A community-based organisation in Obunga
About Union Summit
Welcome to Union Summit, a progressive, youth-led Community-Based Organization (CBO) firmly rooted in Obunga, Kisumu. Established to break systemic economic barriers, we are dedicated to fostering grassroots empowerment, community development, and sustainable livelihood pathways.
An Executive Summary
Union Summit is a structured community-based organization operating in Obunga, Kisumu Central. Founded by creative professionals, digital storytellers, and community advocates, we focus on converting raw creative talent into self-sustaining commercial enterprises. By delivering practical, industry-aligned technical skills, we empower underprivileged youth and women within informal settlements to move away from volatile casual labor and build resilient futures.
Our Vision
A community where every young person and woman in informal settlements possesses the digital skills, creative platforms, and entrepreneurial tools to shape their own destiny and influence positive change.
Our Mission
To empower local talent through structured multimedia training, business acceleration, and mental health advocacy, while driving impactful grassroots climate action to create lasting community transformation.
Motto
Make It Happen.
Our Vision, Mission and Motto
Our Overriding Goal
To bridge the "digital divide" in informal settlements by turning creative and entrepreneurial potential into self-sustaining businesses. We aim to provide vulnerable youth and women with the tools, mentorship, and networks required to achieve economic independence and lead sustainable lives.
Our Motive
Traditional casual labour in our community is volatile and unstable. By offering industry-aligned technical training and creating safe, collaborative spaces, we provide a reliable alternative that dismantles systemic poverty, fosters environmental responsibility, and protects community mental well-being.
Our Strategic Goal & Motive
Core Objectives
Creative Art & Media Mentorship: Equipping youth with comprehensive technical skills in modern multimedia to secure sustainable livelihoods within the creative economy.
Business & Entrepreneurship Training: Providing economic empowerment accelerators for women and youth to establish resilient, self-sustaining micro-enterprises.
Climate Action & Conservation: Combining direct environmental clean-ups and tree planting with media-driven public advocacy to foster sustainable community waste sorting.
Mental Health Advocacy: Dismantling deep-rooted mental health stigmas and building strong peer support networks through safe, open discussion spaces
Our Signature Projects
A localized audio engineering space providing hands-on training in music recording, tracking, and sound engineering for at-risk artists.
"Frame the Future" Media Program: A cohort-focused training initiative specializing in professional filmmaking, camera operations, cinematography, lighting, and digital editing.
"Tujenge Biashara" Initiative: An intensive business accelerator training youth and women in foundational administration, financial literacy, and digital marketing to scale local businesses.
"Create Safe Spaces" Campaign: A community wellness campaign creating open discussion forums and support pathways, prioritizing men's mental health.
Eco-Advocacy & Tree Planting: Systematic environmental campaigns and creative workshops using film and storytelling to actively engage residents in urban greening and climate adaptation.
Meet our dedicated team
Derick Odhiambo
Founder & Director
Wesly Ochieng
Chief Legal Consultant/Program Officer
Wesly Ochieng manages the daily operations, constitutional adherence, and project tracking of the organization. Combining legal guidance with operational execution, he drives organizational compliance and ensures our community outreach projects are efficiently run, transparent, and highly impactful.
Imelda Anyango
Secretary
Imelda oversees the financial tracking, constitutional record-keeping, and administrative management of the organization. Her focus on transparency, detailed documentation, and structured meeting minutes keeps Union Summit CBO highly organized, compliant, and accountable.
Dickens Oduor
Facilitator (Media Coordinator & Content creator)
Dickens drives the visual storytelling and digital presence of Union Summit CBO. He is responsible for documenting our community success stories through photography and video, ensuring our impact is creatively captured and shared with partners and the public.
Vincent Ogare
The Outreach Coordinator
Our mission is to create lasting change for those in need and uplift them with the digital skills and creative platform to shape their own future and influence social progress in the communities around Kisumu.
Meet Glen Omondi one of the beneficiaries in our organisation who was trained and now is a volunteer and training other fellows training other fellows. He's also a musician @silvercoin Official
" The support from this organization has changed my life. Their commitment to helping those in need is truly inspiring." - A grateful beneficiary who is also a proud volunteer staff who is also inspiring other young talents in the community through our organization with the skills he gained. He's also a musician @Maxohnicks Johns
Everything was so well-organized, I couldn't have asked for more because the knowledge I gained am now using it to also help other young fellows in our organization. I loved music hence am now a professional producer now taking care of "Sauti ya Mtaa" project in our organization recording studio.
