Simon Kokoyo was born raised in Mathare Village 2. Despite coming from a poor background, his parents and a Dutch family helped him go through formal education. For more than half of his life, Simon Kokoyo has been a volunteer in community-based projects. He is currently pursuing a degree course in development studies so as to gain a deeper understand how he can change his community positively while still doubling as community organizer for the newly launched Map Mathare Initiative.
- Yvonne Tiany
Yvonne Tiany is 21yrs old and is a resident of Huruma which is part of wider Mathare. She has diploma in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance from Masinde Muliro University. Through this blog, she wants people to know what women go through in Mathare Valley. Quote: “when the only tool you own is hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail”.
- Jeff Mohammed
Jeff Mohamed, 18, is a talented young filmmaker from Mathare who brings a youth’s perspective to this blog. Born and raised in Mathare, Jeff continues to live there and focuses his films on the lives and stories of Mathare residents. Click on the link to watch his first film, One Goal, One Hope, which was nominated for an award and tells the story of a man from Mathare who lost his leg to polio but continues to pursue his dream of playing football.
- Javin Ochieng
Javin is 25 years old and was born and raised in Mathare North, Area 3.
- Michael and Eric
Michael and Eric are members of Vision Youth Group from Ngei 1 in Huruma. They are involved in waste management.
Purent Oduor 21yrs, is a student and interested in community service and writing. She is a member of mapping team from Mathare
Susan Oduor 23, she is a community member from Huruma and a mapper from Mathare
