From Nairobi With Love

November 16th would have been Geoffrey Thige’s 50th birthday. That morning - I landed in Nairobi for the first time in two years.

Before COVID upended all our lives, I was spending more than a quarter of my time in Nairobi. I hadn’t seen the team since Sept 2019. It is still hard to fathom how much work we did virtually.

During that time, Geoffrey brought an unmatched energy and vigor to the team in Kenya. He transformed operations, deepened programs, and empowered the team. He moved us to a much-needed new campus and new Safe House. Geoffrey never let the circumstances deter him.

Geoffrey and I talked about my trip for over a year, with the date a constant moving target. When would I finally be able to come back?

He was so excited to show me all the work the team had done. I was so excited to see the new campus and all the incredible work he had brought to life in person and not just over video and photos.

Time kept passing by.... and passing by. We completed the leadership transition in January. I wrapped up my work at RefuSHE in July. When would the world get back to normal?

We decided that I would still come to visit... as soon it was safe. We had been through so much together and we couldn’t wait to get out of those zoom boxes and celebrate in person.

That trip finally came and I had to face the reality that he wouldn’t be there...

From the moment I touched down in the early hours of his birthday to the team showing me around the new campus – I could feel his presence. From the gorgeous new IT Lab to the meticulous classroom layouts his vision and steadfast commitment to excellence is found in every detail at RefuSHE.

As we all hugged (safely) and watched the kids play under the avocado tree… we marveled at how one person could have such a profound impact on an organization and every single one of us in such a short period of time. Despite the grief that we were all still feeling, I will remember the beauty of that day and the realization that although he is no longer physically with us… he will forever remain with each of us. He was a beautiful soul who has left an indelible impact on everyone who was blessed to meet him.

A year ago, Geoffrey was stepping into the CEO role and we were discussing the annual Fashion Challenge. With vaccine distribution still a question mark, we knew it would need to be virtual. Geoffrey and I loved big ambitious ideas. When I threw out the idea of filming in Nairobi to honor our larger movement to decolonize; he immediately rallied the team to brainstorm how we could use our platform to showcase the bourgeoning East African fashion community.?

From finding the stunning African Heritage House for the runway show to identifying ten incredible up-and-coming Nairobi based designers, Geoffrey and the team jumped in with gusto to organize all the logistics.

This Fashion Challenge would have been Geoffrey’s first as CEO. Everyone was excited to use this moment to highlight Nairobi’s unique design scene with the world. This Fashion Challenge is part of his legacy.