How ThisIsMe Community Is Powering The Youth Revolution in Kenya
Photo: ThisIsMe Community; Jonathan Githire (far right), Co-Chair & Creative Director of ThisIsMe Community
Nowhere else in the world are young people positioned to drive mass change like in Africa, where people aged 25 and below make up most of the population. All over Africa, young leaders are taking the initiative to create the change they desire in their communities through entrepreneurship, activism, philanthropy, or some combination.
Photo: Cynthia Nkanai, Founder & Chair of ThisIsMe Community
Cynthia Nkanai is one of such people powering the youth revolution through ThisIsMe, a Kenyan youth-led social impact community she founded in 2018. The community’s mission is to challenge the way we live and contribute to society by finding ways to leverage humanity for good and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Nkanai tells Kenga, “In 2018, out of high school and having moved from Mombasa to Nairobi, I yearned for a place to belong. This Is Me initially started as a close-knit circle of friends united by a shared passion for charity work. In 2022, Jonathan and I decided to harness our collective energy and transform the initial vision into a vibrant and inclusive space that nurtures bonds, spreads goodwill, and creates a sense of belonging for all who walk with us. What began as a humble movement of young people engaging in charitable endeavours has now, in 2023, blossomed into a thriving community.”
ThisIsMe’s events are themed spaces focused on helping the community’s 1300+ members network, unwind, and learn with one another. Jonathan Githire, co-founder of ThisIsMe Community, shared with Kenga that in 2023 alone, the community has organised five self-development classes, 15+ community outreach projects, three fundraiser events, four community connect trips and donated 100,000 plus sanitary pads and products. These have been made possible by the donations of over KSH500,000 the community has raised from 1,039 donors in Kenya and abroad, with contributions from 10,250 volunteers. Because ThisIsMe Community includes a number of Nairobi’s top creatives and influencers, such as Tinashe Mwaniki, Nicole Midaye, and Laura Nani, the community’s events attract a lot of youth engagement both online and offline. To bring these events to life, ThisIsMe also partners with some of Kenya's trendiest hotels, restaurants, and social hotspots.
Through its workshops, online campaigns, and fundraisers, ThisIsMe helps create awareness and drive youth action towards critical issues such as sexual harassment, suicide prevention, consent, self-love, and more. ThisIsMe’s recent Halloween Party at K1 Nairobi was an explosion of fun horror that doubled as a fundraiser aimed at Keeping A Girl in School by creating sustainable sanitary pad banks in schools around Kenya. Proceeds from the tickets and all pads collected during the event will help fund the creation of more pad banks. Through initiatives like this, ThisIsMe creatively curates unique experiences for young people looking to have fun while using their money to support social causes. For many Gen Zs who are still in school or just fresh out, attending fundraising events like ThisIsMe’s is how they can donate to the causes they care about without breaking the bank.
Frankhie Muthumbi, a member of ThisIsMe Community, tells Kenga, “I joined ThisIsMe Community at a time when I was looking for a way to give back to society and broaden my horizon socially. The community, I can say, found me at the place I needed it most. The projects have allowed me to experience a side of life I often bypass and have made me feel more in touch with the communities we help. It feels like, in my small way, I am making an impact with young people like myself—which is my life mission.”
Youth-led communities like ThisIsMe are proof of what’s possible when a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens come together to create the change in their communities that they’d like to see. By building such communities for young people to drive meaningful collective impact, Cynthia Nkanai and Jonathan Githire—and the larger admin team at ThisIsMe: Cece, Lisa, Matiku and Mucu—are channelling Africa’s immense youth potential for good while inspiring other young Africans.
