Wanjiku began her work that laid the foundations for Maji Mazuri by counseling women form the Mathare Valley slum during the mid 1980s. These women suffered from depression, anxiety and trauma - psychological conditions that could be traced back to the harsh environment in which these women lived and worked. Wanjiku adapted a counseling technique by modifying the Re-evaluation Counseling (RC) method, developed in the US, to reflect the social and economic context of women struggling to cope with everyday violence and poverty.
This revolutionary method centers on talking about yourself and listening to others without prejudice, without inhibitions and, most importantly, without shame. The objective is to empower people to find their own solutions. RC provides participants with a forum where they can verbally and physically discharge distress and express emotions. They also feel connected, listened to and recognized. Many women had bottled emotions and developed psychological problems as a result of accumulating stress.
Wanjiku expanded this method over the years to encompass the different target groups in Maji Mazuri (women, men, youth, children and the sick or disabled) and it is now the foundation of Maji Mazuri’s approach to emotional and social development.
Maji Mazuri is also working on the design of teaching methods based on RC techniques which will be introduced in all its schools over the next few years.
Maji Mazuri tackles physical health issues, too. Many of the children, youth and adults we serve suffer from multiple health issues caused by malnutrition, HIV/AIDS or a lack of access to proper health care. This means that treatable illnesses (such as malaria or diarrhea) deteriorate into major life threatening conditions.
Maji Mazuri has been able to offer health care at its project sites by partnering with local hospitals and organizations that donate medicines, for example antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for children with HIV/AIDS. Maji Mazuri is now working on establishing two clinics, one at the project site in Kiserian and one in the Mathare Valley, to provide access to first aid, emergency assistance and maternal care for the very poor and isolated inhabitants of the Maasai area in Kiserian and of the slum neighborhoods of Nairobi.
