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From 16 to 20 March 2026, the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) brought together 17 representatives from artisan and community groups across Kenya. Led by external consultant Maria Isabel Vogt of Equiception, and coordinated by EFI Kenya’s ESG Adviser Nana Kisha Hassan and Nancy Keresheu, the training took place across two phases and three locations. The goal: build real, usable knowledge of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, and take it back home.
Training the trainers and taking it back to the community
The first phase opened at Don Bosco Boys’ Town Technical Institution in Nairobi. Participants came from a wide range of groups, among them Virtuous Women Group, Smart Young Mothers, Sisters of Hope Dagoretti, Chovu Creations, and communities supported by the Northern Rangeland Trust. Over three days, they worked through ESG fundamentals together with hands-on and practical sessions. By the end, every group had drafted their own Code of Conduct, tailored to their specific context and needs.
In the second phase, those same participants became the trainers. They returned to Kajiado and Gilgil to share what they had learned with their wider communities. Peer-to-peer. Local voices, local ownership.
Making ESG Real
One of the biggest challenges with ESG is that it can feel distant or technical. The EFI training set out to change that. “Instead of being seen as an abstract concept, ESG was translated into everyday practices: fair payments, safer working conditions, environmental practices, better group organisation, and simple record keeping,” shared Maria Vogt of Equiception, who led the training with the EFI team.
Participants left with tools they could immediately use: governance records, payment tracking systems, monitoring checklists, and their own Codes of Conduct. “This was the first time that participants could see how they can go from ‘we already try to do the right thing’ to ‘we can now organise it, improve it, and prove it,'” Maria added.
For EFI’s Vincent Oduor, stronger governance is also about opening doors. “The training positioned communities to propagate ESG in their regions, to enhance market opportunities, reduce risks, and empower artisans with the governance tools needed to sustain ethical and competitive enterprises,” he said.
Clear systems for decision-making, payment tracking, and record keeping also help reduce internal conflict and build trust within groups. That, in turn, strengthens long-term sustainability.
New insights for a network built to last
Some of the most revealing moments came from conversations that went beyond the training agenda.
Participants raised issues of water scarcity, difficult workspace conditions, and irregular orders. But one topic caught everyone off guard. Untreated cataracts, it turned out, are both a public health issue and an economic one. Among artisans doing eye-intensive work – beadwork in particular – vision problems were quietly reducing productivity and income. Women and older artisans were hit hardest. It’s a finding that points toward potential partnerships, organisations like Lions Club International, already active with some EFI beneficiaries, could play a role.
The group work sessions also surfaced a desire to make ESG practices more accessible. Some groups suggested audio recordings as an alternative to written documentation, to support members with lower literacy levels. Others spoke about bringing younger members into their groups, for continuity, fresh ideas, and digital skills. These aren’t small details but they reflect communities thinking seriously about the future.
The training has now established a network of local trainers across Kajiado, Gilgil, and the wider EFI community: the tools are in place and the conversations have started. The next step is keeping the momentum going, with stable market opportunities to match the improved practices being built on the ground.
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The Ethical Fashion Initiative is a programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
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