In a new blog series focusing on CollaborateUp’s local development practitioners, Lucy Maikweki explores the importance of being able to make a difference in her home country Kenya and regionally in East Africa through her work as a Training & Facilitation Consultant with CollaborateUp.

Tell us a little bit about the work you do as a Training & Facilitation Consultant for CollaborateUp.
CollaborateUp works towards building staff capacity in organizations to incorporate best practices and co-create solutions.  Training sessions are conducted virtually or in person. I support their work by tailoring the co-creation content/curriculum to the various organizations’ missions and objectives, recommending how different sessions can be facilitated to bring out the best learning experience. I co-facilitate some of the interactive co-creation sessions and also document key lessons on what works and what doesn’t to help improve future training sessions.

Why is it important to you to work in your own country/region?
Working with my own country and region ensures that I get to share my knowledge and experience with organizations and individuals close to home, which translates into better development solutions and improved organizational practices.

How is CollaborateUp supporting you to make a difference in your country/region?
CollaborateUp has given me the opportunity to learn and, in turn, participate locally by bringing these training sessions to people in my country and region.  This plays a great role in local capacity building and passing on skills to local people.