Reflect :: Tuko Pamoja – We Are Together

By Natalie Finstad, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tatua Kenya

While Tatua is not a religiously affiliated organisation we are deeply committed to the way of faith. The Way of Faith promotes shared responsibility, understanding, hope over despair and a belief in abundance.Over the last three years, I’ve become more and more aware how hard it is to practice this way of life on our own, the world is so desperately wants to affirm individualism and fear.

Tatua Kenya team members enjoy a BBQ together one Saturday… love this team!

I imagined I wasn’t the only person feeling that so we have begun to carve out time each Friday to share our experiences of the way of faith and encourage each other along the way. In August the Tatua Team started meeting together each Friday and checking-in, reflecting on practices of faith and sharing experiences of our work is going.  This has become one of my favorite times and I get similar feedback from the staff. We’re able to support one another and ground ourselves in the truth that something bigger than us is calling us forward. It has helped our work and it’s made us closer in general.

If you’re running an organization that is attempting to change this world, I strongly encourage you to find time for your staff to do the same. The time doesn’t have to be tied to a religion or a particular creed, sometimes we ourselves can be the hope that one another needs to keep going.

Tatua Staff Reflections in Sketch

Tatua has started spending our Friday mornings together as a staff. We use this time to reconnect and do the needed work of encouragement after a hard week at work. This Friday we shared the joys of our week, expressed gratitude to one another for support received and talked about how to view defeat with eyes of faith. Katherine McQuade Toig captured this sketch of how she saw the meeting – beautiful!