Chiwo Connect

Where communities rise, we walk beside them. 🌱
🌱 Agriculture | 📚 Education | 🏥 Healthcare
Building healthier, stronger, more resilient communities.

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

This World Food Day, we reflect on why sustainable agriculture begins with understanding farmers' experiences, recognizing their knowledge, and building solutions around real needs!

#WorldFoodDay #chiwoconnect #SustainableAgriculture #foodsecurity #CommunityDevelopment

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

From a vision to a growing community! 💚🌱
Here's to connecting more people, sharing more stories and creating more opportunities for communities to thrive!
#ChiwoConnect #200AndGrowing #CommunityDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment #Agriculture #Healthcare #Education

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

Every follow, share, comment, and conversation helps us extend our reach and connect with more people who believe in the power of community.
We're growing, we're learning, and we're just getting started! 🌱
💚 200+ and growing. Thank you for being here!

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

Today on Thanksgiving Thursday, we're proud to announce that we've crossed 200 followers on Facebook! 🎉From sustainable agriculture to education and healthcare, we're grateful to have you walking this journey with us!
#ChiwoConnect #CommunityDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

To us, this milestone represents more than a number. It represents people who have chosen to follow our journey, engage with our work, and be part of conversations about creating opportunities for communities to thrive.
Thank you for being part of the Chiwo Connect community 🤩

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

At Chiwo Connect, we believe participation should be more than being present. It should create opportunities to be heard, influence decisions, and understand the outcomes.

#MeaningfulParticipation #SustainableDevelopment

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

What Makes a Community Meeting Count?

In community development, it's easy to measure participation by the number of people who attended, the issues discussed, or the feedback collected.

Attendance isn't the same as influence.

#chiwoconnect #CommunityDevelopment

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

So, what makes a community meeting count?

1. People have room to speak.

2. Difficult views are welcomed.

3. What people say can influence decisions.

4. The conversation doesn't end when the meeting does.

#beforewebuildwelisten #CommunityLedDevelopment

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

At Chiwo Connect, we believe meaningful participation begins with listening—and listening means being willing to let someone else's perspective change how we see a problem.

🌱 Before we build, we listen.

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

Happy Tuesday! Did you know that there's a difference between asking young people to respond to decisions and giving them the opportunity to help shape those decisions?
#chiwoconnect #ConnectCreateConquer #beforewebuildwelisten #YouthEmpowerment #YouthParticipation #Community

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

Happy New Week! We're grateful that we've made it into another week! In line with our October listening theme, do you think communities always know what they need? Share your thoughts!
#chiwoconnect #beforewebuildwelisten #CommunityDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment #knowledge

[Peter Abok @peterabok52]

Grateful to catch up with my brothers as we continue to engage the young people!
@chiwoconnect

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

Today, on Mazingira Day, we’re reminded that healthy communities depend on healthy environments. A thriving community needs a thriving environment!

Happy Mazingira Day, Kenya 🌍

#MazingiraDay #ChiwoConnect #EnvironmentalConservation #Kenya

[Peter Abok @peterabok52]

Grounded in Gratitude-10.10.2026

We thank all who joined the network. We had great conversations yesterday.

Thank you the Team at Dotnexxt led by my brother Bonke, Vic Preston and the whole crew.

We appreciate all the @chiwoconnect members who joined!

The best is yet to come!

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

For Chiwo Connect, opportunities like these are more than professional development; they are an investment in the capacity we bring to our work!

We’re committed to building a team and an organization that keeps learning, keeps adapting, and keeps growing.

#chiwoconnect

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

Happy Friday!

This week, our Director, @peterabok52, had the opportunity to take part in a training that brought together new perspectives, practical insights, and valuable conversations!

#chiwoconnect #capacitybuilding #ContinuousLearning #CommunityDevelopment #leadership

[Peter Abok @peterabok52]

"Child first. Behaviour second."
That line from Understanding Child Criminal Exploitation: Recognising the Children We're Missing, held on Wed 7 October 2026, has stayed with me and changed how I see the young people we work with.
A huge thank you to Craig Pinkney for a powerful and practical session. Craig showed us how grooming rarely starts with crime. It starts with someone noticing a child, meeting a need and building trust, and only later turns into debt, obligation and control.
He also reminded us that the street and the screen are no longer separate safeguarding environments, and that a child can be offending and still be exploited.
Special appreciation to the Mentoring, Coaching and Counselling Pty Ltd (MCC), led by their legendary Executive Director David Chikwuba and the intelligent and inspirational Mwangaza Milunga . A massive thank you to Mwangaza Milunga who was at the frontline in running the ops for the day, moderated the session and shared valuable insights from the "Beyond Belonging" research, conducted in partnership with the research team at Flinders University
It was encouraging to be in a room with so many people committed to the same children, united by a shared mission to bridge the gaps between stakeholders and cut through regulatory red tape. Thank you to:
🔹 Marial Machar (CF), Youth Engagement & Justice Reform Strategist and Director of Rams Sports Group for his committment to research and always having the constant push to implement the knowledge to practice
🔹 Elder David Amol from the SA Departent of education
🔹 Calvin Ochieng' from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Government of South Australia and, a key champion of the Empowering African Youth Program
🔹 Department of Human Services SA, including the Inclusion Support Program (ISP)
🔹 Youth Justice & Legal Centre
🔹 STTARS Mental health team
🔹 Researchers from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University
This work can't be done in silos. Recognising exploitation early takes all of us, working together.

Finally, a special thank you to our Captain & General Manager Brian Gilisho, for constantly investing in our training and development as a leadership. Your belief in our growth makes us better practitioners and a stronger organisation for the young people, clients, stakeholders and families we serve at NAWIRI CARE SERVICES | REGISTERED NDIS PROVIDER
Cc: @chiwoconnect

#ChildCriminalExploitation #ChildSafeguarding #YouthJustice #ChildFirst #ProfessionalDevelopment #CommunityServices #SouthAustralia

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

What happens when the career you built is no longer the career you need? @peterabok52 shares his story!
📅 Today — 8 October 2026
🕖 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Register: https://t.co/cNGCWeZFS3

#DotNexxt #Reinvention #CareerGrowth #Leadership #FutureOfWork #ChiwoConnect

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

What can we learn from what farmers are already doing well? Meaningful agricultural development starts by recognizing that the people closest to the problem may already hold part of the solution!

#chiwoconnect #beforewebuildwelisten #CommunityDevelopment #agriculture #farmers

[Chiwo Connect @chiwoconnect]

At Chiwo Connect, we believe that listening means making room for more than the loudest voice. To us, participation means creating space for different experiences and perspectives.
#chiwoconnect #beforewebuildwelisten #CommunityDevelopment #YouthEmpowerment #education