Friends of Dago Strategy 2025–2030
Building strong foundations. Creating pathways. Sustaining dignity.
Friends of Dago, Inc. works alongside Dago Dala Hera and community leadership in Dago Kogelo, Kenya, to strengthen community-led systems for education, nutrition, livelihoods, health, dignity, and long-term opportunity.
Friends of Dago does not replace local leadership. We serve as a fiduciary steward, partnership platform, and global connector—mobilizing resources and relationships around priorities shaped locally.
What We Have Learned
From Programs to Pathways
Children need continuity—from early learning and nutrition through secondary education, vocational pathways, and higher education.
From Aid to Systems
Education, nutrition, livelihoods, health, housing, and sanitation are connected. Long-term progress depends on strengthening systems rather than treating each challenge as an isolated project.
From Volunteers to Ethical Partnerships
Global engagement should benefit the community first through local ownership, mutual learning, safeguarding, accountability, and sustainable partnerships.
Our Six Strategic Pathways
1. Learning & Life
Early childhood development, feeding and school readiness, teacher and learning support, vulnerable learner support, high-school scholarships, vocational pathways, and university transition support.
2. Nutrition, Agriculture & Environment
Agro-enterprise and food production, school and community feeding linkages, dairy, poultry, greenhouse and garden initiatives, tree nurseries, environmental restoration, and climate-resilient food systems.
3. Women’s Economic Empowerment
Dago Threads of Hope, village savings and loan models, microenterprise support, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and livelihood development.
4. Youth Leadership, Sports & Health
Kenyan Goals Medical & Sports Camp, youth leadership and sports development, health education, mental-health and HIV-prevention education, first aid, and peer mentorship.
5. Housing, Sanitation & Dignity
Widow housing construction and rehabilitation, school and community sanitation, toilet projects, hygiene education, and public-health infrastructure.
6. Ethical Global Learning & Partnerships
Community-led immersion and learning experiences, university and institutional partnerships, volunteer and alumni engagement, and ethical program and partnership services.
Governance & Accountability
- Local leadership identifies and approves priorities.
- Dago Dala Hera and community structures guide local implementation.
- Friends of Dago provides fiduciary stewardship, reporting, fundraising, and partner coordination.
- Programs should not move forward without appropriate local approval.
- Safeguarding, privacy, responsible storytelling, and financial accountability are part of the operating system.
Impact & Measurement
Our measurement framework is designed to track child nutrition and school readiness; attendance, retention, and education progression; women’s income stability, savings, and enterprise activity; youth leadership, sports, and health participation; household resilience; safe housing and sanitation; community feedback; and ethical partnership accountability.
We distinguish plans from delivered results, clearly date historical evidence, protect restricted personal information, and report what we can verify.
Sustainability
Friends of Dago is building a blended sustainability model that combines foundation and grant funding, individual and diaspora giving, sponsorship and corporate support, earned revenue and ethical partnership services, and locally generated value where appropriate. Specific percentages are reported through financial and accountability reporting rather than treated as permanent fixed ratios.
Our Vision
We envision communities where children learn well, women lead confidently, youth shape their futures, families live with dignity, and global partnerships strengthen—rather than replace—local leadership.
Explore our six pathways or review our Impact & Accountability approach.