Solidarity Without Borders

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Joy? Beauty? Light? Hope?

All that depends on the eyes looking and the mirror reflecting.

Back in 2010, a group of people working with children facing social risks in the Kibera slum of Nairobi posed this very question. None of the children gave positive answers. They saw no joy, no beauty, no hope.

This group of adults, led by Thomas Nyawir, decided those children deserved to see something better. That’s when Mirror of Hope was born.

Thomas himself had a very challenging childhood. Like many kids in Kenya, his family didn’t have the means to support his secondary education. Thanks to the help of an anonymous benefactor, he was able to complete his education. That experience marked him deeply. He adopted a personal mission: to help other children facing similar barriers.

He went on to found Mirror of Hope (MOH) and became its CEO (https://mirrorofhopecbo.org/).

What began as a small local initiative has since grown beyond borders. Today, MOH not only improves access to quality education but also develops entrepreneurship projects, creating employment opportunities for vulnerable children, youth, women, and men in the Kibera slums.

Partnership and solidarity

To sustain these initiatives, international partnerships became essential. One such partner is Le Pont Foundation (https://www.facebook.com/lepontentrenous), based in Quebec, Canada. Their collaboration helps ensure the continuity and long-term impact of MOH’s work.

To further develop his links, Thomas recently travelled to Canada for a networking visit — and seized the opportunity to experience solidarity with a uniquely Canadian flavour. With great generosity, he participated in four key activities at Patro Roc-Amadour (https://patrorocamadour.ca/): he worked with the team that unloads some tons of donations for food distribution; he helped distribute that same food to around 90 families; he took part in the Popote Roulante (Meals on Wheels) program, delivering food to elders and people with disabilities; and he even helped collect hay bales to support the institution’s community garden.

What a beautiful reminder that solidarity has no passport and no borders.

From the red earth of Kibera to the snow-covered winter sidewalks of Quebec, the same heartbeat of compassion unites us.
Thomas’s journey is not just his own — it’s the journey of every person who dares to believe that a child’s future is worth investing in, that a neighbour’s hunger matters, that hope can be planted and harvested across oceans.

Let us continue to weave these threads of human connection through shared work, shared stories, and shared dreams. Because when we look into the mirror of hope, together, we no longer see despair or limitation. We see the reflection of a global family, building a world where everyone, no matter where they are born, can look up and say, “I am not alone.”

Solidarity without borders? Yes — and with joy, courage, and the conviction that love in action changes everything.