The Road To Nairobi

A very brief catch up on everything that has been happening over the last few weeks, and a look ahead to the move to Nairobi

In late 2025, Steve and Bridget Bree closed a two-year experiment in the middle of Brussels: a pop-up gallery at 28 Grand Place they'd opened on the strength of a six-month lease and not much else. What started as a filthy, empty shopfront became a place where tourists, the lonely, and the simply curious wandered in for coffee, art, and conversation with no agenda attached — and where, volunte...

Catch up with the latest news on Msaada Kidogo with this short ramble on everything that has happened in the last few weeks along the road.

Come and meet my friend Maryann, an entrepreneur, optimist ... and a single mum of 5 kids! If you have ever wondered what life is like for those on the breadline in a city like Nairobi, with no welfare benefits and no safety net for the poor and needy, then listen to Maryann's story. It will humble you.

A must-listen episode. I talk to my good friend and musical collaborator Isaac about his own journey on the Road to Nairobi. Make sure you stay to the end to hear the best bit!

This week in my short reflection I give you an update on Msaada Kidogo's progress along the road to Nairobi, and in particular how the search for a home for MK (and us!) is going

This week I talk to my good friend Hesbon, the musical director of Renewal Church in Nairobi. He tells me how it took him some time to realise that his extraordinary ear for music wasn't something that everyone was blessed with! If you are into music, you just have to listen to Hesbon's story.

What if purpose isn’t something you discover by looking inward, but by asking a much simpler question: “How can I make myself useful?” In this personal reflection, I explore why that question has become the driving force behind Msaada Kidogo and why I believe a life of usefulness is ultimately more fulfilling than one focused solely on success. Along the way I reflect on altruism, identity, retire...

Waizeh Solonka is a Nairobi lawyer who walks into Kenya's remand prison and finds people who don't belong there. Not because they are innocent — though some are — but because they cannot afford bail. When I was last in Kenya, I spent time volunteering alongside her in the early days of AJAR, when it was just three people with a desire to see injustice addressed. This is a conversation abou...

Sometimes God speaks through the most ordinary things. During a quiet time on my balcony overlooking Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantenaire, I felt prompted simply to “look at the trees.” What began as an everyday view soon became a profound reminder of how God sees the world—not as anonymous crowds, but as unique individuals, each known and loved by Him. In this personal reflection, I explore how that...

This week, I speak to my friend Eunice, who shares the inspirational story of how an unsettling experience at a resort on the Kenyan coast when she was a young, naive 21-year-old student led to her establishing and leading an amazing social outreach programme for sex-workers here in Nairobi.

In this brief reflection, I take a moment to consider the need to be in the right mindset to engage with those around you who might have a different take on life

I talk to my close friend Esther about her experiences of growing up in Nairobi, how her faith has influenced her, and how she sees Msaada Kidogo as a manifestation of hope here in the city.

A short reflection on my need to recalibrate to the concept of African Time

This week, I am talking with my friend Miruca Gwada, who pastors a youth church in Nairobi. He gives us his perspective on what it's like to be an ambitious and hopeful twenty-something youth in Kenya's hustle capital today.

I talk to my friend Molly and her assistance dog, Piglet, about the issues she faces while traveling around the world. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Piglet has little to contribute - but Molly tells me a few things that really surprise me.

This is the first episode of The Road to Nairobi — a reflective, story-driven podcast exploring the experiences, questions, and convictions that have gradually shaped one person’s understanding of leadership, faith, and what it means to be useful. In this opening episode, Ian Westerman introduces himself and the road that has brought him here — from a career as a British Army officer, through acad...