Walking with Africans helps pave a path out of poverty by empowering the rural poor.

About Walking with Africans Foundation

The Walking with Africans Foundation (WAF) seeks to alleviate poverty among the rural poor. We work in cooperation with our partner organization, Efforts of the Poor in Development (EPID-Kenya), a local Kenyan non-governmental organization (NGO). Together, we launched a successful pilot program in the rural town of Kibwezi in 2009. We began with 2 peer groups and 41 members, and have steadily grown over sixteen years to mentor and support over 320 members!

We work to empower our peer group members to raise their living standards by establishing their own small business enterprises. Through microfinance (lending and financial management), WAF has been cultivating a culture of savings and financial independence in one of the poorest and semi-arid regions of Kenya.

The cornerstone of our mission is Harambe, which in Swahili means “working together in unity” or “pulling together.” Our role goes beyond simple loan provision. By organizing participants into peer groups that draw on the strong bonds of African community life, WAF strives to promote collective action for meaningful community development.