By John Toris
CorpsAfrica Kenya hosted its highly anticipated 2026 Pitch Day in Nairobi, bringing together volunteers, partners, and stakeholders to celebrate the remarkable achievements of young Kenyans driving community-led development across the country.
The event served as a platform for volunteers to showcase their community projects, highlighting the transformative power of grassroots initiatives designed and implemented by young Africans for their own communities.
Speaking at the event, CorpsAfrica Kenya Country Director, Dr. Patricia Kingori, expressed her deep appreciation for the volunteers and partners who made the organization’s impact possible. She emphasized that Pitch Day was a special occasion to demonstrate tangible results.
“I love Pitch Day because it is my opportunity to show you what these young people are doing. It’s an opportunity to show you what your money you are giving is doing. So it is always a delight to meet with friends, our partners, our volunteers, and the media,” Dr. Kingori said.
She went on to highlight the scale of the organization’s impact, noting that while the numbers might not seem large to those accustomed to handling vast datasets, the achievements were significant.
“Just to give you a little bit of a background about CorpsAfrica, when you hear the numbers, they may not be very big for those who collect a lot of data, but I want to tell you that the 86 projects has been done by 84 volunteers. So that impact of 36,000 beneficiaries directly from the project, not from any other activities, is actually done by 84 volunteers,” she added.
CorpsAfrica Kenya Board member, Anthony Okoth, reflected on the organization’s growth over the past three years, noting that the milestones achieved were a testament to the dedication of volunteers and the support of partners.
“Over the last three years, we have developed almost 86 projects across the country, and over the last three years, we have employed 3,400 individuals in this country and in the last three years we actually had an impact on 36,000 beneficiaries across the country,” Okoth said.
He acknowledged that such achievements were not possible in isolation and expressed gratitude to the civil society partners who have walked alongside the organization.
“For us we would not have done it alone. And so we also recognize the civil society partners who are here with us. We are honored that you are also walking along with us. And so truly as a board we get amazed every quarter when we get in and hear the report of what is happening within the organization. And this is because of the amazing work that you are doing,” Okoth remarked.
The Guest of Honour, Chairman of Safaricom Foundation, Joseph Ogutu, delivered remarks commending CorpsAfrica for its community-centered approach to development. He noted that the model of involving communities in identifying and implementing their own solutions resonated deeply with the principles guiding Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations.
“On behalf of Safaricom Foundation and M-PESA Foundation, I want to extend real gratitude to CorpsAfrica for inviting us to be part of this very important occasion. I am really impressed about this way of involving the community to be the change that they want to see. And therefore even the solutions that we get out of here, are solutions that are homegrown and are able to defend those solutions because they have ownership,” Ogutu said.
He highlighted the alignment between CorpsAfrica’s approach and the foundations’ own pillars of work.
“And just from what I have heard volunteers say, this is a simple model; community ownership, where the youth come there is youth leadership, solutions themselves are sustainable, and then the impact is long-term. And so these are the same principles that now guide us in Safaricom and M-PESA Foundation. We have 4 pillars, there is the pillar of health, pillar of education, we have the pillar of economic empowerment, and also environmental sustainability. And that is why even as we speak now have started conversations with CorpsAfrica to explore areas which we can cooperate, which we can collaborate, which we can partner, to ensure that we extend impact to our communities,” he added.
Ogutu then addressed the young volunteers directly, praising their commitment to service and their role in redefining leadership in Kenya.
“But allow me now to speak directly to our young people, who are present here today. You represent a generation that is redefining leadership and Kenyans know that more than anybody. This generation of young people actually is capable of redefining leadership. And from what I have heard, you have chosen service over comfort,” Ogutu stated.
CorpsAfrica was founded in 2011 by Liz Fanning, a former Peace Corps Volunteer who witnessed firsthand the power of community-driven development while serving in Morocco. During her service, she met young Moroccans eager to serve their communities, only to discover that the program was exclusively open to Americans.
This experience sparked the vision for CorpsAfrica an organization where African youth drive meaningful change at home.
Since launching its first program in Morocco in 2011, CorpsAfrica has expanded to 11 countries across the continent, with plans to reach all 54 African nations within the next decade.
To date, the organization has placed more than 1,700 volunteers across Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda. Together, they have completed over 800 community-led projects, including building wells, schools, roads, and irrigation systems, establishing education programs, and supporting vegetable and livestock farms.
CorpsAfrica recruits and trains African youth to serve in rural communities within their own countries, partnering with them to co-create sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen livelihoods, and build resilience.
The organization prioritizes youth, women, children, people with disabilities, and refugees who often face barriers to education, healthcare, clean water, food security, employment, and economic opportunity. By working hand in hand with communities, CorpsAfrica ensures that every initiative is inclusive, impactful, and grounded in local priorities.
