Caroline Wanjiku Kihato

Caroline is our curator.

From a middle-income neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya, she grew up a twenty-minute walk from Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. For most of her life, it was off limits. The poverty it represented was kept at arms-length, paradoxically understood as both a problem of the state and the poor individuals. Despite being warned away, Caroline imagined the uncertainty, the resilience and struggle unfolding on the other side of the fence. 

After twenty years working in informal settlements elsewhere, Caroline visited Kibera for the first time. Obliged to reconcile her memories and expectations with reality, the need to bridge the gap between what we think we know and what needs to be done, between research insights and policy, became unavoidable. 

The proposition: to fill this gap with mindful and deliberate dialogue. To actively listen to people’s stories, and reframe our telling in ways that compel action. Characterised foremost by hope and possibility, Caroline started Frame45 with a commitment to curate a space of empathy, innovation, and positive social change. 

Find out more here.