Discoveries and Connections, July/August 2025
Kenya
Yago Bouldering
Yago is a community organization in the village of Kit Mikaye, near Lake Victoria, teaching rock climbing and bouldering in local schools as a vehicle for self-realization and growth.
Fanuel Ochieng Nyawara is a climber, carpenter, and one of the volunteer instructors at Yago. In between developing his carpentry business and attending to the family animals and crops, he generously donates his time coaching students in local schools. In the four days I spent climbing in Kit Mikaye, we explored the enormous potential of granite boulders, put up a few new climbs, and I got to hang out and watch him instruct students at Nyamboyo Primary School, one of eight schools in which they have programs.
Kikopey Women’s Craft Market
Located near Gilgil in Western Kenya, Kikopey Women’s Craft Market is a woman-led market and cafe featuring traditional baskets and a variety of crafts made by community members. We stopped in for coffee on our road trip, and ended up staying the entire afternoon. We heard the hopes and dreams of a young chef named Wambui, who was in mourning for her mentor, the group’s founder who unexpectedly passed away the week prior. All the women expressed hope that the center would continue in the image of its founder, and when I voiced interest in making some portraits, everyone enthusiastically agreed.
