Situated on Kenya’s picturesque coastline, in the Mararani Village, the Ubunifu Lamu initiative is a beacon of hope, nurtured by creativity, and geared towards contribution to society. However, it’s not just about creativity; it’s about our future innovators, inventors, artists, and above all, our children.
When you think of Ubunifu Lamu, imagine a place brimming with energy, curiosity, imagination, and laughter – all from children exploring and harnessing their creative potential to transform their lives for the better. Whether it’s a child picking up a paintbrush for the first time, another sewing a piece of clothing, or others working together to paint a sail, there’s a wide array of innovative and fun activities.
My connection with Ubunifu Lamu traces back to the AWAKEN Retreat I conducted in Kenya, January 2022. My clients and I attended an enthralling fashion show at Peponi Hotel and this is where my clients met the founder Nyambura Wahu.
During my numerous stays in Lamu, I had many conversations with the local community as I wanted to find ways to support. My bond with Nyambura was instantaneous and grew from strength to strength from our first encounter back in 2021.
Allow me to introduce you to Nyambura Wahu, the visionary founder of Ubunifu Lamu.
Nyambura, a native of Kenya herself, brings a soulful fusion of inspiration, creativity, and hope to the heart of Ubunifu Lamu. An embodiment of resilience and perseverance, Nyambura understands firsthand the immense potential that exists within the children of the Mararani Village. Inspired by her own story of transformation and fortified with an impressive natural Conscious Leadership approach, she has dedicated her efforts to shedding light on these untapped reservoirs of talent with the aim to offer them a better future.
Gifted with a keen eye for creative abilities, she identifies, nurtures, and polishes the raw talent she observes in the children. Yet, her role as founder goes beyond nurturing artists, designers, and creators. She also tirelessly instils in them core values such as leadership, teamwork, and the power of self-expression.
But what truly sets Nyambura apart is her undying enthusiasm and passion for change. Her belief in the power of creativity to transform lives is what fuels the Ubunifu Lamu initiative. Her vision is not just to enlighten the children with new skills, but also to empower them with a sense of autonomy and respect for their unique abilities.
Nyambura’s dedication, hard work, and belief in the transformative power of creativity have been the driving force behind the success of the initiative. They stand testament to what can be accomplished when talent is nurtured, creativity is celebrated, and every child is given a chance to shine.
In Nyambura, the children have found not just a teacher or mentor, but also a champion of their dreams. She is a beacon of inspiration for anyone who dreams of sparking positive change within their community.
The fashion event she organised in January 2022 served as more than just a showcase of clothing – it represented the aspirations, talent, and the potential present within the children. Conceptualised and led by Nyambura Wahu, this was the first such event in the region and saw the participation by the children from the Mararani Village who worked behind and on the stage. They didn’t merely walk down as models, they also played crucial roles in the design, creation, and planning of the event, displaying the comprehensive skills they had acquired.
One of the highlights of the event was the designs that came alive on the runway – innovatively fashioned using locally sourced fabrics and embodying traditional Lamu patterns, colours, and motifs with a modern twist. The designs earned praise for their celebration of local culture, their ingenuity, and the quality of the craftsmanship by the children, garnering attention and recognition from both local and international spheres.
The fashion show at Peponi Hotel, had a deeper enriching effect. It brought about a sense of pride and accomplishment to the children, fostering confidence in their abilities. It wasn’t just a runway, but a path towards a brighter, self-sufficient future showcasing the potential in Lamu’s blossoming youth. It was also a reminder that when given an opportunity, creativity and talent can find a way to celebrate tradition while driving change.
When we attended the fashion show and in credit to Nyambura, the children stood tall, dispelling their effervescent enthusiasm, bedecked in garments of their creation. The power of self-expression, worn on them, sparked an epiphany in me.
In the still hours of the early morning, a concept crystallised in my mind – a way the collective talents and resources of everyone could coalesce towards a greater cause. Laying out the viability of this vision before my group of empowered individuals at the AWAKEN retreat, we all agreed we should be part of this incredible journey.
We decided to come together and champion this vision. With relentless efforts, a successful fundraiser at Hauser & Wirth was organised. Fast forward to mid-May 2022, we hosted our first event at Hauser & Wirth, London, where we raised a significant $25,000. Every dime raised was channelled over the past year and a half to construct a center, a hub of creativity and learning for the children. This center encourages them to explore freely, to cultivate their talents, and to believe in their abilities.
This space is more than a building. It’s a melting pot of diverse talents in full bloom – a hub where children can dream, create, and grow. Here, children learn not just about fashion or design, but about leadership, collaboration, and above all, self-expression. It is also a safe space where they can come together to be nurtured and educated.
Ubunifu Lamu is more than an initiative; it extends its arm of support to the global community as a whole. It is about creating a safe space where everybody thrives. By setting up a water point outside the art center, we have been able to provide the entire village with consistent access to clean water. This has enormous global implications, as it directly contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically ensuring availability and sustainable management of water for all.
Further emphasising its global outreach, the initiative promotes inclusion at a universal level, hosting children from various places who visit Lamu for the holidays. These workshops and activities allow for learning and sharing experiences between local children and visitors. The result? A fertile ground for growth, friendship, unity, and understanding. This interaction fulfils the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion, bringing to life the concept of a global village.
The sense of achievement that fills me is unparalleled. Being on the board of trustees for the Ubunifu Lamu Initiative means I take on a significant role in ensuring the organisation’s success. I’m able to share the skills I’ve learnt, such as providing guidance and decision-making, ensuring its financial stability, and overseeing its strategic direction.
As a board member, I’m responsible for governance over the organisation’s affairs while also serving as a key contact for stakeholders, including benefactors, the community, and the public.
I can support and influence the future direction of the initiative and help steer it towards achieving its objectives. It’s also a position of trust, and I act in the best interests of the organisation of Ubunifu Lamu. I’m part of a journey of transformation and impact; for me it is about being connected to a cause that changes lives – and having the distinct joy to witness that change firsthand.
The impact so far:
– The Art Center is now built and furnished and it looks amazing. It is vibrant, it is creative and it is environmentally conscious
– We have grown from the original 15 children to now 48 in total
– The children of Ubunifu have blossomed in a magical way: they are the leaders of tomorrow in Lamu and other children in the village look up to them
– Community support: Alongside being a place for artistic expression, the Center also provides basic community needs such as essential facilities like showers and toilets and supplies clean running water for the village community and not to forget for the donkeys
– Education: We supply school uniforms, books and pay school fees when these cannot be afforded by the parents. One of our Success Story is Eunice, 15, the first child in the Mararani village being able to go into high school
– Accessibility: The Art Center is now open everyday after school so that the kids can have a safe space to study and do their homework
– Sustainability: We commit to using recycled materials wherever we can, which has resulted in creativity bursting forth from every corner. From walls made with recycled glass bottles, door decorated with lighters found on the beach, benches made out of discarded flip-flops, to curtains made from sail fabric from the traditional Kenyan Dhows
– Financials: As an advisory board member, I am proud to say that Ubunifu is an organisation that runs on values of transparency, accountability, and integrity.
What’s next:
– Our dream is to add another floor to extend the capacity for more children and build a creative studio and library
– We want Ubunifu to be financially sustainable and we’re working towards that
– We hope that the creative studio can also serve as a gallery in the future as a means for the children to earn a living, which would be fantastic for them
– We want to continue to build on the 3 artists in residency as part of a permanent residency programme. We’ve had one artist from the US and 2 from Kenya in 2023
– We also need to secure funding for a permanent art teacher
– We are not there yet and there are many ways to support.
I invite you to watch the documentaries created by the extremely talented Romy and Shelley:
The Ubunifu Lamu Initiative Story – ConsciousLeadership.Org
I also invite you to share in our journey, a journey of change, a journey of empowerment, and above all, a journey towards a brighter, more creative future. Together, we can sore heights of change and achieve a greater purpose.
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubuni_fulamu/
Learn more here: https://ubunifulamu.org/
Donate here: https://ubunifulamu.org/donate/
If you would like more information on the beautiful fine art portraits here is the link: https://www.romymaxime.com/hauserwirthubunifu (All proceeds are in support of Ubunifu).
Alignment with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed upon by the United Nations members in 2015, outlines a global partnership plan for promoting peace, prosperity, and sustainability. Central to this are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They call for countries globally, regardless of development status, to simultaneously address poverty, enhance health and education, decrease inequality, boost economic growth, tackle climate change and preserve marine and forest ecosystems.
Ubunifu Lamu initiative currently aligns with the following nine of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
Goal 1: No Poverty
Ubunifu Lamu provides the children with essential creative skills for future income-generation opportunities. By fostering skills development, entrepreneurship, education and training around art, fashion, music, poetry, dance, yoga, and sports activities, the Initiative encourages the children of Mararani village to follow their dreams.
Our goal as Ubunifu is to create grassroots employment to the community. Most of the parents in the community work as cleaners or eventually cooks, but through Ubunifu we are giving the children wider opportunities to climb the social ladder.
We provide access to mentors that they can look up to and thus fuel their aspirations for advanced employment options such as becoming tailors, models, artists, musicians, fashion designers and stylists.
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
Ubunifu Lamu regularly accepts generous food donations, which we distribute among 20 families within our community. We also emphasise the long-term solution of providing education about the significance of balanced and nutritious diets.
We teach the children life-skills to make healthier dietary choices.
Our vision is a community where food insecurity becomes a thing of the past, replaced by knowledgeable families able to nourish themselves adequately, promoting zero hunger in the community.
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Ubunifu Lamu stands as a sanctuary for children, equipped with essential facilities like showers and toilets while promoting a culture of cleanliness and hygiene. At the heart of our initiative is empowering our young ones to understand the relevance and benefits of good sanitary practices.
The transformation we have seen over the last two years has been nothing short of remarkable. Initially, we noted instances of parasite infestations among the children, but through consistent hygiene education, we’ve successfully mitigated this issue.
Ubunifu also aligns with this goal through its engagement in arts promotes mental health by providing an outlet for expression and building confidence.
Goal 4: Quality Education
Education is our priority in Ubunifu Lamu. We strive to support our local community by equipping every child at the art center with essentials like school books, uniforms and covering their school fees.
Our mission is to guarantee inclusive, equitable, high-quality education, while creating prolific lifelong learning opportunities for every child under our initiative. Our children, such as Euenice, who is excelling in high school, and Salma, progressing beautifully in primary school, are testament to this commitment.
Our children are not just students but leaders, a fact celebrated by their teachers and classmates alike.
Goal 5: Gender Equality
At Ubunifu Lamu, we strongly advocate for gender equality and are dedicated to empowering women. We equip them with vital skills and knowledge, providing comprehensive education on birth control.
Our commitment is solidified through fostering a greater understanding of sexual health, thus empowering women to take control of their own bodies and lives.
This approach goes a long way toward achieving gender equality, a core focus of this goal.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Ubunifu Lamu champions the right to clean water and sanitation. We have established a dedicated water point to ensure consistent access to clean water for both the local community and the donkeys.
This vital resource promotes the wellbeing of our community, contributing to achieving availability and sustainable management of water, which forms the bedrock of this goal.
Through our initiatives, we are actively facilitating improvements, embodying our pledge to the cause.
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
One of the main objectives of Ubunifu Lamu is to drive enduring economic expansion.
By offering comprehensive training and resources, we bolster local ingenuity, inspiring the creation of inventive solutions with both local value and global appeal.
Through this endeavour, we are able to foster decent and respectable work environments.
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Ubunifu Lamu champions the cause of education, actively diminishing disparities by warranting equal access to educational avenues. Every child in the Mararani village wants to be part of Ubunifu.
The children of Ubunifu are the leaders of tomorrow who will change the narrative of the village, by producing and nurturing future fashion designers, models, artists and musicians.
The initiative promotes inclusivity and equal opportunity, which corresponds directly to this goal.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Ubunifu Lamu’s commitment to using recycled materials in the construction of the art centre exemplifies their drive to cultivate sustainable communities.
This approach has resulted in creativity bursting forth from every corner: walls constructed from reclaimed glass bottles, window designs crafted from lighters found on the beach, benches made out of discarded flip-flops, curtains made from sail fabric from the traditional Kenyan Dhows, clothes made from scraps of donated fabrics and an endless array of murals, paintings and other artworks.
The numerous inventive solutions fostered by this initiative contribute towards a more efficient resource management, enhancing the Art Centre’s sustainability.
