Our Community

Wedged between two affluent suburbs, Kawangware is one of Nairobi, Kenya’s informal settlements. With more than 130,000 people crammed into a space of just 3 km, the community is diverse and includes residents from more than 10 distinct tribes. Many of the homes are makeshift, created out of corrugated iron sheets and most lack indoor running water. Instead, residents buy bottled drinking water, use public toilets and showers, and draw water from community wells. Only 1/3 of the adult residents have full-time employment and the majority struggle to ear the equivalent of even a dollar a day.

In Kawangware, there are many people – including children – who live on the streets. Extreme hardship is everywhere and many people have turned to drugs to help them cope with traumatic pasts and current realities, which in turn leads them to crime. Safety for women is a grave concern: girls as young as eight are sometimes married off to older men in exchange for money, and the lack of income opportunities force many women into commercial sex work.

Over 65% of Kawangware’s residents are children and they often bear the brunt of these hardships. Many end up fending for themselves while their parents work to survive. Extreme poverty and family difficulties lead parents to sometimes abandon their children who end up joining street families, groups of children who band together for support and survival.

Healthcare is not always stable or accessible. A recent doctor’s strike left many without a reliable means of care. Diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, waterborne illnesses, and malaria are common. Health clinics help diagnose and treat illnesses, but prescriptions and even over-the-counter medicines in pharmacies remain out of reach for many.

Water scarcity and poor infrastructure compound these difficulties. Climate change has brought increased rainfall, but without proper drainage systems, flooding is frequent and devastating. Clean drinking water is scarce and expensive and crops often fail, which poses additional challenges for residents. Nevertheless, the community’s resilience is evident as they continually seek innovative solutions to improve water access and sanitation.

The people of Kawangware have an unwavering strength and capacity to support one another. They rely heavily on community organizations and mutual aid networks to distribute resources and ensure essential services reach those in need. Organizations like Badilika Uishi are at the forefront, mobilizing resources, providing education, connecting to healthcare, and fostering economic opportunities. Through their work, they help residents improve their quality of life and create more possibilities for their future.