NAIROBI, Kenya- In a world where social media is often associated with vanity, misinformation, and fleeting trends, Ndung’u Nyoro is using it differently — and with purpose.
While many chase viral moments or online validation, Nyoro has spent years building a digital community grounded in trust, empathy, and action.
Through platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram, he mobilizes support for needy but bright students and, in the past, individuals facing medical emergencies — often within days.
But it’s Facebook where he’s built a solid, loyal community that listens, trusts, and shows up — almost instantly — whenever he calls for support. Right now, he has more than 410,000 followers on the platform.
He admits that social media is both a goldmine and a landmine, where the same audience cheering you today might turn on you tomorrow.
Still, with a strategy built on transparency and accountability, Nyoro says online platforms can do more than entertain — they can save lives.
In an exclusive interview with Y News CEO, Nyoro opens up about how he’s turned his social media platforms — especially Facebook — into powerful tools for real change.
Through his Watoto Wasome programme under the Affecto Foundation, Nyoro is supporting dozens of needy but bright students across different learning levels.
And beyond school fees, he’s also been at the centre of many online fundraisers — rallying Kenyans to help people in medical emergencies or tough situations.
“Naturally, I love making new friends. Even before Facebook, we used to have something we called graduate.com for University and college students. I was already there,” he says.
“I was also among the first people to embrace Facebook, and it worked so well.”
But he’s quick to add a caution: “Social media is both a goldmine and a landmine.”
Nyoro knows this firsthand. He’s had moments where things got tough — where the same people cheering him on turned around and questioned his work. But he’s learned how to survive the chaos.
His survival strategy? Mutual respect. Transparency. Accountability. Especially when asking for money from the public. For him, trust is everything.
“I adopted Facebook, and it has worked wonders for us. The key is to be authentic, true to yourself, and accountable. When someone contributes even 10 shillings, it’s a big sacrifice, something they hadn’t budgeted for. You cannot afford not to be accountable or misuse the funds,” he emphasizes.
The father of two has mastered how to balance personal life, public expectations, and the growing demands of a digital audience.
He doesn’t just use his platforms for fundraising — he also speaks openly on issues affecting society, especially around family, parenting, and values.
-The Turning Point That Put Nyoro on Social Media-
For a long time, Nyoro didn’t see social media as anything more than a platform for entertainment.
That changed one day when a neighbour shared a photo of a sick child. It was in 2014.
The boy, from Nyoro’s home area, was battling a chronic illness—the same kind that had taken his mother’s life.
The child’s father, worn down by despair, had almost given up hope. But in a final act of faith, he took a photo of his son’s condition and began walking around, asking anyone who would listen for help.
Touched by the story, Nyoro decided to step. As a Christmas gift to the family, he took up the challenge of raising funds for the boy, rallying support mostly from people back home. On a whim, he also shared the appeal on Facebook.
To his amazement, within days, over a hundred thousand shillings had been raised.
“That’s when I picked up a few lessons,” Nyoro recalls. “We were able to get the boy to the hospital, and the support we got surprised all of us. People responded—not just from our home area, but from all over.”
The boy recovered. But for Nyoro, something else had begun.
“That was the turning point,” he says. “I realised that sometimes you may not have the resources, but you can have a network that believes in what you’re doing—and that network can become part of the solution.”
