Stories from Mathare and how development is shaping the future of slums in Nairobi.
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. Stories about daily life in densely populated neighborhood and how development is impacting on people’s life. AM BACK 2021 NOW
Hi
My name is Pablo Fernandez and I visited Mathare a couple of weeks ago. I have been working with people from MYSA and I was wondering if there is a way to get connected with Michael and Eric. I have a couple of questions about waste management that I would like to ask them. Currently I’m working in a project related with garbage in the slums and their help will be highly appreciated.
Thank you very much
I,m called Charles Juma i was born in mathare slum since 1987 up to now,and as the youth i have been seeing some of problems which facing most of the youth from mathare are scarcity of job opportunity,these problem forcing them to join a criminal group which later leads to lose of their live by the police,mob justice,some also decided to ruined their lives with drugs because they are saying that is the only way to manage stress which they passing through.so I,m asking the government to create more opportunity for the youths so that they can not lose their lives.
Hi, I am a university student in Canada working on my architecture thesis in Mathare. Thank you for sharing on you blog, the posts are very interesting and informative. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions through email. Can contact me at allison.koornneef@gmail.com? Thank you and keep up the great blog!
I would love to do an e-interview with you all about this blog. Please feel free to email me at your earliest convenience at murph(at)aviewfromthecave.com. Thanks – Tom
Hi Tom am one of the author’s matharevalley blog thanks for contacting us and reading our blog we will be very happy and delighted to answers any question relating matharevalley blog our offices are situated along mathare number ten and my cell phone number is 0715537244 thanks.
hello i know there was sometime you looked for me but i think i was in Garrisa, just wondering if you are still intrested with me, for i have been working in the slums of Nairobi for the last 12 years and around Kenya. hope you can find me
My cell no is +254-725-870-876
Hi there,
Please excuse me for barging in on your blog. I am trawling for kindred spirits with a similar objective to mine, which is to provide handcarts to those who most need them.
Many people in many lands, live in drudgery and poverty, spending many hours each day walking long distances, searching for essential things like water, firewood and food, to carry home using their heads, hands and backs, because they have no wheeled transport for carrying their loads.
I am sure the lives of these people would be greatly improved if they had handcarts.
Handcarts increase mobility, and save precious time and energy. Their benefits include –
Better able to carry heavy loads, further and faster, with less effort.
Improved health, with less mental stress and physical strain.
Greater freedom for women and girls.
Better attendance of schools and medical clinics.
Spending less time away from home.
Greater security for children, livestock and property.
Earning money hiring out carts, and taking produce to market.
Setting up mobile stalls for selling food and garden produce.
Social and welfare improvements.
More buildings and shelters.
As time goes by, the benefits of using handcarts expand exponentially, turning basic subsistence into dynamic development for individuals, families, communities and nations alike.
I realise that designing, making and distributing good quality handcarts to those who need them most, will be a prolonged, difficult and costly task, but I believe it can be done on a global basis, if dedicated caring individuals and relief organisations join forces to develop and action viable, agreeable and sustainable solutions to a problem that has compounded the effects of drudgery and poverty for far too long.
What you think?
I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this matter, and any handcart associated intelligence .
Do you think that the concept is valid?
Would you support or participate in it?
Do you know of any individual or organisation currently involved with providing handcarts?
Would you like further details of the concept?
Do you have any questions, that I haven’t thought of?
Please show or forward this message to anyone you think may be interested in the concept of providing handcarts on a humanitarian basis.
Many thanks
Ed Austin
KoruKarts(at)gmail(dot)com.
Congratulations Vijana. If only there were more like you, working hard to improve the lives of others. I am a retired teacher. I live nearby in Ruiru Town running an organization whose interest is in creating environmental awareness among children. One of our activities is about personal and enviroonmental cleanliness as well as recycling eg paper, charcoal dust etc May I wish you all well and say Kazi iendelee
Am Mukonyole s Dancan i appreciate your service, that is why it has motivated to reguest for attachment in your company as from aguest 2014, thanks in advance
Hi Simon,
Good to see you are still holding the fort at Mathare.
Have you had any more thoughts about making or using handcarts?
Do you have “wheelie bins” in Mathare?. If so, do they get used for rubbish collection, or for transportation of goods/firewood/water/etc?
Kind regards
Ed Austin.
Hi Austin
Thanks for being a regular reader. There are now wheelie bins in Mathare. I think this can be good if could have more discussions with garbage collectors. What do you think?
Regards
Simon
Hi Simon and Eric, I would love to do an e-interview with you for my blog on participatory urban development! I am currently researching an article on community participation in Mathare and am looking for voices and experiences. Please contact me at laura@parcitypatory.org. Thank you!
matharevalley 