Our Vision for Change In Kenyan Communities

BeRadicalFoundation arrived in Kenya in April 2024 and had established some connections from a previous reiki visit the year before. We were lucky enough to have found Linda from Giraffe Bioenergy and her wonderful project, sharing a passion for developing a partnership with Linda and Giraffe plus also having witnessed the struggles that many Kenyan people are dealing with we decided to look for some other projects we could support or visit communities who are in need of assistance. During this period, Mr Brown was training as a bartender at a resort in Malindi. We had met him a few times around the bar of an evening and his character and personality we became very fond of, he cheered us up after a long hot day, made very good cocktails and was full of charm. As we chatted with him he began to tell us about his situation and previous history, some achievements he made and that he was very into music. We had a karaoke night at the resort and Mr Brown had said he likes to sing and rap so we insisted that he perform for us. It was at this time that the organisers and director saw something about this charming young man, with great personality that they very much enjoyed and believed he had potential. He was very nice to other guests offering to bring them local produce for friends back home when it was time for them to leave and genuinely wanted to have fun and positive interactions with people he was around. BeRadicalFoundation was invited into his village and given a tour around and even taken to a local night spot for some refreshments. We met locals and had a very nice time enjoying the authentic Kenyan experience, it felt as though we had been welcomed into the community and so we stayed.

Mr Brown was trained at the resort and as the season had come to end he was not retained by the resort, he was available to communicate with after a time and we came to an agreement that he would assist Mr Hassan with the food parcel collections from the wholesalers and the delivery to the orphanage. He was also visiting Lea Mwana during this time to get to know the team and also the children, he was a very good fit from the outset and the relationship between all parties began to blossom and take form. With experience volunteering for other organisations in Kiliffi county and Kenya previously, a willingness to help others and with a calm confidence, his ability to make things happen for the organisation has been very much appreciated. He is a member of the community around that part of Malindi and Mr Hassan also has many connections and existing relationships in town and along the coastal region, they became good friends.

Soon he was able to recruit some more friends into the team from the local village where he stays and the team began to grow, we went from 3 to 5 then to 8 and then into double figures. It was time for BeRadicalFoundation to revisit Kenya to meet our team and get to know the people that were supporting our project. For over 10 days we had meetings and discussions, heard stories and shared experiences with eachother, it was really good to witness the growth of our organisation but more so, to meet with and feel the energy of the people who have become the backbone for BeRadicalCBO Kenya. It was in September 2024 that we officially registered the organisation and have since been growing rapidly to continue our goal of positive impact in underprivileged and disadvantaged communities.

Mr Brown has been the glue of the organisation, leading the group and recruiting members that reflect our values, ethics and vision. Understanding how to approach and tackle the challenges that come with the role of leadership and supporting from the front as vice chairman for Mr Hassan, he takes his responsibilities very seriously and is willing to support and grow with the organisation to empower the youth of today and encourage better futures for the young adults of tomorrow.