Community Spotlight: Paul, a Connector and Catalyst in Migori
More than a decade ago, Paul’s journey with Engineers Without Borders USA began with a single opportunity: serving as a translator for a volunteer team visiting his village in Migori, located in southwest Kenya near the Uganda border. What started as a chance encounter quickly grew into something much bigger.
Paul’s deep knowledge of his community, cultural fluency, and natural leadership made him an invaluable ally to incoming project teams. Over the years, he became a trusted coordinator, not just for one team, but for many. At times, he juggled relationships with up to six different EWB-USA chapters, guiding them through the complexities of rural engineering projects.
Today, Paul serves as a bridge between local contractors, suppliers, and EWB-USA volunteers. He helps ensure that every project, from drilling boreholes to building distribution systems, runs smoothly and reflects the needs and realities of the communities they serve. His reputation spans across Migori, where he’s known not just for his technical knowledge but for his commitment to collaboration, integrity, and service.
Until recently, Paul viewed his role as purely supportive. He was facilitating others’ projects rather than leading his own. But through EWB-USA’s Purposeful Partnership Model, that perspective is beginning to shift. In conversations with the EWB-USA team, Paul was asked: What if you weren’t just coordinating projects—what if you were leading an organization to deliver community infrastructure at scale?
His answer was eye-opening. Based on his knowledge of the region, Paul estimates that between 300 and 1,000 clean water projects are needed to meet basic community needs. Yet with his current capacity, where he is managing about six projects at a time, it would take centuries to meet that demand.
Paul’s story highlights exactly why EWB-USA is expanding its Purposeful Partnership Model in Kenya. The model is designed to support local leaders like Paul not only in executing high-impact projects but also in building the systems, teams, and strategies needed to scale their vision sustainably.
With the right investment and support, Paul won’t just be facilitating change, he’ll be leading it.