Africa CSID was founded by Salome Owuonda, whose lived experience growing up in Nyatike, an arid and historically marginalised region of Kenya, deeply shapes the mission of the organisation. As a young girl, she experienced and witnessed the realities of marginalization: long distances walked in search of water and education, impacts of drought and famine, and the prevalence of early marriages and teenage pregnancies. These challenges were often compounded by resource-based conflicts, reinforcing cycles of vulnerability and exclusion.

These experiences shaped Salome's understanding that marginalization is multi-dimensional and interconnected, requiring responses that are practical, locally grounded, and scalable. Africa CSID was therefore established to turn this belief into action. We place communities at the centre of development as active agents, not passive beneficiaries — ensuring that solutions reflect local realities, are integrated, and lead to sustained long-term change.