Re-Imagining New Communities

09/07/2026

Help us welcome Ilan Bass our board member visiting Kenya for the first time.

He's been an incredible advisor, mentor and support system since 2024 and we are glad to have him in Nairobi to get to understand and interact with all the work and stakeholders we work with.

04/07/2026

Read our Latest Newsletter for January- June 2026!

Building Peace from the Ground Up

02/07/2026

"𝐀 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞"

That powerful reminder formed the heart of the message delivered by our Executive Director, Sahlim Charles, as Guest Speaker at the Grand Butterfly Gathering 2026 organized by The The Trueness ProjectProject and held at Kibera Restoring Hope Center. The theme of the gathering was " I am Embracing My Wings of Purpose."

Addressing children, young people, educators and community leaders, Sahlim Charles challenged those present to move beyond seeing peace as a one-day event and instead embrace it as a daily practice in their homes, schools, workplaces, places of worship, communities and even in the language they use.

One of the most resonant messages from his address was:
"𝘝𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦."

He also introduced the WINGS Framework for purposeful leadership, encouraging young people to:
🦋 Know their Worth.
🦋 Cultivate Inner Leadership.
🦋 Practice Neighborliness.
🦋 Develop their Gifts with Grit.
🦋 Use their gifts in Service to others.

These are the conversations that define the work of Re-Imagining New Communities. We are grateful to The Trueness Project and its Kenyan leadership led by Benvictor Makau Kibera Restoring Hope Center for the opportunity to mark this day with them.

Through the leadership of Sahlim Charles we continue to inspire organizations working with children to rethink leadership, peacebuilding and community transformation in practical and lasting ways. If your school, organization or institution is looking for a speaker who can spark transformative conversations on peacebuilding, child leadership, conflict transformation or community resilience, we would be delighted to connect.

Remember One butterfly is beautiful. A gathering of butterflies becomes a movement.



Photos by Godfrey Atsing'a

17/06/2026

Marking today at Ematundu primary school, Khwisero in Kakamega County. This is how everyone arrived at the venue. Amazing day with the children and partners from across the county.

17/06/2026

In this latest blog, Loice from our Children-Led Peace Labs shares her experience at the


Girl Rising

On 5th June 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the Girls First Summit held at Iconic Plaza in Nairobi. I attended the summit as a representative of my school, Korogocho Glory Primary School and a member of the Children Led Community Peace Labs (CLCP Labs) by Re-Imagining New Communities which wor...

16/06/2026

Peace is not simply the silence of guns. For a child, peace means clean water, a safe toilet, dignity & the freedom to return to class without interruption.

If children are denied these basic rights, can we truly call it peace?

Peace is not declared. It is experienced

12/06/2026

An estimated 160 million children worldwide are still trapped in child labour.

While many children spend their days in classrooms, playgrounds, and with friends, millions wake up each morning to work in farms, mines, homes, factories, and on the streets. Instead of learning, playing, and growing, they are burdened with responsibilities no child should carry.

As we mark World Day Against Child Labour, we renew our call to end a practice that continues to rob children of their education, safety, dignity, and childhood .

This year's campaign, "Red Card to Child Labour," sends a powerful message: every child belongs in a classroom, not a workplace. Every child deserves opportunities, not exploitation; dreams, not dangerous labour.

Ending child labour is more than a moral, it is an investment in the next generation and in a future where every child can learn, play, and thrive.

09/06/2026

Do you know in 2016, there a research that was done and key recommendation in what needs to be done to deal with school unrests and strikes? We're the recommendations implemented? Are we just just solving symptoms and the root cause? Our latest article provides some insights and how building a culture of peace can save the situation.

Since the opening of schools for the second term in 2026, Kenya is once again facing a painful wave of school unrest. As of today, several secondary schools have experienced strikes, walkouts, fires, closures, fear and disruption. The tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, where an estimated 1...

05/06/2026

We are here. The 10th Girls First Summit happenig today. Nairobi, 5 June 2026. Girl Rising

01/06/2026

Madaraka is often translated as "self-rule."

But what does self-rule look like today?

Perhaps it is communities taking ownership of their future. Young people creating opportunities where none existed. Citizens choosing dialogue over division. Leaders serving with integrity. Neighbours lifting one another up.

This Madaraka Day, may we reflect on the power we hold not just as individuals, but as a nation to shape the Kenya we want to see. A peaceful Kenya. A united Kenya. A just Kenya. And a Kenya where every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Because freedom is not only inherited. It is continually built.

Happy Madaraka Day, Kenya.