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Community action for a fairer world
Walking hand in hand with women, young people and children in Kenya.
Since 2015, we have worked alongside local neighbourhoods to build sustainable responses to poverty, educational barriers and environmental challenges.
Meet Action for Better World Association
Action for Better World Association (ABWA) is a community-focused organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya. Since 2015, we work alongside local communities, women's groups, young people, volunteers and partner organisations to build practical, lasting solutions to social and economic challenges.
We believe that everyone deserves a fair chance to live a healthy, dignified and fulfilling life. Through initiatives in education, skills development, sustainable farming, health awareness and environmental conservation, we support children, young people, women and low-income families to build self-reliant communities.
We begin by working with local community groups because they understand their needs, challenges and priorities best. Together with locals and internationals, we create meaningful partnerships that empower local people, strengthen communities and promote sustainable development.
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Our programmes
Our work grows out of conversations with the communities we partner with. These are the main thematic areas we focus on.
Mathare, Nairobi (Caso Upendo Primary School)
Education and Child Development
Supporting quality education and digital literacy at Caso Upendo Primary School in Mathare, Nairobi through computers, learning materials, school feeding and mentorship.
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Mathare, Nairobi
Youth Employment and Skills Development
Working alongside the Miami Florida Youth Group in Mathare, Nairobi on vocational skills, urban kitchen farming, waste recycling, children's creative arts and a planned community training centre.
Mathare, Nairobi & Kangundo, Machakos County
Young Mothers and Women's Empowerment Programme
Partnering with the Young Mothers Women Group in Mathare on tailoring, vocational skills and a planned Women Empowerment Centre, alongside sustainable vegetable farming with women in Kangundo.
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Nairobi, Machakos and Makueni Counties
Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
Promoting climate-smart farming, urban kitchen gardens, rainwater harvesting and household nutrition across Kenyan communities.
Mathare, Nairobi and partner communities
Environmental Conservation and Climate Action
How ABWA works with local groups on tree planting, community clean-ups, plastic recycling, composting and climate action in Kenya.
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Nairobi and partner communities
Health and Community Wellbeing
Promoting preventive health education, mental health awareness, nutrition and maternal wellbeing in underserved Kenyan communities.
Building skills, livelihoods and community care in Mathare
In Mathare, Nairobi, the Miami Florida Youth Group is taking ownership of their neighbourhood. Faced with high youth unemployment and crowded living conditions, these young leaders came together to turn waste recycling, urban farming and creative arts into positive livelihoods.
Alongside weekly children's art sessions and community clean ups, the group is working towards establishing a permanent Community Training Centre that will offer accredited vocational courses, tool libraries and enterprise incubation for local youth.
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Collecting and recycling neighbourhood waste
Collecting plastic bottles and scrap metal across Mathare neighbourhoods to sell for recycling and earn steady daily income.
Cultivating urban riverbank kitchen gardens
Transforming vacant riverbank plots into productive organic vegetable gardens that supply fresh spinach, kales and greens for local families.
Mentoring children with art and porridge
Hosting weekly weekend creative art sessions and serving warm nutritious porridge to dozens of neighbourhood children in a safe caring space.
Building leadership and neighbourhood safety
Strengthening youth leadership, team fitness, life skills and peer mentorship networks that provide positive alternatives to crime and street risks.
Welcoming international volunteer teams
Collaborating with visiting international volunteers and partners like Voltra Hong Kong on joint community work camps and shared learning.
Establishing the Community Training Centre
Securing resources to build a permanent centre in Mathare equipped for vocational workshops, apprenticeships and youth enterprise.
Built with communities, not for them
These are the ideas that guide how we plan and carry out our projects.
Community first
We start by listening. Projects are shaped with the groups we partner with, because they know their own priorities best.
Practical skills
From soil preparation to painting, music to teaching, we focus on skills people can use in everyday life.
Care for the environment
Tree planting, waste reduction and sustainable farming sit alongside everything else we do.
Respect and partnership
Volunteers and partners are welcome as guests and collaborators. We ask everyone to arrive curious and respectful, and to learn as much as they give.
What our work looks like on the ground
We would rather show you practical community work and how we track it than quote big, unverified numbers. Across our programmes, our day-to-day activities focus on education and child wellbeing, youth and women's skills, sustainable farming, clean water and hygiene, creative arts and environmental care.
Every ABWA initiative is designed with the local community, monitored through activity records, site visits and community feedback, and built with a clear sustainability plan so local groups can manage projects independently over time.
Community-Led Design
Shaped around the priorities community members identify themselves.
Honest Monitoring
Tracked through attendance logs, before-and-after assessments and transparent financial records.
Built to Last
Handed over to trained local committees and supported by income-generating activities.
In their own words
Short reflections from people we work alongside, shared with their permission.
“We share stories and reflections only with the informed consent of the people involved. Real change comes from the knowledge, energy and dedication of community members themselves.”
Moments from our work
A few glimpses of community projects. We share photographs only with the consent of the people in them.
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Ideas, lessons and updates
Short reads on community development, volunteering and the thinking behind our programmes.
Agriculture • 4 min read
Growing Resilient Communities Through Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya
Good farming is a conversation between people, soil, water and weather. Here is what sustainable agriculture looks like in practice, and why it matters for food security.
Youth • 5 min read
Youth Empowerment Through Creativity, Skills and Community Action
Young people are not waiting to be rescued. They are painting, recording, planting and organising. Here is how good programmes make room for that.
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Volunteering • 4 min read
What Ethical Community Volunteering in Kenya Should Look Like
Good intentions are not enough. These are the questions worth asking before you volunteer, and what a good host organisation should be able to answer.
Questions people often ask us
Clear, straightforward answers about who we are, where we work, and how to get involved.
Let's build something good together
Whether you want to volunteer, partner with us, or simply learn more, we'd be glad to hear from you.