2026 Successful working visit by the Jan Cornelis Foundation to projects in Kenya

August 2026 - From safe meeting places where training is provided, to agriculture, entrepreneurship and job opportunities. During a working visit to Kenya in August, the Jan Cornelis Foundation saw how several projects that received financial support earlier this year are developing in practice. The trip took in projects in Nairobi, Meru, Kisumu and Malindi.

In January 2026, the Jan Cornelis Foundation and Hivos selected a number of projects in Kenya for financial support. The initiatives focus on safety, training, employment and economic independence for people from the LGBTIQ+ community. Six months after the grants were awarded, a delegation from the foundation travelled to Kenya to see the progress first-hand and to speak with founders, staff and participants.

One of the organisations visited, in Nairobi, offers a meeting place in a safe location and supports participants with training and practical guidance. At a farm in Meru, economic independence is the central focus. Queer people work there within an agricultural and food chain, with activities such as poultry farming, vegetable growing, processing and sales.

In Kisumu and Malindi, too, the delegation visited several initiatives that help participants develop skills and increase their economic independence. These include training in computer skills and sewing, and participants learn to make products with which they can generate an income. The participants have also developed a small-scale financial loaning model that enables them support small businesses or start new ones.

The delegation also visited a digital initiative that is building a network bringing together job vacancies, training, mentoring and business contacts, specifically for the queer community.

The working visit gave the Jan Cornelis Foundation the opportunity to see for itself how the financial support is being used and to meet the people behind the projects. The visits across different parts of Kenya also showed the wide range of circumstances in which these organisations work to create more prospects and independence.

The Jan Cornelis Foundation will continue to follow the projects' progress and to look at how its support can keep contributing to safety, job opportunities and economic independence for the queer community in Kenya.