Amanda Eric – Kounkuey Design Initiative

Asante Sana from Nairobi, Kenya

By Amanda Eric (she/they), Pomona College ‘25 

How I Got Here…

If you ever needed to find me at Pomona, chances were I was at The Hive. Literally—when my friends checked “Find My,” it would almost always ping The Hive. Studying with friends? Hive. Writing letters to my pen pals? Hive. Taking Intro to HCD or Design Environmental for Behavioral Change? You guessed it—Hive. It became more than a creative space; it was my home base throughout college for dreaming, building, and connecting.

Last fall, while I was trying to make sense of my thesis, an email landed in my inbox: a Hive newsletter with a feature on Chelina Odbert, visiting professor at the Hive and CEO and Founding Principal of Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI). Reading about her and KDI’s participatory design approach—where communities lead the way in naming problems and shaping solutions—immediately sparked my curiosity. I wanted to see how this actually worked in practice…

Fast forward to me, pre-winter break, staring at my laptop, probably with too much Yerba Mate in my system, I decided to send a cold email to KDI. Somehow, that one leap of faith connected me to KDI team members across the Kenya and Sweden offices—and eventually landed me an internship that would bring me across the globe this summer.

Figure 1. My 1st week at KDI Kenya Office, featuring the motor helmet my Director lent me

People & Planet in Action…

I’ve always been drawn to that sweet spot where People and Planet intersect—questions of cognitive justice, regenerative design, sustainable futures. My time at KDI gave me the chance to lean into this curiosity in tangible ways.

This summer, I dove into one of KDI’s ongoing projects: ASILI Futures (Adaptation Solutions, Inclusive Locally-led Infrastructures), a research project based in Embu, Kenya, co-led with the African Centre for Cities (University of Cape Town), African Urban Futures, Utrecht University, and, most importantly, the residents themselves. At its heart, ASILI Futures is about futuring and storytelling—gathering histories, present-day realities, and future imaginings from communities in Embu, including folks from the informal settlement of Dallas. 

I traveled with the team to Embu several times—sitting in on conversations under tin roofs, joining transect walks through neighborhoods, and helping prepare for a futuring workshop with community members. My role spanned multiple layers, including co-conducting interviews, curating a card deck that captured community reflections, and drafting methodology notes to document the processes—essentially creating a guidebook that other organizations across Africa could adapt when designing futures-oriented, community-driven projects. It was equal parts humbling and energizing to listen deeply to stories of the past and present while holding space for dreams of what might be possible in Embu.

That same spirit of linking design, data, and community showed up again through KDI’s partnership with UrbanBetter Cityzens Nairobi, a youth-led African collective focused on climate and health. Earlier this month, I joined their Clean Air 10K run—jogging through the city amongst Cityzen leaders with air quality sensors strapped on, who were using the Cityzens app to track air quality in real time. It was more than a workout; it was community-driven data collection feeding into advocacy.

Across both Embu and Nairobi, I saw what it looks like when communities take the lead in shaping their futures—and how design and research can help amplify their voices. That lesson is one I’ll carry forward.

Figure 2. Slow Pace, Slow Living and Slow chats w/ Mama Brayo

 

Figure 3. Group picture of the KDI team and ASILI Citizen Futurists on our most recent visit to Embu

Figure 4. Group picture from the UrbanBetter Cityzens Clean Air 10K run 

Looking Ahead…

I won’t lie, graduating in May felt like a whirlwind. Between sending out 20+ applications and trying to divert the constant “what’s next?” question, I was searching for an intentional way to follow my curiosity without getting lost in the chaos. The Hive’s summer grant gave me that chance—it made it possible to take a leap toward Nairobi.

Being here has shifted me in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve stretched into new communities, languages, and ways of thinking about urban futures. I’ve learned the power of slowing down and really listening. I’ve felt the responsibility and the joy of being welcomed into spaces that aren’t my own.

And the journey’s still unfolding. This fall, I’ll be joining UN-Habitat in Nairobi, continuing to learn and contribute to advancing participatory, community-rooted approaches to sustainable urban development within a multilateral sector. Looking further ahead, I’m hoping to pursue a Master’s in Urban and City Planning in 2026.

Through it all, what stays with me most is gratitude. Gratitude for The Hive’s support, for the communities in Embu who trusted me with their stories, for every boda ride and mandazi-filled smile that reminded me that life after Pomona doesn’t have to shrink—it can expand. Nairobi has stretched my lungs, my heart, and my imagination. I’m ready to keep breathing into whatever comes next.

Figure 5. A moment of pure joy, my friend Angie captured me at a creative event we attended in Nairobi