbers lies enormous untapped potential.
Supporting CBOs: Power from the Ground Up
While many development programs deliver services to communities, SHOFCO works through them. We identify promising grassroots organizations and equip them with direct financial support, governance training, and mentorship—transforming them into engines of youth empowerment and local enterprise.
These CBOs are co-creators, designing and delivering youth livelihood programs tailored to their communities. Trusted anchors in their communities, they design programs that are contextually relevant, culturally aligned, and community-owned.
This model reflects a growing global consensus. A 2023 report by the Overseas Development Institute found that “locally led initiatives are more likely to achieve inclusive outcomes, particularly for marginalized groups.” USAID’s 2022 Local Capacity Strengthening Policy affirms that such partnerships “enhance sustainability, build resilience, and foster local ownership.”
Before SHOFCO’s support, we were like orphans. We didn’t know how to report, plan, or grow. Now we train others in our community and lead change with confidence.
Ephraim Kevogo, Shelter Rise CBO, Kamukunji
CBOs in Action: What the Model Delivers
Across Kenya, SHOFCO-supported CBOs are running high-impact, community-rooted programs that create pathways to income, confidence, and purpose:
- In Mathare Inua Rise Together CBO trains young women in digital literacy, artisan skills, and content creation—offering safe spaces, self-worth, and startup income.
- In Kibera Jiwa Friends CBO has trained 95 youth in peanut butter production and soap-making, complete with starter kits to launch their own businesses.
- In Kamukunji Shelter Rise CBO equips young men and women with plumbing and welding skills—challenging gender norms while addressing labor market gaps.
- In Mombassa, Mombassa Young Mothers open up dignified, income-generating opportunities for 200 young women with children.
Our CBO started as a library for kids, but the need quickly outweighed our capacity. With the support of SHOFCO, we now run youth engagement activities, focussing on women with digital literacy training and graphic design. Our youth are now bidding for, and getting, dignified work.
Sarah Ogolla, Inua Rise Together CBO
CBO Talk
Sarah OgollaInua Rise Together CBO (Mathare)
“Many of our girls had no income, no hope. Today they are earning from beadwork, content creation, and even plumbing. SHOFCO made that possible.”
Ephraim KevogoLeader, Shelter Rise CBO (Kamukunji)
“We used to struggle alone. Now, thanks to SHOFCO’s training and trust, we know how to lead, how to report, and how to transform our community. We’re not waiting for change—we’re building it ourselves.”
Meet Our CBOs
Every CBO has a unique story. Explore the journeys of CBOs like Inua Rise Together, Jiwa Friends, and Shelter Rise, what drove them to act, and the change they’re leading.
From Idle to Income: Supporting CBOs Delivers High-Impact Results
A 2024 analysis of 438 youth who participated in SHOFCO-supported CBO programs revealed:
- Significant improvements in employment status within 9–12 months post-training
- Stronger outcomes for early cohorts, indicating the model’s durable impact over time
- More durable livelihood gains among participants who had sustained post-training engagement
- Encouraging progress among young women in previously male-dominated fields
These findings align with international research demonstrating that community-led initiatives deliver better outcomes when paired with technical and financial capacity support. The Overseas Development Institute, OECD, and USAID all emphasize the importance of building local capacity for sustainable, equitable development.
SHOFCO's Edge: Reaching the Last Mile
What makes SHOFCO special is that we’re not building solutions for youth, we’re building them with youth. And we’re taking those solutions to every last mile.
Kennedy Odede, CEO/Founder
What sets SHOFCO apart is the scale and depth of our grassroots reach. We’re not running isolated pilots—we’re working in almost every ward in Kenya, with a growing ecosystem of local CBOs, an unmatched reach in the country.
- Scale: A nationwide network rooted in local context
- Voice: Youth-led programming, giving marginalized youth a seat at the table
- We empower youth to lead, not just benefit from programs
- Livelihoods: Technical and entrepreneurial skills tied directly to community needs that are durable, dignified, and scalable
From Local Roots to National Strategy
Yes, this work is about jobs. But it’s also about dignity, voice, and agency. SHOFCO has proven that community-rooted solutions can operate at national scale. In a time when international actors are increasingly calling for localization, SHOFCO’s model simply works—trusted by communities, backed by evidence, and led by the very people it aims to serve.
Our CBO partners are community anchors, leadership incubators, and innovation hubs. In every village, ward, and settlement where SHOFCO works, these organizations are proving that local is powerful—and that when youth are equipped with skills, voice, and opportunity, they can transform not just their own lives, but their communities, too.
Partnerships must always be rooted in trust. Power must always be built from the ground up. Change must always be systemic and sustainable.
Explore the Impact
SHOFCO is supporting 180 Community Based Organizations and impacting 2.5 million lives across Kenya.
2,008
business grants awarded
13k
youth placed in work
26k
youth trained in financial literacy
Anchor Partner
Mastercard Foundation
Mastercard Foundation advances learning and promotes financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. Between 2022-2027, SHOFCO and Mastercard Foundation have taken on the ambitious goal of creating opportunities for 2.1 million young people in Kenya’s informal settlements, placing them in dignified and meaningful work.
