A Day in Kibera with Polycom Girls
What a day, what an organisation, what a team.
GIFT recently travelled to Kibera, Nairobi, to spend a day with Polycom Girls. Seeing the work first-hand was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.
Girls at the centre
Everything Polycom does is built around one group: adolescent girls. Our visit began with two of them presenting Polycom’s programmes. They spoke clearly and with great confidence, and told us how being part of Polycom had helped them believe in themselves.
A ripple effect across Kibera
Polycom works with seven partner organisations in Kibera, five of them founded by young women who came through its own programmes. That is impact you can see. Its closest partner is Amani Kibera, whose safe space we visited: a library being completed step by step and already full of life. The two organisations have worked together for 10 years, built on deep trust and on each playing to its strengths. Amani Kibera runs a mentorship programme for young people, and Polycom leads the work with the girls. Together, they empower the youth of Kibera.
Building strong foundations
Like many locally led organisations that have grown quickly, Polycom is now investing in its foundations: its Board, its financial systems and its next generation of leaders. We admire the honesty and ambition the team brings to this work, and GIFT is proud to continue its support.
Thank you, Giving Women
Polycom’s Giving Women Project Circle (PC) is coming to a close. It was wonderful to hear from the Polycom team how the PC’s support pushed them to think strategically: developing a theory of change and a monitoring and evaluation framework, and taking a closer look at their finances and governance. Over 18 months, the PC listened to Polycom’s needs and helped the organisation grow, which was a truly rewarding experience. Our warm thanks to the women of the Project Circle for their time, commitment and advice.
Why it matters
Walking through Kibera, we were struck by the strength of its community. Life there is demanding, yet people look out for one another, build their own solutions and keep moving forward. It is that same strength that drives Polycom and its partners. Kibera reminded us what locally led organisations do best. They know their communities, they understand their needs, and they are there for the long term. We left energised and inspired.
