The power of community
SHOFCO grew from a game of soccer to an organization with 1,000 employees—fast. Their work already transforms the lives of millions, but they knew there was an opportunity to help even more with the Ability to Execute (A2E) for Nonprofits program.
In 2004, Kennedy Odede founded SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities) to provide essential services and advocate on behalf of communities in urban slums outside Nairobi, Kenya. But its roots were planted years earlier, as a sports youth group formed by Kennedy in his hometown when he was just 15.
“As a poor street child in Kibera, I wasn’t trying to start an organization, I was just helping my community and solving problems,” says Kennedy. “The biggest challenge I’ve struggled with is, ‘how do you build an institution?’”
The challenges of rapid growth
SHOFCO now operates in 40 of 47 counties across Kenya, reaching over 2 million people, and continues to expand rapidly—which comes with challenges. Increasing the number of team members and new areas meant SHOFCO were having difficulty with ineffective communication among the teams.
“Eighty percent of our staff are from the community,” says Kennedy. “Things like keeping meetings on schedule and focused – when you grow up in a Kibera slum, how do you know these things?”
McKinsey.org spent a year with SHOFCO as they embarked on the Ability to Execute (A2E) for Nonprofits program, teaching skills from prioritization to giving feedback. After a few months of going through the program themselves, managers then led huddles to coach their frontline staff—from teams in schools to clinics—on these skills, eventually reaching over 500 staff across SHOFCO.
Ready for the next level
With A2E for Nonprofits, SHOFCO were able to shift teams’ mindsets and establish a common language that led to better ways of working. And because A2E for Nonprofits sustains learning over time, SHOFCO employees could also integrate the concepts into their day-to-day and the organization’s culture.
“We ask each other about our energy levels, remind people to do pre-mortems, and run meetings that matter,” says Dr. Caroline Kisia, former COO of SHOFCO, about the impact of the program. “We’ve incorporated the language of A2E for Nonprofits into our daily work, even when we’re having a cup of tea.”
The new tools helped Welma Atieno, a STEM teacher at the Kibera School for Girls—who also trains teachers—both in her own work and supervisory role. “My teachers now come to our training prepared and organized. And by focusing on my ‘big rocks’ [high-priority tasks] I have more time and energy to give to them and my students,” says Welma. “I know I want to move up into management, and now I have the skills.”
Team cohesion and daily running of departments also improved because everyone was more intentional about personal growth and the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission. Employees were happier, more confident and more productive. And if time could be better utilized at SHOFCO, everyone knew the communities would be better served.
For Kennedy, working with McKinsey.org is another big step on his journey to bring prosperity to Kibera—and beyond. “I have hope we'll keep on strengthening our institution,” Kennedy says. “We started with 20 cents and a soccer ball and look where we are now. Just imagine what’s possible.”