Growing up in my pre-teen and teen years, a typical Sunday afternoon after church meant my dad taking us for Nyama Choma (roast meat) at Nairobi’s famous Kenyatta Market. Other than my mum, sister, and I dodging the hairdressers at the gate hustling for clients, I never paid much attention to what went on in the market.

A few years later, that same market entrance became a regular small-talk stop for my entire family. In my third year at the University of Nairobi, I was privileged to intern at Sight Savers International’s Nairobi Comprehensive Eye Services Project, based at the Mbagathi Eye Hospital. The project worked with visually impaired persons in Nairobi’s informal settlements, ensuring they were not stigmatized and had access to basic services and opportunities to earn a livelihood.

This is where I met Mr. Kenyanya—an encounter that forever changed my perspective on social development work. I learned it’s not just a profession; it’s about changing lives one person at a time.

Mr. Kenyanya once had normal eyesight, but an accident at work left him completely blind. Our project was helping him expand his shoe-shining business into shoe repairs. My task was to accompany him to Gikomba Market to purchase the necessary tools and materials. We had a list, and while I served as his guide through the dusty, crowded market, he did the rest. He knew exactly what he needed and assessed quality by touch—it was incredible to witness.

Over the years, we communicated once in a while and I would pass by the market to say an occasional hello. As it happens to all of us, the calls become fewer and fewer over time. I recently got the urge to check on him but unfortunately the voice on the other side of the line was not his. I was informed that he had unfortunately passed away a month before. How I wish we had spoken more often, how I wish my children got to meet this remarkable man and to show them why I am passionate about what I do.

For those of us in the development sector—what grounds you? What inspires you and reminds you why you chose this path? For me, it’s Mr. Kenyanya and many others I’ve been humbled and privileged to meet through this work. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve in this noble field.

As we engage at the community level, let’s always remember: communities have solutions to their own challenges. They just need a little boost—resources, information, and enabling legal frameworks.