Tags: commitment pooling, construction, community building, ancestral wisdom, resource coordination, Magma program

On Saturday, April 5th, something beautiful unfolded in the heart of Kilifi. The Upendo group, known for its deep roots in community cooperation and shared growth, welcomed the 3rd cohort of the Magma program — a diverse mix of participants from across Kenya and around the world.

The chicken house before

But this wasn’t just any visit. It was a living lesson in the art of commitment pooling — a practice that goes beyond economics and into the rhythm of life itself.

The timing of the visit aligned with a plan by the Upendo group to build a chicken house for one of their own, Joyce Kalume. Normally, this might have taken her several days and cost her several hundred shillings. But with the collective effort of 60 Magma participants and local women, the entire structure came to life in just 45 minutes. The cost? Just 5 vouchers per participant — and a whole lot of joy, music, laughter, and togetherness.

the chicken house after completion

This is commitment pooling in action.

More than just physical labor, the process was alive with storytelling, song, and spontaneous dance. Giriama phrases flew through the air, new friendships blossomed, and the visitors experienced — not in theory, but in action — how social, financial, governance, and physical assets are built simultaneously when people commit to each other’s wellbeing

From the outside, it looked like a house being built. But from within, you could see systems of trust, coordination, and joy being strengthened. The mud walls held not only structure but also shared wisdom. The governance was self-evident in the fluidity of coordination, and the valuation was felt in every shared joke and every swing of a hammer.

Joyce stood in awe — her chicken house complete, her heart full. A house built not just of mud and sticks, but of community. A house that spoke of old wisdom living in new times.

The day ended with a shared meal — a simple, sacred act of breaking bread after a job well done. And in that moment, it was clear: this was more than a project. It was a passing down of tradition, a rekindling of ancestral knowledge. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Our grandparents left us the blueprint. We just need to look back, and bring it into the now.

Thank you to Magma Cohort Three for coming with open hearts, and to the Upendo group for showing the world how commitment pooling isn’t just an idea — it’s a dance, a story, a structure, and a way of life.