The apostle Paul was a careful student of the Roman roads and trade routes. He understood that these networks had been established in God’s sovereignty at just the right time to help the first-century church expand.

Infrastructure, when aligned with purpose, becomes a pathway for transformation. In the same spirit, we at Zafarani Ventures Foundation believe that youth entrepreneurship is a vital tool for economic self-reliance, community dignity and tackling systemic poverty.

Having grown up in the slums of Kibera myself, I strongly rejected the idea that poverty dictates a young person’s destiny.

We approach youth entrepreneurship not as an isolated economic concept, but as an extension of holistic empowerment, structural support and civic leadership.

Why Kibra?

Kibra is one of the largest informal settlements in Africa and home to hundreds of thousands of people living under significant pressure. The challenges are real and layered: high rates of youth unemployment, limited economic opportunity, poor housing conditions, weak infrastructure, and social issues that make daily life difficult for many families.

Yet Kibra is also a place of remarkable resilience, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy. Small businesses operate throughout the settlement, but many remain stuck at the lowest levels of growth. Capital is scarce, skills are limited, and money often leaves the community instead of circulating and multiplying within it.
We believe that the most powerful form of community development is economic development. When local businesses grow stronger, they create jobs, restore dignity, keep value circulating locally, and open pathways of hope for the next generation.

The Kibra Incubator Program

That is why we launched the Kibra Incubator Program. Our aim is to walk alongside small business owners – especially youth, women, and persons with disabilities – by providing practical training, ongoing coaching, accountability systems, and tools that help them build sustainable livelihoods.
Through careful mapping, monthly group training, individualized support, and a focus on real results, we seek to strengthen the economic fabric of Kibra from the inside out.
This is not short-term charity. It is a long-term commitment to capacity, stewardship, and lasting change.
We invite you to learn more about the work, follow the journey, and consider how you might walk with us as we invest in resilient livelihoods in Kibra.