Our team and our approach
Collaboration at its heart
Led by Well Made Strategy, KCH uses research and experimentation, training and campaigning to exert its power.
We do this by generating audience and digital research on how to persuade our audiences; supporting social justice actors to improve their strategic communications skills; and leading collective campaigns to shift public perception of important social justice issues.
We bridge the gap between the social justice movement, creatives, influencers, and the media and coordinate collaborations between these actors that change the hearts and minds of our shared audiences.
By connecting with cutting-edge practices in strategic communications and narrative power, we have reimagined these approaches and invented new methods that are responsive to and fit unique African contexts.
We believe that the greater public support for social justice issues becomes, the more likely that progressive laws and policies will be enacted and implemented.
The KCH was initially led by Komons, a collective of tech enthusiasts and social change researchers that continues to be KCH’s technical and strategic partner. It was seeded by Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and an another anonymous donor.
Mission and Vision
To provide social justice movements, organisations, activists and media actors in Africa with the strategic direction and infrastructure they need to effect perception change and ultimately narrative change around social justice issues.
Mainstream public discourse around social justice issues in African countries is more progressive and positive; and informs law and policy to meet popular demand.
Values
Empathy and Understanding:
We believe that the majority of Africans who have conservative beliefs around social justice issues have been influenced by systems of power from colonialism to neoliberalism to patriarchy.
Innovation and Creativity:
Perception change is a complex, long-term and intricate process informed by audiences values, concerns and preferences. We use creative and collaborative thinking to adapt our tactics and tailor our approaches to build collaboration.
Responsiveness and Adaptability:
We are constantly seeking out evidence and research insights’ and monitoring, evaluating and learning from our work to improve our approach.
Harm Reduction and Safety:
Narrative change is a context-informed process. While our intention is to interrupt harmful narratives by creating visibility around social justice issues, we determine what to and when to communicate in consideration of marginalised communities’ safety and security.
Collaboration and collectivity:
We believe that narrative power can only be built if we bring mainstream and digital media actors, social justice organisations and actors, strategists and tech enthusiasts to communicate effectively together.
Our team
We are a Kenyan team deeply passionate about and convinced of the transformative power of strategic communications and narrative change.
We believe a culture of collaboration is essential for achieving systemic change; hence, we practice it daily within our team, our network, our communities, and by strengthening the entire ecosystem in Kenya and the region.
Mumbi Kanyogo
Michael Okun
Martha Kombe
Lisa Owino
Mutanu Kyany’a