On a hot Saturday afternoon, more than 200 women dressed in pink and white are sprawled across picnic blankets beneath the trees at the Nairobi Arboretum.
Squeals of laughter fill the air as a group on one end plays animated games, like Jenga, bean bag toss and popular childhood sing-alongs, while another circles around platters of snacks. Strangers introduce themselves, exchange phone numbers, and somewhere in the middle of it all, upbeat music plays from a speaker.
This is the ‘Petals and Play’ picnic, one of the regular meet-ups organised by Soul Sisters, a fast-growing women's community in Nairobi built around friendship, wellness and intentional connection.
Florence Muchoki, 38, is one of the women in attendance. She joined the community late last year.
“I was scrolling through TikTok when I came across a post about a fun activity that they had done,” she says, describing the first time she heard about Soul Sisters. “I was drawn in by the idea of a community of women I could hang out with and have fun.”
As a woman juggling family and career, she had really struggled to get her social life back on track.
"After having children, you lose a lot of friends, and it becomes really difficult to take care of yourself socially," she says. "It's even more difficult when you have to be intentional about it by yourself."
So, when she found a platform that put her in touch with other women and curated a wide range of activities for them to bond over, she joined without hesitation.
“It’s amazing,” the mother of one gushes. “There is no judgement. You can just be yourself, interact, share and have fun.”
Of the events she has attended so far, the one that stood out the most was a karaoke night.
“I love karaoke! I’d lost touch with it during my journey through motherhood, so attending that event was the best thing. It made me feel like I had relaunched myself into something I enjoy doing.”
"I wasn’t able to be there in person, but I sent my support, and the other ladies represented me so well that I felt like I had made a big impact."
Since joining, Ms Muchoki says her confidence has grown. She is now much more comfortable engaging in activities on her own.
“I used to worry about whether I would fit in, but after attending these events, I now trust my ability to mingle with strangers.”
Stories like Ms Muchoki’s are exactly what the founder, Wanjiru Njenga, had hoped for when she started the community in May 2025.
Guests during Petals and Play Picnic event held at Nairobi Arboretum on January 24, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
"Soul Sisters was created out of loneliness. I had just relocated back to Kenya from Kinshasa, where I had felt deeply isolated due to the language barrier. Aside from my husband, I didn’t have anyone else to talk to, except for a Senegalese woman who found me on TikTok because we both spoke English.”
When learning French proved too challenging and meaningful interactions seemed impossible, she packed her bags and moved back home, hoping to put an end to her loneliness. But things didn’t turn out as expected. Instead, she found herself feeling deeply disconnected and alone.
Realising that many other women craved community but didn’t know where to find it, she decided to be part of the solution and create the space she was longing for: a place where women could be themselves, build real friendships and grow together.
In less than a year, Soul Sisters had grown into a vibrant, multi-layered lifestyle community, with members of different ages.
“We create intentional spaces for mental and emotional well-being, movement and play, learning and personal development, and honest conversations about life,” says Ms Njenga. “At its core, Soul Sisters exists so women do not have to go through life alone.”
The community hosts at least two activities every week, ranging from group walks and swimming sessions to trivia nights, bowling, ice skating, therapist-led webinars, financial literacy conversations, and intimate discussions on love and relationships.
"Our hybrid model includes free sessions, affordable mid-priced events and premium experiences such as trips abroad."
Ms Njenga says that the community has seen organic yet exponential growth, driven almost entirely by word of mouth.
"It started as a simple WhatsApp group, but that has since grown into three different WhatsApp communities with a combined total of around 5,000 women," she reports. “Across social media, we have a following of at least five times that number who are cheering us on.”
"The increased confidence, self-awareness and emotional openness I see in these women is incredible. It reminds me every time why I started this in the first place."
Lucy Kamau, 30, who joined the community in its early days, is another woman whose life has been transformed. When she stumbled upon the group’s social media presence, her closest friend had just relocated to another country, leaving her behind.
"It can be tricky to make new friends, so I was very lonely at the time,'" she recalls.
Throwing herself headfirst into the opportunity, Ms Kamau has so far managed to establish six solid friendships.
“They’re good, genuine friends, and we regularly spend time together outside of the Soul Sister events,” she says. “Some of them actually live in my neighbourhood.”
Before the picnic, Ms Kamau had attended a painting event, a karaoke night, a movie night, a journaling session and a walking session in the Karura Forest, as well as a session with relationship coaches. Of these, the one that stuck with her was a yoga and meditation class.
“The instructor asked us to draw an image of how we see ourselves. I did it, and now, every time I look at the drawing, I remember the session and what the instructor talked to us about.”
Also testifying to her personal development since joining the community, Ms Kamau says that she has discovered a fun and carefree side to her personality.
“I hadn’t realised how social and fun-loving I actually was, especially when I’m with the girls,” she says.
The picnic also attracted some first-timers who were looking for connection, just like everyone else.
Lydia Yeswa, an entrepreneur in her forties, was one such woman.
“I came to meet new people and expand my social circle,” she says. “I also thought there might be a chance I could find clients here.”
Ms Yeswa, who runs a salon, sells cereals online, and is a mother to four children, says that maintaining a social life has been challenging.
"A woman has many roles to juggle," she remarks. 'You are a mother, a wife, a businessperson and a daughter-in-law. Even the church has some expectations of you. But despite all that, it is important to take time for yourself just to socialise, especially in the current climate of mental health awareness.”
Ms Yeswa had already made some connections by the time we spoke, but she was looking forward to getting more involved.
"I am especially looking forward to joining the book club and going on the trips to Arusha and Cape Town," she says. "I encourage other women just to get out there and enjoy life."
