From Library to Lifeline: How Inua Rise Together is Authoring Opportunity for Youth in Mathare
In the heart of Ngei, nestled within Nairobi’s sprawling Mathare settlement, a once modest library has transformed into a vibrant center of innovation, healing, and hope. At the helm is Sarah Ogolla, Chairperson of Inua Rise Together, a community-based organization (CBO) supported through national CBO strengthening initiative in partnership with The Mastercard Foundation.
What began as a simple gathering space for children’s books is now a multi-pronged skills and empowerment hub, primarily serving young women and youth. With SHOFCO’s support, the group has expanded its reach and deepened its impact—becoming a blueprint for how locally rooted solutions can address some of Kenya’s most entrenched urban challenges.
What began as a simple gathering space for children’s books is now a multi-pronged skills and empowerment hub, primarily serving young women and youth. With SHOFCO’s support, the group has expanded its reach and deepened its impact—becoming a blueprint for how locally rooted solutions can address some of Kenya’s most entrenched urban challenges.
What began as a simple gathering space for children’s books is now a multi-pronged skills and empowerment hub, primarily serving young women and youth.
When women begin to earn income, domestic tensions decrease. When young men engage in content creation instead of street crime, we see transformation. With just a smartphone and determination, these young people are learning to design, film, and code. That kind of access changes everything.
The Role of
CBO program, in partnership with The Mastercard Foundation, provides more than financial support. It offers capacity-building workshops in leadership, financial management, and grant writing—skills essential for long-term sustainability and impact. “The training we received from SHOFCO in financial reporting and proposal writing has made it possible for us to grow and think bigger,” says Sarah\
supports 180 CBOs across Kenya, investing in community groups as engines of localized change. By equipping grassroots leaders with tools, networks, and institutional support, SHOFCO is building a national movement where community organizations like Inua Rise Together can drive real, scalable solutions from the ground up.
Welcome to the Rawi-EA Uniting Refugees all over Kenyana and Africa
A Vision for the Future
In five years, Sarah hopes that Inua Rise Together will be known across Mathare as a safe haven and opportunity hub—a place where youth find purpose, where GBV and drug abuse decline, and where environmental and social progress go hand in hand.
To the youth of Mathare, Huruma, and Ngei: You don’t have to wait for university or formal jobs. The opportunity to build a future is already here. You just have to choose it.