Wasafiri’s leadership transition is rooted where our work is

by Stella Odhiambo/

Wasafiri’s leadership transition is rooted where our work is

Stella Odhiambo

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Over the past decade, Wasafiri has grown into a trusted partner for systems change work across Africa and beyond. By 2025, more than 90% of our work and our team was based on the continent. That shift had already begun to shape how we worked, who we partnered with, and what we were learning about how meaningful change actually happens.

In early August 2025, we aligned our leadership with this reality. This leadership transition marked a new chapter for Wasafiri. It reflected a long-held ambition to root our leadership, voice, and decision-making in the places where the systems we work on are lived and shaped every day.

A legacy that made this possible

This moment built on the stewardship of Alex Rees, who led Wasafiri as Managing Director through a period of growth, learning, and increasing impact. Under his leadership, Wasafiri strengthened its reputation as a consultancy grounded in systems thinking and committed to making good change happen, particularly across Africa.

That legacy included a clear strategic direction: as our work and team increasingly centred on Africa, so too should our leadership. Alex’s transition out of his executive role and into an advisory position created space for that ambition to fully take shape. We remain deeply grateful for his leadership and continue to benefit from his guidance in an advisory capacity.

George and Ian

Leadership rooted in the region

Following this transition, George Kaburu and Ian Randall stepped into strategic leadership roles to lead Wasafiri’s next phase.

George Kaburu took on the role of Executive Director (Operations), leading our consultancy work and team from our Nairobi headquarters. Ian Randall, a founder of Wasafiri, continues as Executive Director (Strategy), guiding our offer to clients and partners.

Together, they represent a leadership model that is globally connected, but with proximity to the communities and organisations we engage with across Africa.

As George reflected at the time, “I am looking forward to working with such a talented and hugely experienced team, working with clients and partners to solve some of the world’s most complex problems.”

Localisation matters for systems change

For donors and practitioners working in systems change, the importance of place-based approaches is increasingly clear. Systems are shaped by history, relationships, culture, and lived experience. Being close to communities, institutions, and partners is a practical choice.

Locating leadership in Kenya has strengthened our ability to listen more closely to local and regional actors and respond more appropriately to emerging dynamics. From our Nairobi headquarters, the transition affirmed what had always been our intended trajectory: to move our centre of gravity closer to the systems and communities we serve.

We are proud of this transition. It was aligned with our purpose, and it continues to position us to support ambitious systems change efforts across the region.

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Unlocking Africa’s Digital Future Through Partnership and Experimentation

by Cecilia Mwangi/

Unlocking Africa’s Digital Future Through Partnership and Experimentation

Cecilia Mwangi

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Across Africa, technology is shaping how people learn, heal, trade, and entertain themselves.

From mobile money to AI-powered health platforms, digital innovation is opening doors that once seemed firmly shut. But if there is one thing that came through clearly in a recent gathering partner convening, it is this: technology alone will not deliver transformation. It is the ecosystem around it that will. The partnerships, financing, and the culture of experimentation is what will determine whether Africa’s digital future is inclusive, sustainable, and rooted in impact.

At Wasafiri, we see this every day in our work alongside partners across Africa and beyond. Our network of systems-change consultants helps organisations step back, see the bigger picture, and build the collaborations needed to turn innovation into lasting impact. The insights we’ve recently gathered strongly echo the themes that are shaping Africa’s digital future.

Cecilia speaking at a Porticus partner convening workshop
Cecilia speaking at the Porticus Rooted for Impact partner convening in Nairobi. 2025

Tech for Good is more than gadgets and apps

The phrase Tech for Good is gaining momentum across the continent, and rightly so. It captures the idea that innovation is not just about shiny apps or impressive code, but about solving real problems in ways that expand dignity and opportunity for the millions who need it.

Take HEAL, a survivor-centric digital mental health platform designed in Kenya to support those who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence. It combines the reach of technology with the sensitivity of culturally attuned counselling, offering confidential support through an AI-powered therapist. This is Tech for Good at its best. It meets people where they are, with tools that respond to urgent social needs.

And the potential goes far beyond health. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, AI alone could add up to US $1.5 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030 if the continent captures just 10% of the global AI market.1

Applications range from boosting climate resilience to expanding access to finance and education. Done right, digital innovation can become one of the greatest equalisers of our time.

Why experimentation matters

A shift in mindset from seeing innovation as a high-risk gamble to embracing it as a process of trial, learning, and adaptation will take experimentation. A scary notion for many.

Africa needs to create spaces where startups, researchers, and development partners can “fail fast” and “learn faster”. Iterative prototyping, open innovation, and bold experimentation are essential tools for navigating uncertainty and making limited resources go further.

When innovators have the freedom to test, pivot, and refine, they find creative solutions that rigid, risk-averse systems overlook. This agility is what allows new ideas to grow from fragile pilots into scalable, life-changing services.

The role of policymakers, investors, and funders here is clear: to create safe conditions for experimentation. That means financing early-stage pilots, supporting incubators, running case competitions, and backing mentorship across sectors. By backing the process as much as the product, they enable innovators to take the risks that lead to breakthroughs.

Cecilia speaking at a Porticus partner convening workshop
Cecilia speaking at a Porticus partner convening workshop in Nairobi

Partnerships as the engine of scale

But no single innovator or organisation can build the future alone. Strong partnerships are the glue that holds Africa’s innovation ecosystem together.

We have already seen how collaboration between governments, private investors, civil society, and academia can spark progress. For example, when mobile money took root in East Africa, it scaled because regulators allowed space for experimentation, because telcos invested in infrastructure, and because communities quickly integrated it into daily life.

The same is true today. Whether it’s scaling an ed-tech platform across borders or embedding renewable energy solutions in rural communities, the challenge is less about inventing the technology and more about weaving the right web of relationships around it. Trust, shared vision, and joint investment are what turn bright ideas into systemic transformation.

This is also where Wasafiri has found our role: helping partners see the bigger picture, convene unlikely coalitions, and design the collaborative platforms that enable innovation to take root and scale.

Mobilising capital for African-led innovation

If partnerships are the engine, capital is the fuel. And here, Africa still faces a stubborn gap. Too often, funding for innovation is short-term, donor-driven, or externally designed, leaving local innovators struggling to grow beyond the initial or start-up stages.

This is beginning to change. More African investors are entering the field, and global players are recognising the importance of long-term, locally anchored finance. But the shift needs to accelerate.

Sustainable financing means aligning investment strategies with systemic outcomes. It means measuring success in equity, resilience, and social impact, and not just profits.

At the recent convening, we see that there is also an urgent need to make capital more inclusive. By 2030, Africa is projected to create 230 million new digital jobs, and over 650 million people will need to reskill or upskill2. Ensuring that women, youth, and marginalised groups can access the resources to participate in this future is not optional; it is foundational.

Seeing the bigger picture

At the heart of these conversations lies a hopeful vision. To get there, three shifts are essential:

  1. Embracing a culture of experimentation – normalising “fail fast, learn faster” approaches so that innovation becomes a process of discovery, not a single bet.
  2. Strengthening collaborative ecosystems – building partnerships across sectors and borders to scale what works.
  3. Mobilising sustainable capital – unlocking financing that is long-term, inclusive, and impact-driven.

It is easy to get swept up in headlines about AI breakthroughs or the latest startup on the block. But the deeper story is not about the technology itself. It is about people and the systems they create together.

We believe that Tech for Good in Africa is ultimately a collective endeavour. It is about ensuring that the digital future is not something that happens to Africans, but something shaped by Africans, for Africans.

  1. https://cioafrica.co/tapping-into-ai-to-inspire-inclusion-for-women/
  2. https://www.ifc.org/en/pressroom/2019/ifc-report-finds-130-billion-opportunity-in-digital-skills-across-sub-saharan-africa

    https://www.mastercard.com/news/media/ue4fmcc5/mastercard-ai-in-africa-2025.pdf

    https://technext24.com/2025/05/23/230-million-digital-jobs-created-by-2030/
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Why COP30 must centre food systems

by Ledama Masidza/

Why COP30 must centre food systems

Ledama Masidza
Ledama Masidza

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As COP30 unfolds in Belém, Brazil, the world gathers at a pivotal moment for climate action. This year, as I join governments, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and youth gathering to shape our shared future, it is clear that food systems are finally taking their rightful place at the heart of climate discussions.

At Wasafiri, we believe that food connects climate, nature and livelihoods. If we are serious about building a just and resilient world, then transforming food systems must be central to how we act on climate.

It has taken decades for food systems to move from the sidelines of climate diplomacy to the main agenda. This shift reflects a growing understanding that agriculture, nutrition, and land use are inseparable from climate resilience, biodiversity, and equity.

At COP28, food systems were formally acknowledged in the Global Stocktake and the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, endorsed by over 150 countries. COP29 maintained momentum, but lacked coherence. Now, attending COP30 in person, I see a strategic opportunity to embed food systems into climate action.

How food systems fit into COP30

Under Brazil’s Action Agenda, food systems feature as one of six thematic axes, specifically Axis 3: Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems. This is a major breakthrough, recognising that food systems are also cultural, and political.

Axis 3 focuses on three pillars:

  1. Restoring land and promoting sustainable agriculture through agroecology and Indigenous stewardship.
  2. Building resilient and adaptive food systems that can withstand climate shocks while reducing waste and improving supply chains.
  3. Ensuring equitable access to food and nutrition for all, especially the most vulnerable.

What’s shifting at COP30

Several developments at COP30 are set to shape how food systems are integrated into climate action:

  • Unlocking climate finance for sustainable agriculture and agroecology, especially for smallholders and Indigenous communities.
  • Integrating food systems into national climate plans (NDCs and NAPs) to align mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity goals.
  • Bridging the Rio Conventions, on climate, biodiversity, and desertification, to create a more coherent and impactful approach to food systems transformation.
  • Advancing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) to strengthen resilience and ensure that adaptation strategies are inclusive, nutrition-sensitive, and grounded in local realities.
  • Linking agriculture, forests, and the blue economy, recognising that food systems are connected to both land and sea.

Kenya’s priorities: Global ambition, local realities

Kenya enters COP30 from a position of both urgency and opportunity. Climate impacts are already reshaping agriculture and livelihoods, but communities are actively innovating in response. The food systems agenda at COP30 offers a chance to elevate Kenya’s models of resilience, regeneration, and justice.

Key priorities include:

  • Carbon markets and land use that protect community rights and ensure benefits reach smallholders.
  • Scaling agroecology and regenerative practices, building on Indigenous knowledge as climate intelligence.
  • Integrated land and water governance that prioritises community stewardship and water justice.
  • Inclusion of Indigenous peoples in decision-making and finance mechanisms.
  • Youth-led innovation in digital agriculture and market systems, showing what a resilient, climate-smart future can look like.

COP30 represent an opportunity to redefine what climate ambition looks like. Food systems sit at the intersection of the biggest global challenges we face: hunger, biodiversity loss, and the climate crisis.

By centring food systems, COP30 can turn climate commitments into concrete, equitable action. The task now is to ensure that the promises made in Belém translate into resilience for farmers, nourishment for communities, and regeneration for the planet. “The transformation we need won’t come from any single policy or actor. It will come from how governments, farmers, financiers, and communities work together to reimagine food systems as engines of resilience and regeneration” adds Ian Randall, Wasafiri’s Director.

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Kenya Transform Food Festival 2025: Leading differently to transform food systems

by Jacqui Kubania/

Kenya Transform Food Festival 2025: Leading differently to transform food systems

Jacqui Kubania

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The African Food Fellowship on October 24 2025 hosted the annual Kenya Transform Food Festival in Nairobi, Kenya. The gala event brought together food systems leaders working in governments, private sector, research and academia, financing, civil society, and community groups to celebrate leadership as an essential catalyst for transforming food systems in Kenya.

Through a series of well curated sessions and inspiring speakers, the festival showcased food systems leadership in action, and celebrated those who have made great strides to build collaborations and work towards a common goal.

Food 4 Education senior policy manager Stella Kimani delivers a keynote speech at the festival.
Food 4 Education senior policy manager Stella Kimani delivers a keynote speech at the festival.

“Food systems transformation is not just theory but applied courage. It’s adaptive, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that Africans can design and scale solutions to Africa’s problems,” said Food 4 Education senior policy manager Stella Kimani, who delivered the keynote speech.

Stella, who is also an African Food Fellow, challenged the audience to lead with courage.

“We start at the intersection of possibility and responsibility. Your leadership matters. Our continent does not need heroes but architects of systems who build bridges between generations and ideas. Let’s keep experimenting, collaborating and leading with courage,” she said.

Africa’s food systems are at a pivotal moment and provide big opportunities for change and transformation. With the CAADP Kampala Declaration signed in January this year, Africa reaffirmed its commitment to end hunger by 2035 by increasing sustainable agricultural production, tripling inter-Africa trade in agro-food items, and reducing post-harvest losses.

Africa’s food systems are intricately entwined in a complex web of factors, including climate volatility, governance, trade, technology, cultural norms, and economic inequities. By design, these challenges defy one-size-fits-all solutions. Food systems leadership becomes indispensable in diagnosing these intertwined issues and orchestrating collective action.

The Kampala Declaration recognises this and notably differs from previous agreements by moving away from focusing on technical interventions and quantitative metrics to enhancing food system approaches and embracing inclusive design and implementation processes. Simply put, it signals a strong intention to put people at the centre of food systems transformation.

Happy smiles! Guests enjoy conversations and finger foods during the festival.
Happy smiles! Guests enjoy conversations and finger foods during the festival.

The festival honoured this intention by offering an opportunity for Fellows to showcase their food systems actions, which are initiatives that they are working on to secure real impact on the ground. They demonstrated how they have used collective leadership to unlock public private partnerships for healthy school meals and inclusive value chains, bridge the data gap in the aquaculture sector, and merge aquaculture and horticulture systems in the arid lands.

African Food Fellowship Kenya FSA Lead Ledama Masidza (far left) leads Fellows Stephen Muthui, Proscovia Alando and Salash Leshornai in a panel discussion on their Food System Actions.
African Food Fellowship Kenya FSA Lead Ledama Masidza (far left) leads Fellows Stephen Muthui, Proscovia Alando and Salash Leshornai in a panel discussion on their Food System Actions.

“Where I come from, the climate is changing faster than culture. Pastoralism on its own is not a viable source of income for communities in ASAL regions. This is why we are setting up a learning hub to teach communities a new way of securing their livelihoods and nutritious diets for everyone,” said Salash Leshornai, who is working with Kelvin Muli and Robert Shumari to introduce integrated Aquaculture–Horticulture Systems (Aquaponics) in Kajiado and Samburu counties. This is a climate-resilient alternative which demonstrates that a nutritious plate can be locally secured—fish for protein and vegetables from the kitchen garden—even in the dry season.

Fellow Robert Shumari elaborates on the Aquaculture Learning Hub model and its intended impact.
Fellow Robert Shumari elaborates on the Aquaculture Learning Hub model and its intended impact.

On their part, Fellows Proscovia Alando, Mary Opiyo, Alice Hamisi and Ruth Lewo demonstrated how they are bridging the date gap in the aquaculture industry to ensure that women’s contributions are more visible and can therefore attract more support.

“Through data, we are connecting farmers with the necessary support so that the information we collect can give actionable insight to not only improve farmers’ business but strengthen food security. We involve a diverse set of actors. We connect the farmers to financiers, insurance providers, input providers, and markets,” they said.

Fellows Alice Hamisi and Proscovia Alando (right) interact with guests curious to learn more about their work in making women in aquaculture more visible.
Fellows Alice Hamisi and Proscovia Alando (right) interact with guests curious to learn more about their work in making women in aquaculture more visible.

The evening culminated in the awarding of the Food System Action prize, which went to Feeding Futures, and initiative designed by Fellows Julia Kamau, Sylvia Kuria and Stephen Muthui to deliver nutritious indigenous meals to school children in Kenya’s informal settlements. Due to limited space in government-sponsored schools, these children attend alternative private schools which receive no formal support from the government, including the school feeding programme.

“We envision a country where all children have access to organic and healthy food. This is a right in our constitution, so we’re not coming. to do a favour for these children but ensuring their rights are protected,” said Stephen, who represented the group at the award ceremony.

Food System Action award winner Stephen Muthui (third from left) poses for a picture with Fellows and members of the AFF secretariat.
Food System Action award winner Stephen Muthui (third from left) poses for a picture with Fellows and members of the AFF secretariat.

Guests also had a n opportunity to interact with the latest research by the African Food Fellowship which provides evidence that leadership is a catalytic force that turns good ideas into a systems-changing interventions. Food systems leadership enables collective action and brings multiple stakeholders to the table, including the people most marginalised by the existing system, to become co-designers, implementors, and advocates of the solution.

“At the African Food Fellowship, we curate the conditions for people to collaborate and act. We need to change behaviour, shift power dynamics, secure investments and incentives, and influence policy. That’s a human-centered approach,” said the African Food Fellowship head of networks and delivery Claudia Piacenzia.

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What a fishing village taught me about transforming complex systems

by Ledama Masidza/

What a fishing village taught me about transforming complex systems

Ledama Masidza
Ledama Masidza

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An interview with Ledama Masidza

When you meet Ledama Masidza, you quickly sense his deep bond with the ocean.

A Marine Conservationist, Indigenous Food Systems Advocate, and natural storyteller, he has dedicated his young and impressive career to working with fishing communities to restore balance between livelihoods and marine life.

Among his proudest achievements is helping secure user rights for a 12,000-hectare co-managed marine area on Kenya’s coast, an effort that has drawn global attention.

Ledama’s journey into conservation began in his childhood, watching how coastal communities depended on the ocean for survival while struggling to keep it alive. That early awareness grew into a passion he carried through university and into his first role in Kuruwitu, a small fishing village in Kilifi County. It was there, he says, that “the ocean became my first classroom in leadership.”

In this conversation with Stella Odhiambo, Ledama shares what he learned in Kuruwitu, why community ownership matters, and how applying a systems approach reveals that youth and local communities already hold the keys to lasting solutions.

Ledama filming for an upcoming documentary
Ledama filming for an upcoming documentary

What first drew you to working with the ocean and coastal communities?

The ocean was my first classroom in leadership. Right after graduating, I found myself in Kuruwitu, a small coastal village in Kilifi County, some 36 or so kilometres from Mombasa, Kenya.

I was working as an environmental program manager, supporting a 30-hectare Locally Managed Marine Area. I would spend long hours restoring coral, doing research, and filming this incredible sanctuary.

Inside, life flourished. Outside, I would find discarded nets, turtles trapped, and reefs stripped bare. It broke my heart. I knew we couldn’t only protect small pockets of ocean…we had to restore the wider seascape. And that could only happen with the community fully in the lead.

What was happening in Kuruwitu’s fisheries, and why was change so urgent?

By 1999, the Kuruwitu fishery had collapsed. 5,000 metric tonnes of fish gone. Regulations existed but were weakly enforced. Beach Management Units, which were supposed to lead governance, had no resources, no training, no leadership support. And unlike land, the ocean has no title deeds.

Fish swim across boundaries. How do you secure tenure over food that moves? That reality pushed me to see conservation differently: you can’t eat conservation. Real conservation is about both biodiversity and livelihoods.

Families were struggling. Fishers would go out to sea and return empty-handed. Young people had little reason to see fishing as a viable future. Without urgent action, both culture and ecology were at risk. That urgency forced us to ask: what would it take to build a community-led system that lasts?

Ledama graduating from the African Food Fellowship
Ledama graduating from the African Food Fellowship

Building a functional, community-led governance system sounds complex. At Wasafiri, we use Systemcraft as a way to make sense of such change. Did you see this approach at play in Kuruwitu?

Absolutely. Supported by Oceans Alive and the Kuruwitu Beach Management Unit, the steps we took align closely with the five dimensions of Systemcraft. My understanding of this approach deepened when I became a fellow of the African Food Fellowship and saw these same dimensions applied not just to oceans, but to food systems across Africa. I saw it lead to real environmental impact.

It began with organising for collaboration. The Beach Management Unit needed legitimacy. So I helped them hold elections. Yes, 21-year-old me! We had to update their constitution and secure legal standing. Without that collective structure, nothing else could have taken root.

Then we had to set the direction. Mapping the fishing grounds with researchers gave the community a clear picture of their territory. Seeing it on a map created a shared sense of responsibility: this is ours to protect.

From there, we turned to harnessing collective intelligence. Not so simple when wary NGO’s refused to share their data with us. We were looking at 1-year-old studies. So we carried out new surveys with fishers, co-creating a baseline of data. This wasn’t abstract research; it was knowledge the community could use to guide decisions.

To make it matter, we brought everyone into the process. I’ll never forget taking stakeholders snorkelling: inside the sanctuary, the reefs teemed with life; outside, they were barren. That single experience spoke louder than any report. I believe it fanned a shared urgency for action.

Finally, we had to change the incentives. Together, the community drafted bylaws on fishing gear, enforcement, and surveillance. It wasn’t easy – because in truth, a broken system works for some people or some of the time. There was definitely some resistance to change, and debates often grew heated. But over time, the rules began to shift behaviours, rewarding stewardship over short-term gain, and giving fishers a reason to protect rather than exploit.

And when the government granted official recognition, it brought us full circle to collaboration again. This time on a larger scale. The community now had both the authority and the partnerships to act as true stewards of their ocean.

Ledama at the Africa Youth Summit in 2024
Ledama at the Africa Youth Summit in 2024

Why is community ownership essential for lasting conservation solutions?

Because only the community can balance survival with stewardship. Outsiders may bring funding or science, but if families go hungry, no project will last. Ownership transforms conservation from an external agenda into a practice rooted in culture and livelihood.

What lessons from Kuruwitu can be applied to wider food systems?

The lesson is this: solutions already exist within communities. Youth and local leaders know their realities better than anyone else. With space, knowledge, and resources, they can transform entire systems, whether fisheries, forests, or food systems.

You’ve described this process as "Collective System Action." How does that link to your approach today?

Collective System Action means no single project or actor can drive transformation alone. Change requires shifting incentives, coordinating coalitions, setting clear direction, making it matter to people’s lives, and continuously learning. That’s what we lived through in Kuruwitu. It wasn’t a linear project; it was a systems journey.

Ledama at COP28
Ledama at COP28

Looking ahead, why do you believe global solutions can and should come from Africa?

Because we’ve already shown it’s possible. What started in Kuruwitu became a model shared at the World Conservation Congress and at COP. From there, it inspired adoption at different levels: by organisations such as African governments and the African Protected Areas Congress at a continental scale, and by global bodies through platforms like Nature Seychelles and the World Conservation Congress.

Today, I co-founded the Local and Indigenous Food Systems Transformation Network (LIFT), connecting communities across continents. Turns out the ideas born on an African coast, a small fishing village, can inspire the world.

In conclusion, systems thinking is not an abstract theory. It is a living, adaptable practice. What Ledama helped build in Kuruwitu shows that communities and youth hold the keys to solving global challenges, starting right here in Africa.

If you’re grappling with a complex social issue and want to understand our approach Systemcraft a little better, see what our easy to grasp, self-led course is all about here: Systemcraft Essentials course by Wasafiri

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Seeing the system: how systems thinking is helping unlock progress in global eye health

by Scott Hinkle/

Seeing the system: how systems thinking is helping unlock progress in global eye health

Anna McKeon &
Scott Hinkle

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Systems thinking helps us make sense of the messy, interconnected challenges that shape our world. A recent pilot course by Wasafiri and IAPB shows how this approach is transforming how professionals tackle avoidable blindness.

Eye health is the global public health crisis that no one’s talking about. 2.2 billion people, nearly a third of the world’s population, live with some form of sight loss.

The consequences ripple through every part of life: children unable to learn, adults unable to work, and older people unable to live independently. And for half of these people, 1.1 billion people, that sight loss is avoidable. Solutions exist; most are low-cost and proven. So why does avoidable blindness persist?

The answer lies not just in science or infrastructure, but in systems. IAPB (the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness) shared mission is to end avoidable sightloss, and their global strategy embraces the need for transformative systems change to achieve this.

However, there is a leadership gap in eye health, as in many sectors which have developed from clinical professions. Top-down leadership and siloed, competitive approaches are common, and working with a systems mindset is a relatively new idea.

Systemcraft is Wasafiri’s practical approach to tackling complex problems. In 2024, IAPB partnered with Wasafiri to pilot a Systemcraft course tailored for professionals working in eye health. The goal was to help people working in this field think differently, lead more collaboratively, and identify new leverage points to drive lasting change.

This marked the first time the course had been tailored to a specific health issue, bringing together 16 participants from around the world to learn and apply systems thinking to complex challenges in their work. The feedback was clear: systems change is essential in eye health, and this kind of learning community is one powerful way to build it.

What we did: Piloting Systemcraft for the eye health sector

Over eight weeks, participants from across regions and organisations came together to explore the dynamics shaping the eye health system; power, incentives, narratives, structures, and relationships. The course combined self-directed learning with peer coaching calls and asked participants to bring a real problem from their context and work through it using the tools and approaches introduced each week.

What participants valued: New thinking, practical tools, and connection

The course opened up new ways of thinking and acting. As one participant put it, “I found it an eye opener. I had this opportunity to talk about my complex example, I had good conversations with people around the world… Some people advised me with things that I really need to change in my work.”

Others reflected on how useful it was to have both a strategic framework and practical tools: “It’s very hands-on, I must say. That’s what I really appreciated. A very good composition of theory and practical use. Not expensive, easy to go for, and gives a lot of value.”

Participants noted how applicable the learning felt to the real-world complexity of eye health. One explained: “We were not talking about new problems, but we were exposed to different approaches to the current issues we are faced with in the day-to-day. A bit more critical thinking, even categorising the problem, trying to look for stakeholders and people who we can collaborate with. I think that’s a good approach.”

Another highlighted a powerful insight from the course: “The fact that the system is working, but it’s working for a few people. That’s where the problem is. That point really helps to see how best we make changes.”

Participants also valued the chance to learn together. Peer conversations and feedback were central to the experience. One reflected that the group space helped to embed the learning: “The group was where we put things into practice and got to talk about what we’re doing and hear feedback. It was great.”

What we learned: There’s an appetite for systems change… and room to grow

This pilot confirmed that system change matters in eye health and that there is an appetite across the sector to build capability to lead it. Participants saw this work as relevant not just to specific challenges they’re working on now, but to the long-term evolution of their organisations and systems.

“Even though we have not solved the problem, we have at least improved cataract coverage. The more collaborations we do, the more learning we can share with others. So overall, our impact is bound to be more.”

Several participants reflected on who in their organisations should take part in future cohorts, from team managers and Country Directors to anyone involved in shaping internal or external change: “Each change project internally is at least a bit of systems change – so having that kind of understanding and awareness is something to go for.”

At the same time, there were clear areas for improvement. Many wanted more time with peers and facilitators, and a stronger sense of closure. Some found it hard to make time between sessions for reflection and application.

Others suggested delivering the course more intensively over a shorter time period, or aligning future cohorts with major eye health events.

Several participants proposed setting up a community of practice for alumni – recognising that lasting change requires ongoing reflection, connection and support.

As one participant put it: “This course changed the way I’m thinking.”

If you would like to run a cohort course for your organisation, or if you’re facing a complex problem in the social development space and would like to learn more about our process, view the Systemcraft page or reach out to stella@wasafirihub.com.

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We don’t need new tools, we need new mindsets – a conversation about MEL for systems change

by Carolin Schramm/

We don’t need new tools, we need new mindsets – a conversation about MEL for systems change

Carolin Schramm
Carolin Schramm

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At Wasafiri, we work with our partners and clients to design and implement systemic approaches to drive transformational impact. Across our work in food systems, climate resilience, or peace and inclusion, the desire to shift systems in more equitable, sustainable directions is increasingly accompanied by a critical question: how do we know it’s working?

That’s where Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) for systems change comes in. We’ve been working to explore how MEL can evolve to meet the complexity of systems work. We’re experimenting, listening, learning and adapting – and shared our emerging thoughts in a draft discussion paper. (Read our evolving thinking on MEL for systems change).

To discuss some of our own learning and hear from others on a similar journey, we recently hosted a MEL practitioner webinar.

The conversation felt timely and confirmed increasing interest in the topic across different stakeholders. Yet, the field is still new for many, it comes with practical challenges, and the desire for more exchange and learning.

What we have learned

  • Pressure to show impact is growing, yet timelines are shrinking. Development programming is increasingly expected to deliver rapid results while accommodating new and often competing agendas. This creates a mismatch between ambitious goals and the limited time available for meaningful systems change. From a MEL perspective, being upfront with clients and partners from the outset is essential to align expectations, define realistic ambitions, and clarify what is and isn’t achievable.
  • Mixed readiness among funders for MEL in systems change. Donors vary widely in their openness to MEL approaches suited to systems change, with traditional funders often favouring less risk and innovation. In a context of constrained resources and global uncertainty, it remains unclear whether donors will double down on value for money or embrace more adaptive, learning-driven approaches. Philanthropic funders may be better positioned and more inclined to adopt systems thinking than their traditional counterparts.
  • Terminology can get in the way. Let’s face it, systems change language can be confusing. What do we really mean by “adaptive”, “emergent”, or “transformative” in practice? Using simple, practical language is essential if we want to bring more people into the conversation. This is especially true when working with more non-traditional development actors.
  • We don’t need new tools, we need new mindsets. The MEL tools exist. The challenge lies in how, when and why we apply them. The same logframe, theory of change, or survey can be used in radically different ways if the purpose shifts from proving to learning. It’s less about inventing new frameworks and more about helping teams ask better questions, hold uncertainty, and surface insights that lead to action.
  • Clients need support but not overload. From a consultant’s point of view, there’s a fine balance between building clients’ MEL capacity and burdening them with more frameworks. The goal isn’t to hand over a toolkit and walk away. It’s to support adaptive learning in a way that feels useful, realistic, and integrated into how programmes run.
  • The ‘why’ matters more than ever. In complex systems, we may not be able to prove exactly how change happened. But we can get better at understanding why certain things worked, and why others didn’t. Realist approaches, contribution analysis, and other context-sensitive methods are gaining traction because they embrace nuance and prioritise learning over attribution.
  • We need more shared spaces like this. There is value of shared learning. MEL for systems change looks different across sectors and geographies, but the underlying principles (and struggles) are surprisingly common. We can learn a lot from each other.

What’s next?

We don’t have all the answers. But we’re committed to staying in the conversation and to making our learning visible as we go.

We’ve pulled together a short discussion paper that summarises what we’re trying, what we’re noticing, and what we’re still wrestling with. It’s not a toolkit or a how-to guide. It’s a work in progression just like systems MEL itself. What can you do?

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How do we know that Systems Change is working?

by Kate Simpson/

How do we know that Systems Change is working?

Carolin Schramm &
Kate Simpson

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At Wasafiri, we spend a lot of time wrestling with big, messy questions. One of the big challenges with systems approaches to change is how do we learn about what is happening? How do we measure change in complex systems?

Traditional monitoring and evaluation (MEL) tools can feel like trying to catch smoke in your hands when you’re dealing with complexity and uncertainty.

We have done a lot of work with partners developing approaches to systems based MEL across systems in food, climate, peace, and livelihoods. We are very much in a learning phase.

To push our practice and share what might be useful to others, we’ve pulled together a work in progress discussion paper: “MEL for Systems Change”.

As a next step, we would love to hear from practitioners:

  • What resonates, what have we missed?
  • What are others learning in their practice?
  • What should we look at next?

We’d love to hear what you think. Whether this sparks new ideas or challenges your own approaches to MEL, drop Carolin a line at carolin@wasafirihub.com.

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School feeding initiatives, a game-changer for East Africa

by Stella Odhiambo/

School feeding initiatives, a game-changer for East Africa

Stella Odhiambo

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School feeding programs are more than just meals on a plate. When designed well, they create jobs, strengthen local food systems, and support children’s health and education. Yet, despite their potential, investment remains alarmingly low across Africa.

The reality is stark: while governments, NGOs, and development partners have made strides, the scale of the challenge far outweighs current efforts. With school feeding at the intersection of nutrition, local economies, and food security, it is clear that no single organisation can solve this alone.

Wasafiri works with a broad network of partners to convene, coordinate, and unlock solutions that drive systemic change. But time is running out. If we want to make school meals a truly sustainable solution, the world needs to act – and invest – now.

A missed opportunity for food systems actors?

Across East Africa, school meals are often the only reliable source of daily nutrition for millions of children. In Kenya, for example, nearly 4 million children benefit from school feeding programs. Yet these initiatives remain largely dependent on donor funding and food imports, failing to harness the full potential of local economies.

Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) presents an opportunity to shift this paradigm. By sourcing food from local smallholder farmers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), school feeding programs can:

  • Boost rural economies by creating predictable demand for local produce.
  • Improve food security by strengthening regional food systems.
  • Enhance nutrition by prioritizing diverse, locally available foods.
  • Increase resilience by reducing dependence on external food aid.

Despite these benefits, only a fraction of Africa’s school feeding programs are meaningfully linked to local food systems. A scoping review conducted by Wasafiri found that while 76% of school feeding initiatives claim to support small-scale farmers, only 43% have preferential contracting for them, and a mere 7% have legal frameworks to ensure their inclusion. In other words, the potential of HGSF remains largely untapped.

The question is not whether HGSF works; it does. The question is, why is Africa still struggling to make it the norm rather than the exception?

Unlocking the potential of local farmers and MSMEs

While school feeding should be a win-win for both children and local food producers, smallholder farmers and MSMEs face significant barriers to entry. Wasafiri is involved in CCHeFS, a project funded by IDRC aimed at integrating MSMEs and smallholder farmers into school feeding initiatives. Our research reveals some of their challenges:

  • Market access: Many smallholder farmers lack the scale and consistency required to meet the demands of school feeding programs.
  • Financing constraints: MSMEs and farmer cooperatives struggle to access the credit needed to expand production or invest in better infrastructure.
  • Procurement barriers: Government procurement processes often favour large suppliers, sidelining small-scale producers.
  • Logistical hurdles: Weak supply chain networks mean that even when smallholder farmers can produce sufficient food, getting it to schools efficiently is a challenge.

Wasafiri, alongside its partners, is working to identify practical ways to integrate MSMEs and smallholder farmers into school feeding supply chains. We are exploring financing models, capacity-building programs, and policy shifts that could make HGSF scalable. However, the reality is that these efforts, while necessary, are just a drop in the ocean. What is needed is serious, long-term investment.

Where will the investment come from?

The need for financing in HGSF cannot be overstated. While national governments have made commitments, budget constraints mean that school feeding programs often remain underfunded and inconsistent.

Private-sector engagement is almost non-existent in many cases. Yet, major global players such as impact investors, philanthropic foundations, and large agribusinesses have the resources to fill this gap. Organisations such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have invested heavily in food systems transformation. But school feeding has yet to receive the level of attention (and funding) it deserves.

We believe this must change. The case for investment is clear:

  • Return on investment: Studies show that for every $1 invested in school feeding, there is a $9 return in improved health, education, and productivity.
  • Impact on local economies: Research from the CCHeFS project demonstrates that integrating MSMEs into school feeding programs can create thousands of jobs and increase farmers’ incomes by 30-50%.
  • Climate resilience: Sourcing food locally can reduce the carbon footprint of school meals while promoting climate-smart agriculture.

The question is: who will step up?

A call to action: We must act now

Wasafiri has spent years working to understand the complexities of school feeding in Africa. We have conducted research, convened stakeholders, and supported policy discussions. But we cannot do this alone.

If we are serious about transforming school meals into a tool for systemic change, we must move beyond pilots and fragmented projects. We need:

  • Large-scale investments to support smallholder farmers and MSMEs in becoming viable suppliers.
  • Policy shifts that prioritise local procurement and reduce barriers for small businesses.
  • Multi-stakeholder collaboration, bringing together governments, donors, and the private sector.

If you are a funder, policymaker, or organisation that cares about the future of school feeding, now is the time to engage. The solutions exist. The question is whether we have the will to implement them at scale.

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