2025 was a transformative year for Kudwa — not because we launched large programmes or secured new project funding, but because we intentionally shifted how we work. Instead of framing participation around what people lack, we centred our activities on what community members already have to give: knowledge, experience, creativity, and care. We call this Potential-Based Participation, and it has shaped our work in meaningful ways.

What We Learned

Without stable funding, we could have slowed down. Instead, we found flexibility. The absence of restrictive project requirements freed us to listen more closely and adapt more responsively. It reinforced an important lesson: sometimes you need to scale down before you can scale up meaningfully. Community engagement grew not because we had more resources, but because we trusted community members as co-creators.

Partnerships, Presence, and What’s Next

Looking ahead, our focus remains on deepening what works: nurturing spaces where people can contribute from their own potential, strengthening collaborations, and continuing to resist deficit-based narratives. Our approach is about agency, belonging, and collective responsibility — and we’re committed to sharing what we’ve learned with others who are rethinking participation.

Join Us

Potential-Based Participation isn’t just a phrase. It’s a practice rooted in experience, reflection, and trust. We invite organisations, institutions, and peers to explore this with us, and to work together in building more inclusive, empowering models of participation.

Read our full 2025 Annual Report here