Nonviolent Communication
on Rusinga Island
Sharing the language of empathy with our community — in schools, at the lake shore, and online.
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) — developed by Marshall Rosenberg — teaches us to listen deeply, speak honestly, and build peaceful relationships. At Victoria Community Project, we bring this powerful practice to the heart of Rusinga Island.
What is NVC?
NVC is a communication approach that helps people connect with compassion, resolve conflict peacefully, and meet each other’s needs. It is built on four core practices:
👁 Observations
Seeing situations clearly, without judgement or evaluation.
❤️ Feelings
Identifying and honestly expressing our emotional experience.
🌱 Needs
Recognising the underlying human needs behind our feelings.
🤝 Requests
Making clear, positive requests that enrich life for everyone.
International NVC Training — Nairobi 2025
Our programme leader Mike Ogolla attended the International Intensive Training in Nairobi — the highest level of NVC training offered worldwide. Here is what that means for Rusinga Island.
What this means for our community
“Attending the IIT in Nairobi showed me that NVC is not just a communication tool — it is a way of being. I came back to Rusinga with a deeper understanding of how to hold space for people in conflict, and a clearer vision for what we can build here together.”
— Mike Ogolla, NVC Programme Lead
Victoria Community Project, 2025
📸 From the IIT — Nairobi 2025
Mike and fellow participants at the International Intensive Training.
The International Intensive Training is organised by the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) — the global nonprofit founded by Marshall Rosenberg and the international authority on NVC practice and training.
Our NVC Programmes
Community Sharing & Learning
We share and practise NVC directly within the Rusinga Island community — in local gatherings, homes, and community spaces — so that the language of empathy becomes part of everyday life here.
New Learning Room at the Fish Farm
We are building a dedicated room at our fish farm, right by the lake shore. This beautiful lakeside setting will serve as a permanent NVC learning and teaching space for students and pupils from primary and high schools across Rusinga Island.
A space for the whole community
- Welcoming students from local primary schools and high schools
- Open to the wider Rusinga Island community
- Situated at the lake shore — a natural, peaceful setting for reflection
- Also used for regular Empathy Circles (see below)
📷 Room Photos
Empathy Circles
The new lakeside room will regularly host Empathy Circles — safe, structured spaces where community members practise deep listening and compassionate speaking together, strengthening bonds across generations.
Online NVC Trainings & Videos
Participants access a curated library of video trainings, including recordings by Marshall Rosenberg himself — the creator of NVC — alongside other internationally recognised NVC facilitators, making world-class learning available right here on the island.
Zoom Meetings & Live Facilitation
We facilitate live Zoom training sessions connecting our community with NVC practitioners and trainers from around the world — bringing global expertise and peer learning directly to Rusinga Island.
Reach & Impact
Growing a culture of peace, one conversation at a time
(under construction)
Nonviolent Communication is not about being nice. It is about being real — expressing ourselves truthfully while listening to others with deep empathy.
— Marshall Rosenberg, founder of NVC
Get Involved
Whether you are a student, teacher, community member or supporter — there is a place for you in our NVC journey on Rusinga Island.