Location & context
Mbita, located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Homa Bay County, Kenya, faces severe socio-economic and environmental challenges. High HIV prevalence (over 20%), youth unemployment, overfishing, and poor sanitation have left many families trapped in poverty. Women and young people, in particular, face limited opportunities for education, training, and dignified work.
Yet Mbita is also a place of innovation and resilience. It is located in Homa Bay County, where PFP began its work in Kenya - and where the Arise Centre for Excellence now serves as a flagship model for sustainable, community-led development.
The ARISE (Available and Reliable with Inclusion, Support, and Empowerment) Centre for Excellence was established in 2022. It provides a permanent base for education, vocational skills, digital literacy, climate-smart agriculture, and social enterprise.
The Centre brings PFP’s Handshakes not Handouts model to life - ensuring that community members gain the skills, knowledge, and income needed to drive their own progress.
By 2024, the Arise Centre had evolved from a pilot project into a self-sustaining social enterprise hub and training facility, supporting hundreds of women and youth each year while reinvesting profits back into community programmes.
Key challenges facing the community around the Arise Centre include:
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Youth unemployment and lack of relevant vocational skills.
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Gender inequality and high rates of teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.
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Limited access to clean water and menstrual health products.
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Environmental degradation from overfishing, deforestation, and waste pollution.
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Over-reliance on donor funding for community initiatives.
Partners & approach
The Arise Centre is jointly managed by PFP Africa Trust (Kenya) and Power for the People (UK), with ongoing collaboration from the Homa Bay County Government and private partners such as DREAM EP Global Energy and Wable Safi Ltd.
The Centre serves as:
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A training hub for the PFP Academy and Street Business School.
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A social enterprise incubator, supporting small women-led businesses.
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A production site for Arise Dignity Packs — reusable sanitary and maternity kits.
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A demonstration site for sustainable agriculture and green skills.
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A community meeting space for NGOs, government departments, and local groups.
What we have delivered
Infrastructure & Facilities
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Land secured, cleared and fenced.
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Installed a 15kW solar mini-grid system (in partnership with DREAM EP Global Energy) to provide reliable access to clean energy.
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Constructed training hall, ICT hub, washrooms, and kitchen.
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Established water kiosk (in partnership with Wable Safi) providing affordable, safe water to local households.
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Equipped tailoring, catering, and hairdressing classrooms, serving as multi-purpose training spaces.
In this video Matilda takes us on a virtual tour of the Arise Centre. This is from 2023, when some of the construction work had not yet been completed.
Programmes
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200+ women trained annually in vocational and business skills.
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PFP Academy launched, providing entrepreneurship, literacy, and green skills training.
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Arise Dignity Packs enterprise producing over 2,000 reusable pads per year, now expanding into maternity kits and period pants.
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Community food security improved through demonstration gardens and sack farming.
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Digital literacy enhanced through the Window on the World ICT Hub connecting learners to global knowledge and partners.
Partnerships & Enterprise
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Revenue streams established from:
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Dignity Pack sales (target 5,000 annually)
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Water sales (target 360,000L annually)
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Venue hire and training contracts with local NGOs and government departments.
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In 2024, PFP began transitioning to local leadership, preparing the Centre for full independence by 2026.
Impact highlights
600+ community members
trained since opening in 2022.
70% of graduates
in improved employment or self-employment within 12 months.
2,000+ dignity packs
produced and distributed through local schools and health programmes, with KEBS accreditation secured in 2025.
720 households
near the Centre benefitting from clean water plus many more benefitting from partnerships with Water Transporters.
80% women participants
increasing gender equality and family incomes.
Challenges & learning points
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Marketing and distribution networks for Dignity Packs need strengthening to reach larger markets. This, combined with the lengthy process to secure KEBS registration has impacted our ability to scale this enterprise as quickly as we hoped.
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Transitioning to full financial self-sufficiency requires continued investment in staff skills and systems.
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Balancing social mission and enterprise growth remains an ongoing learning journey.
Future plans & sustainability
We will continue to build the capacity and sustainability of the Remba Community Development Committee, who will be so vital to this work continuing and growing long after our exit. Phase 3 of the Remba Transformation Programme will initiate in 2026, and the community want to prioritis 4 areas of work:
Transition to Self-Sufficiency
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Complete PFP’s responsible exit, with 100% of operating costs met through local income by end of 2028.
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Grow income from water sales, pad production, and training contracts to KES 6.5 million (£40,000) per year.
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Strengthen management, finance, and governance systems to ensure independence.
Programme Expansion
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Introduce “Green Skills” courses: solar installation, clean cooking technologies, regenerative agriculture, waste management, and eco-construction.
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Train 200 youth and women per year in sustainable livelihoods aligned to the green and blue economy.
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Launch PFP Academy+ online modules for blended learning and certification.
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Establish partnerships for earn-while-you-learn apprenticeships.
Climate Resilience & Community Impact
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Implement one community-led environmental project per year (e.g. reforestation, climate-smart farming, waste management).
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Build capacity of 250 residents annually to engage in sustainable practices.
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Develop a local microfinance fund providing 40 small business loans per year to graduates.
SDG links
Media & coverage
Coming soon: Arise Green Skills launch podcast
The Arise Centre has transformed lives in Mbita
It is now a blueprint for community-led development we will deploy in other PFP partner communities.
Your support today will help us complete the transition to full independence, and replicate the model in Trans-Nzoia and Remba Island - reaching even more women and youth with skills for a sustainable future.