Connecting Purpose and Practice: Shaina's Volunteer Journey with The Kula Foundation
- izzyelton2
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
As you’ll likely know, one of SIDCN’s main aims as a network organisation is to connect. Bringing small global charities together is a big part of who we are, and we love any opportunity to help members and individuals connect and collaborate.
Earlier this year, we introduced one of our members, The Kula Foundation, to Shaina, a volunteer looking to gain hands-on experience in the charity sector. What followed has led to tangible progress on Kula’s sustainability work and given Shaina the chance to put her skills into practice in a meaningful way. We’re grateful to Nish, Founder of The Kula Foundation, and Shaina, their first volunteer, for reflecting on their experience and sharing it with us.
Nish's Perspective - The Kula Foundation
This year we welcomed our very first volunteer, Shaina, and she has been an incredible addition to the Kula team. From day one, she has brought energy, curiosity and real dedication to her role.
Her work has focused on exploring waste management challenges in Kenya, looking at how small charities like ours can contribute to sustainable, locally driven solutions. She’s researched policy frameworks, community realities, and examples from across East Africa that could inform our approach and shared vision for a sustainable waste management facility in places such as Mombasa, Kenya.
The project aims to go beyond environmental clean-up. It’s about exploring how we can build circular systems that create jobs, education, and training opportunities, particularly for women, which was identified as a challenge in the area. Shaina has helped to map out the programme, while Nish develops early design ideas for a lightweight community structure, and she has even prepared our first draft grant application, which we hope to test later this year.
Personally, I have benefitted from others around me giving opportunities to work abroad in rural and remote villages and on local UK projects that matter to me, so I have always wanted to do the same for the next generation. So as SIDCN approached us with our first volunteer, Shaina has helped us reflect on how we can build a volunteering programme that is meaningful and impactful for everyone involved.
Her contribution has tested and shown what’s possible when volunteers are given space to shape ideas, lead research, and grow alongside us.
For The Kula Foundation, this has been an exciting first step. Having Shaina on board has helped us learn what meaningful collaboration can look like in practice and how volunteers can play a real role in shaping future projects. We’re excited to develop our volunteering programme as we look to engage more people in the years ahead.
Shaina's Perspective - Volunteering for The Kula Foundation
I’m genuinely grateful to SIDCN for introducing me to The Kula Foundation, which has given me the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, while building meaningful connections along the way. From the onset, SIDCN took the time to understand my goals as a student seeking experience in the charity sector and went above and beyond to pair me with a charity that aligned with my values and purpose.
Since then, I have been working with The Kula Foundation on an exciting project to develop a sustainable waste management facility in Mombasa, Kenya. This initiative goes beyond traditional approaches to waste management. It represents a step towards innovative, circular solutions, designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution, improve waste collection and repurposing, and create a community-based space that provides jobs, education and training opportunities, and hope, particularly for women.
Being involved in this work has allowed me to engage deeply into issues I am passionate about, including environmental sustainability and community empowerment. Contributing to such a transformative, impactful project and being a part of shaping livelihoods has been an incredibly rewarding experience. SIDCN has opened a door that has led to real purpose-driven action, and I am endlessly thankful for their continued support, encouragement and belief in my potential.
We’re so pleased that Nish and Shaina shared their experience with us. It’s been an inspiring reminder of the value of creating connections and we’re grateful that SIDCN was able to play a small part in facilitating theirs.
[Amber Shotton, Chair of Trustees, SIDCN]
If you’ve been inspired too, don’t forget there are plenty of opportunities to make new connections through SIDCN. Each month there are brilliant small organisations meeting together in our Education Forums, Environment Forums, Trustee Spaces, Working in Kenya Group, and Friday Connect calls, as well as our active Facebook group.