In many ways footsteps started with an idea for a cyber cafe. We always knew that we wanted to help communities to help themselves so when our friend, James, a kenyan who lives in the Mathari slums in Nairobi, approached us with a business plan to launch a cyber cafe, we were immediately interested. To us this looked like the opportunity to start a business which would benefit of others.

In March 2004 footsteps cyber cafe opened its doors for business. With a team of keen people managed by James we were able to overcome all kinds of difficulties including terrible corruption and bureaucracy. The first year of operation was spent making the business self supporting. The second year of operation was about making a profit for re-investment in development programmes. We were delighted when the cyber cafe was able to support the magunga rebuilding project in only its second year of trading. Since then it has gone from strength to strength making annual donations to the various Footsteps projects and continuing to employ a full staff in the thriving capital of Nairobi.

The cyber cafe is a Limited Company registered in Kenya which allocates part of its profits to the Footsteps projects. It operates separately from the charity and is funded by its shareholders and not by the charity.