Turning shared ambition into coordinated action

by Stella Odhiambo/

Turning shared ambition into coordinated action

Stella Odhiambo

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How Wasafiri helped align partners to move Grow Africa from vision to implementation and collective momentum

Many multi-stakeholder initiatives stall not because ambition is lacking, but because alignment never fully happens.

The vision is strong. The partners are credible. Political will exists. And yet progress moves far more slowly than expected.

More often than not, the challenge is alignment.

When the World Economic Forum and partners shaped Grow Africa, the ambition was clear: to strengthen collaboration and mobilise investment in African agriculture. Governments, businesses and development actors were engaged. Energy was present.

But ambition alone is not enough to move a system.

In complex environments, actors operate with different incentives, accountabilities and time horizons. Without deliberate alignment, even committed partners can pull in parallel rather than in concert. This is a familiar pattern in complex initiatives. Partners agree on the destination, but struggle to agree on priorities, sequencing, and how their efforts fit together in practice.

Our role was to help partners move from shared aspiration to clearer direction and coordinated action. This meant creating space for honest conversations about roles, priorities and decision-making. It meant looking at the system as a whole — where influence sat, where friction lay, and which shifts could unlock progress.

Rather than adding another layer of strategy, the emphasis was on strengthening the collective ability to decide and act together, and to adapt as conditions changed. This is where our Systemcraft approach became important.

Rather than focusing only on plans or individual actors, Systemcraft helped us look at the incentives, relationships, power dynamics and decision-making structures that shape how change actually happens. By helping partners surface these dynamics together, the process created shared clarity on priorities, roles, and points of leverage.

In practice, this helped partners see how their individual efforts connected to a wider agenda, where coordination was needed, and what practical pathways could move the platform forward. The focus was not simply on designing a strategy, but on strengthening the system’s capacity to align, decide and act collectively.

Over time, the platform reported clearer priorities and stronger coordination across participating actors. Conversations shifted from broad aspiration to practical next steps. Participants were better able to see how their contributions connected to a shared agenda, reducing duplication and strengthening confidence in the platform’s direction.

Grow Africa helped catalyse more than US $10 billion in private-sector investment commitments in African agriculture, with over US $1.8 billion implemented1. Public reporting also indicates these investments reached more than 8.6 million smallholder farmers and created around 58,000 jobs.2

While no single intervention can claim sole credit in a system of this scale, the experience reinforced a core insight: coordinated action is what enables ambition to translate into credible outcomes. For leaders responsible for turning ambition into movement, this capability can be the difference between activity and traction.

Facilitating Action Planning for Systems Change is one of the ways we support partners working on complex challenges. If you would like to explore how this could strengthen your own initiative, please reach out to Ian Randall.

1Partnering to Achieve African Agriculture Transformation (Grow Africa report)

2Grow Africa Leadership Council CoConveners Statement (African Union)

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Making school feeding work through MSEs and smallholder farmers

by Rikki Agudah/

Making school feeding work through MSEs and smallholder farmers

Rikki Agudah

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In the grand scheme of food systems, micro and small micro enterprises (MSEs) are often overlooked as a contributor to sustainable change and seen more as a benefactor of actions of other stakeholders in the food supply chain.

Policymakers and large institutions focus on industrial-scale suppliers, favoring efficiency over inclusivity. But in Africa’s school feeding programs, MSEs are not just a convenience – they are indispensable.

Every day across the Kenyan landscape, millions of children rely on school meals to get the nutrition they need to learn and grow. The success of these programs is tied to their ability to source food sustainably, affordably, and reliably. That is where MSEs come in.

Embedded in local economies, these businesses provide a variety of food products at the right pricing point and accessible for consumers. These MSEs will increasingly be an essential link between smallholder farmers and schools, ensuring that food is not just available, but that it is also healthy, culturally relevant and nutritionally appropriate.

The formal inclusion of MSEs in School Feeding is therefore essential for a complete school feeding cycle.

MSEs: The lifeline of local food systems

Within the communities in Kibera, Korogocho and Mukuru kwa Reuben, MSEs that we have interacted with are integral, easily dominating the food supply landscape in these urban areas, be they selling food products in formal stalls and eateries, hawking, or roadside selling.

While many sell a variety of processed and cooked food products, they also supply households with fresh produce, grains, and staples, exactly the same commodities required for school meals.

What we are learning is that when school feeding programs integrate these businesses into their supply chains, they create a ripple effect that strengthens local economies.

The benefits are tangible: finance circulates within communities, household incomes improve, and economic stability increases. School feeding then ceases to be a standalone intervention; it becomes an economic driver.

Sylvia and Steve Muthi
Sylvia and Steve Muthi

Take Sylvia Kuria, an organic farmer and activist working with Fellows from the African Food Fellowship. Together, they have collaborated with the Mukuru Agribusiness Association to connect smallholder organic farmers to schools in informal settlements.

Through this collaboration, they identified a local school where children were undernourished and organised a reliable supply of organic, healthy produce from nearby farmers. As a result, the school now provides two nutritious meals a day, improving children’s diets while creating a stable market for local producers.

Sylvia with Dorice Bosibori, chair of the Mukuru Agribusiness Association
Sylvia with Dorice Bosibori, chair of the Mukuru Agribusiness Association, and Becca Katz from Quest Nutrition

In turn, the steady demand is allowing Sylvia to train local farmers to better supply these schools, including using space-efficient approaches such as vertical farming, sack gardening, and container-based growing.

Sylvia is now looking for partners who share the view that working through MSEs can strengthen local economies, and who can support the scaling of this approach to reach more schools.

School meal
School meal

But the impact goes beyond economics. Unlike large-scale suppliers, MSEs are highly adaptable. They can respond quickly to changes in food availability caused by climate shocks or logistical challenges, shifting between supply sources and food types as needed.

This flexibility helps schools continue feeding children even when supply chains are under strain. Over time, this local resilience also supports the wider acceptance of healthy, sustainable foods by expanding the range of foods children eat at school and, in turn, what becomes familiar and accepted within their communities.

The procurement paradox: Why MSEs struggle to compete

Despite their importance, MSEs face significant hurdles when trying to participate in school feeding programs. Procurement policies remain a major roadblock to MSE entry.

Large suppliers have the financial muscle to endure long payment cycles: 30, 60, or even 90 days, whereas MSEs, which operate on cash-based transactions, cannot afford to wait. Schools, constrained by rigid procurement regulations, find it easier to work with established distributors rather than smaller, locally embedded suppliers.

Then there’s the issue of scale. MSEs typically supply small quantities daily, whereas school feeding requires bulk deliveries over an entire term. Bridging this gap requires innovative solutions.

The IDRC funded CCHeFS project, has been instrumental in organising MSEs in Kibra, Korogocho and Mukuru into registered Local Business Associations (LBAs), allowing them to pool resources, aggregate supply, and compete more effectively for school feeding contracts. But more needs to be done.

A blueprint for change

If school feeding is to become a true game changer for the adoption of healthy diets in low-income urban settlements, MSEs must be recognised as the economic driver and supported through procurement and financing models that reflect how these businesses actually operate. Governments and the private sector should develop financing mechanisms that ease cash-flow constraints, allowing smaller suppliers to participate without long payment delays.

Investment in local storage and aggregation facilities would also improve supply chain efficiency, making it easier for MSEs to supply schools and increase the availability of healthy foods in these settlements.

Collaboration with smallholder farmers in rural production areas is another critical piece of the puzzle. Intermediaries like the Kenya National Farmers Federation (KENAFF), which is the umbrella organisation for farmers in Kenya, have shown that when MSEs can work directly with farmers, the result is a safer, more reliable supply chain, one that prioritises both quality and nutrition.

Strengthening these linkages would not only assure the safety and quality of school meals but also drive demand for locally grown food, reinforcing the entire agricultural ecosystem.

The road ahead

Local Business Associations

Through the CCHeFS project, these LBAs have taken major strides to participate in policy influencing through participation in the Food Liaison Advisory Group (FLAG) committee of Nairobi County Government. This platform is critical to their continued advocacy for favourable business terms.

As policymakers debate the future of school feeding, they must recognise a fundamental truth: without MSEs, the system is weaker. These businesses are not just suppliers; they are enablers of food security, economic empowerment, and community resilience. Strengthening their role in school feeding programs is a strategic move that benefits everyone.

The next step is clear. We level the playing field. We remove financial barriers. We create policies that recognise MSEs as essential partners in feeding Africa’s children. Because when small businesses thrive, so do school feeding programs, and so do the millions of children who depend on them.

For more information on Wasafiri’s work with school feeding initiatives, smallholder farmers and MSEs, or the CCHeFS project, please reach out directly to george@wasafirihub.com.

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Visioning Zambia’s food systems, a homecoming through Collective Action

by Martin Kalungu-Banda/

Visioning Zambia’s food systems, a homecoming through Collective Action

Martin Kalungu-Banda

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Supporting non-state actors in Zambia to co-create a shared vision for their food systems has been both a homecoming and a deep learning journey for me. Working with civil society, young farmers, business, and government, through a nationally convened process led by the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) and supported by GIZ, we set out to see the whole system together and ignite long-term, inclusive change.

Why this work matters to me

Zambia is my home country. I grew up and was educated there, supported by public resources, before life and work took me elsewhere. Living far from home comes with a certain guilt: the knowledge that the opportunities and security enjoyed abroad impose a subtle burden, acting as a constant reminder of the contribution one owes to the community back home.

When the opportunity came to support non-state actors to develop a compelling vision for Zambia’s food systems, it immediately resonated with both my professional practice in systems transformation and my personal responsibility. The task was to help civil society, private sector and other non-state actors clarify where they want Zambia’s food systems to go, in a way that speaks to everyone who cares about food as the foundation of well-being, livelihoods, and the environment.

Food is a powerful lens. If you want to understand an economy, a community, or a country’s possible future, you can follow the life of food. From preparing the soil, to planting, harvesting, transporting, processing, and consuming. When you look closely in Zambia, you see that a huge proportion of people’s income and survival is tied to the soil and to food-related activities, especially for women and, more recently, young people.

Martin Kalungu Banda
Martin Kalungu-Banda

Seeing the whole food system

One of the first things that struck me in this work was how much knowledge already exists in Zambia. The people gathered, from civil society organisations, local authorities, small and medium businesses, transporters, academics, and others. They held rich insights about food, the environment, and collaboration. In many ways, they were living libraries of experience.

Yet their perspectives were often fragmented, each focusing on a specific part of the system. Farmers may focus on inputs, yields, and markets without always connecting this to policy or to the health of the soil. Processors may focus on the raw materials coming through the gate, not on how the soil was treated or what kinds of seeds were used. Policymakers may work on regulations and subsidies without fully hearing how these land in the daily lives of smallholders or transporters. This kind of siloed thinking is common in many sectors and countries, but in food systems, it can be particularly costly.

Our work, therefore, needed to help people see the whole. Wasafiri’s Systemcraft approach and Ubuntu philosophy became a practical way of widening awareness and connecting the dots. The aim was to enable participants see how their individual actions sit within a wider web of relationships that include soil health, climate, livelihoods, gender dynamics, and cultural attitudes to food.

Group work, 3D modelling exercise
Group work, 3D modelling exercise

Why gender and youth sit at the centre

Any serious conversation about Africa’s food systems must put gender and youth at the centre.

Most Zambians who derive their livelihoods from the land and from food-related activities are women. Much of this labour does not show up as formal “employment”, yet it is the backbone of household survival. Women till the land, plant, weed, harvest, process, cook, sell, and feed families. When we talk about food systems, we are therefore talking about women’s economic agency and gender equality in very concrete terms.

If we care about the economic emancipation of women and girls, we must look closely at the food system cycle: who controls land, who decides what is planted, who has access to finance and other inputs, whose labour is recognised, and who benefits from value addition. These are not abstract questions; they shape daily life.

The same is true for young people. It has been inspiring to see the passion of young farmers who are imagining a future different from that of older generations and who are taking up farming as a deliberate choice.

At the same time, urban youth can face stigma when they stay connected to traditional foods. For a child, eating imported fast food can be seen as “modern” while bringing sweet potatoes or pumpkin to school for lunch can mark you as “from the village”. This reveals how culture and identity intersect with food choices and health.

By placing gender and youth at the heart of the visioning process, the work in Zambia has tried to surface these dynamics rather than treat them as side issues. Food connects directly to health, education, and opportunity.

What children eat affects whether they are alert in class or weighed down and sleepy. What women can earn from food-related activities affects whether girls stay in school.

Group work, 3D modelling exercise
Group work, 3D modelling exercise

Making collaboration real

From the outset, we knew that complex issues such as food systems do not respond to heroic individuals, no matter how knowledgeable they might be.

These issues respond to collective action. So, the design of the process—which involved all key stakeholders–was itself an expression of the kind of collaboration we wanted to see in the system.

Rather than a typical “expert at the front, audience listening” workshop, everyone present was treated as an expert. The condition for being invited was not a job title, but a real stake and experience in food systems.

We explicitly distinguished between debate and dialogue. In debate, each person defends their position. In dialogue, we listen in ways that allow our own views to shift because we are open to new information or perspectives emerging.

To make this real, we used methods that went beyond talking. When participants mapped Zambia’s food systems, we did not only hand out flipcharts and markers. We brought out what you might normally find in a kindergarten: coloured clay, pipe cleaners, and other simple materials.

People built three-dimensional models of the system as they saw it, moving pieces around, adding connections, and making the invisible visible. It was playful on the surface, but very serious underneath.

Seeing food systems in 3D helped participants notice relationships, feedback loops, and the gaps that would have remained hidden on a flat page.

Modelling exercise examples
Modelling exercise examples

We also recognised that the people in the room could not fully represent the diversity of stakeholders. So, we embedded “sensing journeys” into the process. Over a period of weeks, participants went out to listen to others: traditional leaders who are custodians of land, young people, businesses of different sizes, government officials, and community members. These were not extractive interviews. They were an intentional widening of the circle of voices shaping the emerging vision.

Part of the process included engaging with the participants online. Connectivity and cost of data were real challenges. Not everyone could join every online session, and sometimes voices dropped mid-sentence.

Meeting in nature, close to soil and crops, was far more inspiring than meeting in a high-rise in the capital city, but budget constraints meant we could not always choose the ideal environment. Still, people found ways to keep learning together, including through informal channels to share what they were sensing on the ground.

From shared vision to long-term transformation

The culmination of this journey was the co-creation of a shared vision for Zambia’s food systems: Happy earth. Healthy food. Thriving Zambia — across generations.

Participants were proud of what they produced. “The visioning process was a game-changer for us! We are now using the visioning methodology when working with our youth and other stakeholders. The approach has really helped improve generative listening and how we are implementing food systems transformation as an organisation”, said a participant from a youth-focused organisation.

In small, diverse groups made up of farmers, programme implementers, processors, advocates, and others, they drafted different versions of the vision. These drafts were then displayed and reviewed in silence, allowing everyone to absorb and reflect before speaking.

We then invited a small group of “self-appointed adults” from among the participants to take on the responsibility of synthesising these drafts into a single vision.

The group worked iteratively: crafting, sharing back to the wider group, receiving feedback, and refining. Even at the “graduation” meeting, they remained open to further adjustment. This was what we had envisioned.

This process built two critical capacities. First, the capacity to work with others across differences in power, sectors, and perspectives. Participants experienced directly that transforming a system requires collaboration between government, business, civil society, young farmers, and many others.

Second, the capacity to experiment with practical tools and methods such as stakeholder dialogues, sensing journeys, silence, 3D mapping, and coaching circles to generate new thinking and, more importantly, action.

Final group check out
Final group check out

A vision, however, is only a starting point. Real change will come through cycles of experimentation… what engineers call prototyping.

The next phase, in my view, is for different actors to run concrete experiments at various points in the food system: from regenerative soil practices, to reducing post-harvest losses, to rethinking transport, to reviving traditional crops and seeds, to innovative ways of handling so-called “waste” so it enriches rather than depletes ecosystems.

These prototypes, tested, refined, and scaled over time, are what will gradually align Zambia’s food systems with the vision that has been collectively crafted.

Transformation happens through trial and error, through learning by doing, not through ideas alone.

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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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