Rooted in What We Live By: A Day at The Forest

At the end of our team retreat at The Forest, we joined the site's sacred group tradition: planting indigenous trees.

For Ona Insights, tree planting is not just a corporate photo op or a CSR checklist item. Sustainability is a value we live by. Just as the native saplings will take deep root, protect the local ecosystem, and flourish for years to come, we build data infrastructure that endures. We do not build quick, fragile fixes; we design for real-world use, cultivate internal capacity, and ensure our partners own tools that stand the test of time. It is harambee in practice, pulling together, today and for the long run.

But that was the final act. Here's how the rest of the day went, and it involved forbidden numbers, blindfolds, paintball scars, and a genuinely emotional cake ceremony.

Breakfast First!

The Forest was chilly when we arrived, but any cold shivers quickly melted away when we were greeted by a sumptuous buffet breakfast. Fueled up, we handed ourselves over to a facilitator who had, unbeknownst to us, a full lineup of games designed to expose exactly how well (or badly) we work together.

We started with team introductions, sharing our personal mantras and revealing our individual nicknames. To test our concentration right off the bat, we played a game where we had to call out each other's nicknames in rapid succession. Remembering who was who under pressure was far harder than it sounded, especially with iconic nicknames like Jonasi (iykyk). One minor slip in focus and you were caught out, sending the whole circle into fits of laughter, the odd "wueh!" escaping whenever someone forgot their own nickname.

Next came the forbidden numbers game: counting sequentially, but staying completely silent whenever a number was a multiple of 3 or contained the digit 3. Miss the beat, and you dropped for push-ups or squats on the spot. As the pace went from pole pole to fast, faster, the ground filled up quickly! Watching how fast your brain can short-circuit over basic multiples proved both hilarious and humbling.

Beyond the fun, it delivered an immediate lesson: when systems move fast, sync and cadence are everything. Whether you're running complex data pipelines or keeping a sequence alive in a circle, one missed signal affects the entire team.

Team Wantam vs. Team Dontire

We kept the momentum going with a high-coordination ball-tossing challenge. Each person was assigned an animal name, and we had to throw and catch balls in strict sequence while shouting the names across the circle. Calls of "mbu!", "punda!", and "ng'ombe!" flying through the air were pure comedy. At first, balls were dropping everywhere, but as we found our sequence and rhythm, we ended up catching and throwing in perfect sync.

Then it was time to divide and conquer. We split into two competing groups with incredible team names, Team Dontire and Team Wantam! Our first head-to-head was the "Arrow Wall Cat" game (a spin-off of rock, paper, scissors), which tested physical coordination and team alignment. It was hilarious watching teammates accidentally show opposite signs mid-game, proof that alignment takes intentional practice.

We upped the strategic ante with the blindfold card game. Each team picked an "Eye" (blindfolded) and an "Ear" (the guide), whose job was to direct the Eye to collect cards off the floor while the rest of the team did their best to distract the opponents. The lesson? Tune out the noise and trust the right voices. A game about focus that felt a little too relevant to daily work.

Banter on the Archery Range

Next we headed to the archery range, where we met our instructor, whose commentary was as sharp as the arrows. He immediately had custom nicknames for everyone: for some reason, he saw a "Wanjiku" in me, and dubbed another colleague "Kinuthia." The banter was top-tier, even if my aim was quite bad. I scored the lowest on the board, missing target after target; calibrating bowstrings is a different skill set from calibrating data models. The rest of the team brought fierce competitive energy, with final scores separated by mere fractions. Ask five people who took the podium, and you'd get five different answers.

Refuelling Over Lunch

With our bows laid down and scores tallied, it was time to recharge. We gathered around the table for a hearty buffet lunch in the forest's tranquility: chicken, rice, naan, samaki, and kachumbari, properly refuelling for the high-intensity battle awaiting us in the afternoon. Over plates of great food and cold drinks, we laughed off my archery misses and swapped stories from the morning.

Battle Scars in the Paintball Arena

Freshly fuelled, we suited up for paintball, keeping the same team divisions (Dontire vs. Wantam). The objective was clear: sprint into the centre zone, grab your team's flag, and carry it to the opponent's base to claim their territory. Team Wantam came out aggressive from the whistle, and the field turned into a fierce battle from the first shot.

Paint flew from every angle, ammo ran out fast, and we walked away with genuine battle scars, bloody fingers, and sore muscles. Someone shouted mid-battle, "I thought we were a peaceful data team!" right before getting tagged on the vest. Despite the crossfire and bruised knuckles, Team Wantam won a hard-fought match.

Cake, Moët, and a Few Words from the Director

Battle-worn, sore, but buzzing with adrenaline, we gathered back at the tables to wind down. We celebrated our survival with a delicious cake and a glass of Moët, nursed our paintball hits, relived the craziest moments of the afternoon, and toasted to our shared journey.

Then our Director took the floor with a speech that grounded the day in who we are and where we're headed. It wasn't about vanity metrics or celebrating a calendar age; it was a reflection on our foundation as an extension of Ona and our commitment to our partners.

"Ona Insights was built to be the data partner that organisations in complex environments actually need, bringing clarity to decisions, reliability to systems, and impact to people. Looking back at how our team showed up today with energy, strategic thinking, and genuine care, it is clear that we are building systems and team bonds that last."

— Alessandro Pietrobon, Managing Director, Ona Insights

Heading Home

We left The Forest with full hearts, plenty of paintball bruises, and a few new saplings in the ground: sore, laughing, and deeply aligned to help our partners See More. Know More. Do More.

Learn how Ona Insights brings clarity to complex data and builds systems that last. Explore our solutions or reach out at www.onainsights.io