majimazuri.org

We like it when it is green

Our environment we make it clean

Our backyard will have wonderful pictures on screen

With vigor are green heroes when at work; the community has seen

Aha! Aha! The community embraced the effort without sin

In good environment we breathe fresh air out and in

In the meeting bases we chat charming

Our rake wades through the clogged trenches

Faces filled with smiles while sitting on the benches

Dumpsites are cleared; it has not taken us ages

Clearing the trashes, the fields becomes like beaches

The community becomes greener in double inches

At the end of the day, we fulfill the community wishes

Nothing less, nothing more. Naked truth not witches

Acknowledgement

Daniel Wainaina

Victor Kebane

Samuel Kiriro

Janet Kabue

Mavuno preparatory phase is a proposed stage in giving the youths in Mathare loans to start up small businesses. It was introduced early last year with the aim of reaching the vulnerable youths in Mathare to get access to Mavuno Loans, which is a program involved in giving revolving loans to the marginalized population in Mathare slums

It involves recruiting the youths and mobilizing them to form groups. They are introduced to Maji Mazuri and its various activities and told more about Mavuno micro finance loans

Since January 2011, 50 youths have been recruited and gone through this stage whereby 40 of them have been given a soft loan of Ksh. 500 each. This Phase prepares the youth to join the bigger Mavuno loan. These loans play a great role in the livelihoods of the slum dwellers and facilitate them to have something on the table.

The whole package involves

- Introduction to Mavuno Maji Mazuri

- making their own constitution

- Introduction of merry-go-round (chamas)

- Giving the small loans of 500/=

- Support groups on topical discussion

- Volunteering in community service e.g. clean ups, visiting homes for the aged and orphans e.t.c.

- Writing of the business plan and proposals

- Graduation ceremony after finalizing the loan repayment

- Assessment and handing over to Mavuno youth

This phase has been very successful in preparing youths who face challenges of alcoholism, prostitution, domestic violence, low self-esteem etc. The money repaid goes back to the group as a revolving loan to other members and does not attract any interest rate.

We are now targeting four groups from different areas within Mathare; every group has 20 members who are to be recruited and graduate to the bigger Mavuno.

The whole process will take a period of 10 weeks before graduating to the main Mavuno.

The targeted groups are:

• Muoroto group( 20 members)
• Kariguini group (20 members)
• Mathare 4B ladies(20 members)
• Bondeni ( 20 members)
• Sare Moja youths( 20 youths)

The group will undergo the following.

• Introduction to Maji Mazuri Mavuno.
• Make a Constitution.
• Merry go round (chamas).
• Training sessions & counseling.( guest speakers )
• Formation of groups of 5 ( SUPPORT GROUP )
• Topic discussion.
• Start savings.
• Get a loan of2 500/=.
• Finalization of the loan payment and savings.
• Graduation ceremony

The program has brought about huge success to many youths and has shaped their lifestyle. Youths in Mathare valley has been subjected to abject poverty due to the hard economical times. Some has resorted to engaging in anti-social activities and have ruined their lives in the process.

Daniel Wainaina

It was on the 12^th December 2011, a Kenyan public holiday in commemoration 0f 48 years since

Kenya attained independence. This day is celebrated countrywide in pomp and color and feasting or visiting friends and relatives.

Mathare Maji Mazuri youth Group garbage project known as the green heroes opted to make a difference by holding a massive cleanup event in the sprawling Mathare valley slums. The cleanup event consisted of more than 20 groups in Mathare and its environs and partly supported by City Council of Nairobi who donated nose masks and plastic bags to put the garbage in. The over 110 participants converged at 8.30 am for registration and by 9 am the event kicked off and members of the community joined in to give a hand in making their environment safe for human habitation.

Though with limited cleaning equipments, the participants both old and young were able to do a commendable job. Mathare valley slums have for long been reputed with a polluted environment due to poor garbage disposal and bad drainage system. This has for long affected the residents causing illness and sometimes death in case of an outbreak of an epidemic. This was the drive behind the many youths who gathered and beat all odds to clear the drainage system that has become mosquito breeding hubs thus causing malaria.

The event was one of its kinds and followed a series of weekly garbage collection by the Green Heroes, which its key objective is to clean the environment for better human habitation. There was also a morale booster to the participants from PCEA community center who donated 45 T-shirts and refreshments.

Later in the day, there was entertainment which was characterized with variety shows from the youths. Children could not help showcasing their dancing skills as the music played on loudly. Information was shared and contacts exchanged symbolizing the start of a network of many groups in Mathare and its environs.

EXPECTED RESULTS

-          To create awareness to the community on importance of a clean environment

-          To build network and market the youths hidden potential

-          Promote a platform for advocacy of human rights and youth’s capacity building and empowerment.

CHALLENGES

-          There was a great turn out of people but there was limited cleaning equipment thus slowing the work.

-          Lack of garbage transporting truck to the main dumping site was a major setback.

RECOMMENDATION

We would like to appeal to partners and well wishers to support such community initiatives to help develop the slums. The exercise should be carried out after every 2 months to get rid of the heaps of garbage in Mathare.

CONCLUSION

The event was an indicator that the youths are ready to change the society and they have what it takes to bring about their own development. We all need a safe environment to carry out our day to day activities. Our thanks go to PCEA Eastleigh community centre, City Council of Nairobi, all the groups that participated and the Mathare community.

BUDGET

... they continue blossoming despite living in harsh environmental conditions

The Mathare Maji Mazuri teen’s talent program is a young people’s initiative aged between 7 to 13 years of age. Most of them are from head start primary school which is under Maji Mazuri Centre International. The group meets every Saturday as from 2 to 4 pm for their weekly assessments and activities under the leadership of their two teachers, Mr. Edward Kimuyu and Mrs. Judith Odero. There are about 50 to 70 members who all are involved in different activities in the group.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the teen’s talent program are to nurture teen’s talents and hidden potential. In as much as we encourage academic excellence, we also emphasize on sporting and field activities. This has improved their self-esteem and relationship with others.

To improve teens leadership skills and mould them to become responsible persons in the society and become role models to the other children.

To equip them with information on child rights and reproductive health through topical discussions and/or role plays for better co existence and overcome their day to day challenges.

To create a sense of togetherness where teens can meet and share ideas on issues affecting their lives and come up with ways of solving problems.

ACHIEVEMENT

DANCING: The teens are privileged to have a dancing trainer who introduced new dancing skills to the group. The trainer who was also a youth member recently graduated in IT and secured a job and hence not able to continue with the teens. We are in the process of searching for another one.

TOPICS: The group has been able to discuss many topics since the year started. This includes; Drugs abuse and substance, Environmental awareness, capacity and team building, Adolescence and reproductive health, Debates on topical issues, RC and peer counseling, self esteem and confidence, HIV/AIDS, life’s skills etc.

TALENTS: The teen’s group has been a good platform to realize many talents through play acting, routine dances, recitations of poems, traditional dances, swimming, football, debating etc. The members have been able to realize their hidden potential with the help of their 2 dedicated teachers and supportive members who are caring and ready to listen to one another.

The activities are enhanced by the good social network in the community where every teen is his/her brother’s keeper and have a swift way of communicating information to one another across Mathare valley slums and its environs.

The teen’s program has for years inspired many children in Mathare and restored hope in situations where children were confined to an ever -narrowing prison of negligence, child abuse, sexual harassment, denied education, forced marriage, child labor just to mention but a few.

The program also brought a sigh of relieve to many parents who are bringing up their children under very hard situation and harsh environmental challenges which are addressed in the teens talent program. Parents shy off from some of the topics covered due to cultural barriers e.g. Sex education and hence the program becomes very helpful in tackling these challenges. Since its inception in 2004, more than 300 teens have gone through the program and still are.

Incorporation of educational tours and other outdoor activities have strengthened the group and motivated members to be committed to each and every activity in the program. This has improved and widened their scope since they can now see beyond Mathare. It has also acted as an opportunity for the teens to change the environment and share ideas with the outside world.

As we continue to mourn the greatest Green Hero of all, Dr. Wangari Maathai, who was raid to rest on 8^th October, we the Green Heroes of Mathare Valley would like to write you an update of the garbage project, which sees the Maji Mazuri youth clean up the community every weekend. Our commitment for a better environment runs deep, and the work of Dr. Maathai was and will continue to be one of our greatest motivators.

Mathare Maji Mazuri Youth Group garbage project has made a tremendous step in its mandate of cleaning the environment. In the recent past we have been able to clear the entire dumping site in Mathare Bondeni area as well as unblocking the trenches to pave way for stagnant water which breeds mosquitoes and other pests.

The number of houses that we distribute garbage bags has also increased from 30 to 60 households. This has been possible because of the dedicated members who work around the clock to give on time services to the community, the consistency in which we work and the discipline shown by the youths while conducting this exercise.

In the past 2 months we have worked with visiting students from Cambridge University and after observing the challenges we had, they donated 2 wheelbarrows, 2 rakes and a bundle of the plastic bags as part of their commitment to the project. This was a mileage as far as the project is concerned.

The project has also enjoyed support from the community who has since embraced the whole idea wholeheartedly.

The Green Heroes carries out its activities on a weekly basis i.e. on Saturdays as from 10 am to 1 pm.

It involves 20 members of the youth group, 5 members from other youth groups and 5 community members.

The usual clean ups have now become a fully fledged garbage project serving over 60 household every Saturday and clearing the drainage system and garbage heaps in the community. 

The money earned by the project is still minimal and cannot sustain itself at present but plans are underway to make the project self-sustainable. Parallel to the garbage collection, we also sort out the garbage for any recyclable materials like plastics, metals, bottles e.t.c. Which will be sold to the scrap dealers and that is a booming business nowadays.

The community embraced the idea of the project from day one and has since been very supportive and cooperative. They commend the work done by the youths and are ready to offer advice whenever we are in need of their help. The group has created a good rapport between them and the community and that has helped to advertise the other projects in the organization.

The project educates the community on health issues and the necessity of living in a clean environment as well as supporting youth initiatives to help curb crime in the society. Since the exercise is done from door to door, Project members have ample time with different people explaining to them the significance of our clean up exercise thus also gains skills of dealing with diverse cultures and views.

The most urgent need for this program is the equipments, e.g. rakes, wheelbarrows , garbage truck  and resources to organize trainings to the members so as to facilitate a smooth transition of the project to a recycling plant in the near future.

The garbage project has had its own share of challenges which have made us strong and united the team towards pulling our ideas and the little resources together. Some of the challenges that the group is facing are:

1. Transportation of the garbage- We need a reliable transportation means to transport the garbage from Mathare slums to the Main dumping site in Dandora which is 5Kms away. A truck is a prerequisite in applying for the garbage project permit to avoid working in fear of being arrested by the city council officials.

2. Equipment- The project is growing in leaps and bounds and the target area has expanded from 20 houses in June to 60 houses in October and the community’s response is overwhelming. The equipments available are overstretched thus making the work to take extra longer and tasking. The project is in need of 10 wheelbarrows, 20 overalls, 10 spades, 20 rakes, 30 pairs of gloves, 10 fork jembes, plastic bags, water storage tanks etc.

3. Trainings and workshops- Members of the garbage project need a thorough training on the direction the project is headed. Environmental awareness and entrepreneurial skills training should be incorporated in the programs to equip project and community members with new ideas to help in effectively achieving its goal. This will help the project to become self sustainable.