A crash course in changing the world.
60% of Kenya's population live in the rural areas. Out of the 40% who live in the urban areas, almost half lives in over 100 slums and squatter settlements. The slum areas of Nairobi are swollen to record numbers. The most famous (or infamous) urban slum in Kenya - Kibera - accounts for less than 1% of Nairobi's total area, but holds more than a quarter of its population.
Many of the people living in urban slums are educated young men and women who moved to the city in search for "better prospects" and now live in mud and wattle dwellings and have little or no access to water, sanitation, healthcare, education for their children etc. In spite of the squalor slum-dwellers endure, their lack of adequate employment and civic amenities, and their separation from rural roots and kin from which women especially suffer, they have stuck to Urban Living.
With no land for growing their own food, slum residents are amongst those worst hit by Kenya's food crisis. In Kibera there are over 5,000 children under 5 years old who are suffering from malnutrition. Several organisations have started school feeding programs and the government is distributing emergency cash (US$20 per month) via mobile phone 21,000 families in 4 of Nairobi's biggest slums. But these is not sustainable solutions.
A sustainable solution is the "Garden In A Sack" that I have previously blogged about. The project involves planting vegetable seedlings inside earth-filled sacks that are placed on rooftops or doorsteps. A nursery has been established where people can collect seedlings and see a demonstration site in action. Vegetables are used directly and indirectly by the household to obtain food, access cash when needed and educate children.
Mary Anyango one of the Kibera's residents has 6 gardens i.e 6 sacks. Mary useswhat she harvests from 3 sacks and sells the rest. On average, each household increased its weekly income of $5US. Given that in Kibera, house rent is around $6 US/month, these sacks are an important source of both nutrition and income. I have posted a picture of the these garden.
Comment
© 2024 Created by Alchemy. Powered by
You need to be a member of Urgent Evoke to add comments!
Join Urgent Evoke