OUR STORY

The Story Behind Union Summit CBO

Roots in Creative Passion (2019–2020-2026)

The journey of Union Summit CBO began around 2019–2020 as a shared passion project among a small group of young creative music artists, photographers, and videographers living in Obunga. With a central focus on music production, we decided to unite our skills and form a coalition |collective called Vijana Chipukizi ("Emerging Youth"). At the time, music and media production served as our primary outlet for expression and artistic collaboration.

Facing Grassroots Realities in Obunga

As we, Vijana Chipukizi operated on the ground, we witnessed the harsh daily realities confronting youth and young families in Obunga one of the largest informal settlements in Kenya. Widespread lack of employment and constructive engagement led many young people to drop out of school and fall into substance abuse and some getting involved in crime while some got wasted due to their mental instability as mental health problems led many to committing suicide. This pervasive idleness fueled local insecurity, while systemic poverty resulted in a growing number of vulnerable single-mother households. Recognizing that talent alone was not enough to overcome these structural traps, we shifted our mission to leverage our creative platform as a tool for social protection, community safety, and youth empowerment.

Resilience, Growth, and Sustained Action

Through years of determination, our team grinded to build and sustain our initiatives from the ground up. Operating as a self-help group, we secured small funds, reinvesting every resource back into our programs to sustain both our members and the organization's community projects. Step by step, we established structured training programs in audio production, photography, digital skills, and financial independence for local youth and women.

Evolution to a Recognized Community Organization and Expanding Reach (2026)

In 2026, marking a major milestone in our growth, the team formally transitioned from a self-help group into Union Summit Community-Based Organization. Today, headquartered physically at the Obunga Bio Centre, Union Summit has expanded its operational footprint far beyond its original Obunga boundaries. Its reach now spans some of Kisumu’s largest recognized informal settlements including Manyatta, Nyalenda, and Manyatta Arab as well as other key areas within Kisumu Central, continuing to impact the broader community through grassroots innovation and youth-driven solutions.