About Raising Youth & Communities (RYC)

Raising Youth & Communities (RYC) is a women-led grassroots implementing organisation registered in Kenya and currently operating in Rhamu, Mandera County, with expansion initiatives underway.

RYC works directly with underserved communities to improve access to education, economic opportunity, gender equality, and sustainable livelihoods. Since its inception, RYC has delivered community-based programmes that have:

  • Supported 200 school-going girls with reusable sanitary products

  • Established a community school serving 85 learners

  • Constructed a borehole serving approximately 70 households

  • Trained women and youth through digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and skills-building initiatives

RYC combines community-driven programming, local partnerships, and evidence-based planning to ensure that interventions are practical, sustainable, and responsive to locally identified needs.

Our Mission

To reduce poverty and inequality by delivering locally led programmes that expand access to education, economic empowerment, gender equity, and sustainable development for marginalised women, youth, and communities.

Our Vision

Resilient, self-sustaining communities where women and youth have the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to thrive.

Our Guiding Principles

RYC integrates safeguarding, accountability, and community ownership across all programmes. Our work is guided by:

  • Impact: Measurable change at the community level

  • Integrity: Transparent and responsible use of resources

  • Local Leadership: Community-driven design and implementation

  • Collaboration: Partnerships with local government, CSOs, and development actors

  • Innovation: Practical solutions tailored to resource-constrained environments

RYC focuses on building local capacity to ensure long-term sustainability beyond project cycles.

Leadership & Technical Team

Zulekha Abdi - Founder

Zulekha Abdi is a development practitioner with over 17 years’ experience in programme leadership, community engagement, and organisational management across Kenya’s underserved regions.

She has led multi-sector initiatives focused on education, economic empowerment, and resilience programming. Her leadership includes senior roles in nonprofit management, partnership development, and resource mobilisation, with demonstrated experience managing donor-funded programmes and multi-stakeholder collaborations.

As Co-Founder of Raising Youth & Communities, Zulekha drives strategic growth, partnerships, and programme quality, ensuring interventions remain community-led and results-focused.

Nahla Fayruz - Programme Manager

Nahla Fayruz is a programme management and strategic communications specialist with over 10 years of experience across the Horn of Africa. She brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, research, and programme design within marginalised and pastoralist communities.

She oversees programme coordination, partnership development, and the quality of implementation at RYC, ensuring that interventions are aligned with community priorities and donor requirements.

Valerie Kutswa - Communication Specialist

Valerie Kutswa is a Gender and Development specialist with experience in programme coordination, research, monitoring, and data analytics.

She leads communications, knowledge management, and evidence generation at RYC, strengthening visibility, documentation, and data-driven decision-making. Her work supports programme reporting, stakeholder engagement, and the use of data to improve impact and accountability.