Supporting civil society initiatives for lasting change
Our Expertise
Chindi is an initiative designed to support civil society organizations and their development towards effective and well-managed organisations that use their financial, human and social resources to maintain sustainability.
01 — Capacity Building
Providing capacity building leading to improved performance of civil society organisations.
02 — Partnerships
Providing services to ensure effective service delivery and enhance cross-sector partnerships for development.
03 — Project Management
Providing technical support in project management and coordination of development projects.
Chindi
Chindi is an initiative that bridges the gap between development partners in the Global North and civil society organisations in the Global South. We work with community-based initiatives and grassroots organisations that support marginalised communities, helping them build stronger systems, clearer strategies and more sustainable impact in areas such as disability rights, migration, gender equality, advocacy, anti-trafficking and poverty reduction.
Who and what is Chindi?
Who are we?
Chindi is an initiative formed with an aim to support grassroots organisations to built better systems that show the impact they have. We function as a support hub for development actors and grassroots organisations, helping them strengthen their systems, strategies and long-term sustainability.Our work is focused on strengthening systems of organisations that work in grassroots communities, focusing on areas such as migration, gender equality, advocacy, anti-trafficking and poverty reduction. Our approach is partnering closely with local initiatives to provide tailored guidance, capacity building and practical tools that enable communities to drive their own change. In short, you can think of Chindi as a non-profit consultancy organization.
Chindi
In Swahili, Chindi means squirrel and we see the role squirrels play in supporting the environment and ecosystem as an inspiration and metaphor for the role of Chindi by playing a small but also important and significant role in supporting grassroots initiatives.The name Chindi embodies the core principles of supporting grassroots organizations such as resilience, resourcefulness and community-driven growth. Just as squirrels thrive in diverse environments by adapting, planning and working collectively, grassroots organisations have to navigate the challenges they face with agility and strategic foresight.Choosing Chindi as the name of the initiative represents a belief in small but meaningful actions that accumulate over time, leading to lasting impact.
The People Behind Chindi
Jakob Christensen
Co-Founder & Director
Jakob is a human rights and international development professional with over ten years of experience working on migration, displacement and survivor-led initiatives across East Africa and Europe. He specialises in organisational development, project management and resource mobilisation. He has worked closely with grassroots movements to strengthen leadership, accountability and sustainable impact.
Sophie Otiende
Co-Founder & Advisor
Sophie is an African feminist, human rights leader and founder of multiple survivor-led organisations advancing innovative, rights-based responses to human trafficking and exploitation. She is internationally recognised for centring survivor leadership in policy, practice and movement-building. She has won multiple awards including the Trafficking in Persons Hero by the U.S. State Department in 2020.
Anne Agar
Advocacy & Gender Associate
Anne Agar is a Pan-African feminist leader with over nine years of experience advancing gender justice and women’s rights across Africa. She works as a gender consultant with community-led movements and global policy platforms, bringing expertise in programme management, donor engagement, feminist leadership and advocacy to amplify marginalised voices and strengthen sustainable, intergenerational feminist movements.
Peter Olewe
Development Associate
Peter is a development practitioner and social justice advocate with over ten years of experience in community organising, advocacy, research, capacity strengthening and monitoring and evaluation. He works alongside grassroots organisations to strengthen internal systems, skills and leadership, guided by a strong commitment to human rights, dignity, care and collective well-being.
Rehema Baya
Communication Associate
Rehema is a multimedia artist with over seven years of experience collaborating with communities, civil society and creative practitioners. Her work explores belonging, dignity and shared humanity, using art as a space for dialogue and connection. She is driven by a deep curiosity about societal values and the lived experiences of communities.
Agnes Akinyi
Finance Associate
Agnes is a finance professional with over thirteen years of experience in auditing, taxation and accounting across corporate and nonprofit sectors. She supports organisations to strengthen financial systems, improve accountability and meet donor and compliance requirements, translating complex financial information into clear, practical insights that support sound decision-making and sustainable growth.
Lizzy Anyango Omamo
HR & Admin Associate
Lizzy is an experienced operations and project management professional with over fifteen years of experience in executive administration and organisational leadership. She specialises in HR systems, people and culture and multi-project coordination. With these skills she has been supporting human rights organisations to build strong internal processes, ethical workplaces and efficient operations aligned with mission and values.
Sune Barker
Volunteer Advisor
Rehema Baya is a multimedia artist with over seven years of experience collaborating with communities, civil society and creative practitioners. Her work explores belonging, dignity and shared humanity, using art as a space for dialogue and connection. She is driven by a deep curiosity about societal values and the lived experiences of communities.
Expertise
We work closely with partners to strengthen the systems and skills they need to lead transformative community-driven work.
01
Capacity Building
We provide capacity strengthening leading to improved systems needed for systemic change.
We recognise that most organisations that work with impacted people do great work; however, that work can sometimes not be recognised as a result of a lack of processes and systems. We support in strengthening organisations from the inside out by improving governance, leadership and operational systems. This includes succession planning, documentation of work, strategic planning, business development and training on fundraising and resource mobilisation. Our goal is to help partners build resilient structures that support long-term sustainability and growth.
02
Service Delivery & Partnerships
Providing services to ensure effective service delivery and enhance public–private partnerships for development.
We support organisations to design and deliver high-quality programmes that meet community needs. This includes improving service pathways, strengthening coordination with government and private-sector actors and enhancing structures that enable effective collaboration. We help partners align their work with policy frameworks while maintaining strong community engagement.
Project Management & Technical Support
Providing technical support in project management and coordination of development projects.
We offer practical and hands-on support across the project cycle. From project design and work planning to reporting and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL), our expertise includes proposal development, donor engagement, risk management and results-based management. Ensuring that projects are delivered efficiently, ethically and with measurable impact.