From training to real change: what's happening at the Marginpar Foundation

The Marginpar Foundation was created to build closer relationships with the communities around our farms and to empower them in a way that recognises and strengthens the skills that already exist there.

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People remain at the centre of everything we do.

Laying the groundwork

We work with DESECE, an experienced Kenyan social empowerment organisation, to deliver training to over 200 community members living near our seven Kenyan farms. The programme has three phases of five-day workshops. This month, Phase 2 was completed and Phase 3 will begin in February 2026.

• Phase 1 helped communities to analyse poverty cycles, examine its root causes, and talk about ways to break these patterns.
• Phase 2 focused on leadership, how to work together and how to organise for community action.
• Phase 3 will build project planning skills and create space for dialogue about needs and aspirations for future collaboration with the Foundation.

Ongoing support from the Marginpar Foundation

Our Foundation team stays closely involved through regular visits, follow-up meetings and guidance on workshop planning, proposal writing and small-scale project development. Once a project proposal is submitted and approved, the Foundation provides a grant. 

Leading the way

It is inspiring to see how participants are putting their learning into practice. Some have stepped into leadership roles, others are organising meetings, facilitating discussions or volunteering their time. Together, they’re transforming ideas about sustainable development into action. 

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Real, locally driven change is taking shape.

Communities are identifying their challenges, forming groups and taking practical steps to bring about positive change. The rise of self-help groups and income-generating activities shows a growing sense of ownership and agency. This is capacity building in action!

From ideas to action

Following the completion of Phase 2, early results are already visible:

• In Rongai, four women and one man have launched a chicken project to support their families. Many of these women were married young and missed out on education. Their dream is to create better opportunities for their children.
• A group in Nanyuki has received funding from the Foundation to start a small poultry farm after demonstrating strong community-level resource mobilisation.
• In Nanyuki, four unemployed young parents joined the farm’s seasonal workforce. The community also organised a road maintenance project, inspired by the Phase 1 training.
• Participants in Juja have set long-term goals including a hospital, piped water, a relocated school and a modern market. They have already secured nine acres of land and attracted the interest of local leaders.

There has been a wave of community-led initiatives, especially in Nanyuki and Juja communities, who were amongst the first groups to complete Phase 2. 
 

The energy of change

What excites us most is the shift in mindset. Participants speak with confidence and take initiative both in training sessions and in their communities. From household projects to large-scale ideas, the commitment to creating change is clear, and the energy is contagious!
 

A future built from within

Our approach is about empowerment, trust, and creating lasting structures that grow beyond any single workshop or funding cycle. We are proud to walk alongside these communities, and look forward to the years ahead as we continue learning and growing together.