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Ghetto Mirror

ISSUE 18

Real life stories from slums

Ghetto Mirror

ghettomirror@shininghopeforcommunities.org

Youth from slum

helping street kids

20-year-old boy driven

by his passion to provide
equal opportunities to
street children starts
foundation to help cater
for their needs.
By Dorothy Orina
& Andy Wanga
Anyone that has ever had to survive out in
the street knows that it is like jungle out there.
Unfortunately, theres a huge number of children that have to survive in the most dangerous (concrete) jungles of them all; the streets of Nairobi slums.
As bad as the situation is, there arent a lot of services
that cater to the specific needs of children in the street.
This
is
what
drove
20-year-old
Isaac
Biosse
to
start
Aboki
Foundation,

continue on page 6

Social stigma causes rape cases to go unreported

By Eunice Otieno
We live in a society where rape has become common because tradition confines women to stigmatization, the assaulted
get shunned by others and the law enforcers fail to enact justice.
20-year-old name withheld, a victim of gang-rape, asks
herself, Why should I go to the police? It is pointless to report
the case because nothing will be done to them. Instead, I will

end up suffering from discrimination and social stigma. she

was accosted by seven men as she walked home after visiting a
friend living just three hundred meters from her parents home.
It was late in the evening at around 8:30pm. They beat
her up, threw her to the ground near the railway tracks and one
of the gang members ripped off her panties with a knife before all of them took turns to rape her. To date, her attackers
are still walking on the streets, free from prosecution because,
she did not report the case. Many other women from my

neighborhood have been raped before and reported the matter

to the police, but the perpetrators are never arrested, she said.
She is one of the many rape victims who are denied justice
because she either fears that if she reports to the police, nothing
will be done, or her attackers might assault her again in revenge.
National police statistics show that close to
45,000 women report that they are raped every

continue on page 3

Ghetto Mirror | 2

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

TALKING POINT
Kenya Powers
pre-paid system
is here, but are
we ready for it?

We welcome letters on topical issues or the stories we publish and

comments on ghettomirror@shininghopeforcommunities.org.
You can also drop them in our offices at Gatwekera near PAG church.

Switching to pre-paid

lot
of activity has been going on in Kibera since Kenya Power launched its prepaid system
with
the goal of supplying legal, safe, and efficient electricity to slum residents.
The pre-paid digital meters only allow consumers to use
units they have already paid for. To do so, consumers can purchase
a recharge card with a 20 digit number, much like the cell phone
airtime scratch card and then key in the number into the meter.
The pre-pay meter is fitted with an alarm that notifies
you when the units go below 20 so you can top up in time.
The good news is that there is no reconnection fee for the prepay method of billing because you pay before you consume and
you are immediately reconnected upon purchasing power units.
However, some consumers have mixed reactions about Kenya Powers initiative with a number of them claiming that they are
being overcharged and would rather use the post-pay arrangement.
Additionally, over the last couple of days, residents
have complained about the dim lights they have had to
deal with after a transformer situated at Olympic blew up.
Their appeals to Kenya Power to rectify the situation failed and
this in turn made cartels tap other transformers which led to a blackout.
The ongoing initiative has created job opportunities for youth who have been active in helping Kenya Power carry posts and other materials.
The big question now is how will electricity cartels, who have been making a living by providing tapped
electricity in the slums adopt to this change after getting used to making fortunes with the illegal connection?
On the other hand, Kenya Power will finally start collecting
revenue after what has been a long trial to streamline its services in
the area. In the past, they made huge losses due to illegal connections.

Quote of the Month

Even if youre on
the right track,
youll get run over
if you just sit there
Will Rogers
A publication of Shining Hope For
Communities
Editor

Liz Mahiri

Illustrations
Oscar Chitiavi

Contributors

Johnston Mutua, Michael Ogutu, Namayi Kefa,

Erick Ouma, Halima Rajab, Shem Momani,
Eunice Otieno, Ishmeal Ismail, Kevin Ochieng,
Andy Wanga & Brian Okinda

Technical Assistance

Albanous Gituru, Lily Bullitt & Emily Akoth

E-mail:ghettomirror@shininghopeforcommunities.org

The problem with current slum upgrading approaches

The increasingly rapid growth in urban population within Nairobi for the
last couple of decades has
caused a major challenge to
affordable housing that has,
in turn, worsened the crisis of informal settlements.
According to the latest Kenya National Housing and Population census,
Kenya has a deficit of about
250,000 housing units per year.
Without new and cheaper
building technology and more
stringent social planning, slum
upgrading in Kenya will continue to be a mirage in a desert.
This is not say that
nothing has been done to
combat this issue, however most of these efforts have
been ill-informed, inadequate
and have ultimately failed.
The most hyped of these
efforts was the Kenya Slum Upgrading Project (KENSUP) that
was launched by the Kenyan
Ministry of Housing with the
support of UN-Habitat and several other donor organizations.
Intended to pilot Kiberas development, the project built subsidized apartments for Kibera residents in
nearby Langata, a residential area that is considered
wealthy by most Nairobians.
Vital lessons can or should
been learned from the failure
of this multimillion project.
Since its launch in the
year 2003, the project has
stumbled on serious challenges. Each of the challenges exposes a loop hole
in the whole project design.

Demand and supply dictate how things work in a free

market and the planners did not
take into account the way Nairobis real estate market would
affect the KENSUP project.
Its
a
well-known
fact that Nairobi is one of
the most expensive places
and there is stiff competition for affordable housing.
It is therefore unsurprising that when the apartments
in Langata went up, they also
became open to competition
from non-Kibera residents.
Thus, the biggest loophole in the project is that it
did not shield poor residents
from the inevetible competition that would result between
the beneficiaries and non-slum
inhabitants who have more
income than slum residents.
Consequently,
Nairobis middle class swooped
in, searching for affordable housing in a city with
skyrocketing rents, hence
pushing slum residents out.
In fact, many people
from other parts of the city
secured apartments in the
project buildings through informal systems by offering
the intended beneficiaries a
deal they could not resist.
Many Kibera residents
who were given apartments
through the program were lured
to take up the business opportunity by renting their flats to
middle class tenants at four and
five times the subsidized rate.
They then moved back to
the slum with the extra money
in their pockets. Even if the

poor residents were to reject

the lure of extra income from
the middle class, the cost of
living outside a slum, where
practically everything is more
expensive, would be a driving incentive to move back
to the informal settlements
Most informal settlements have organically grown
economic, social, political
and communal systems that
closely imitate that of the rural villages they come from.
These systems create
a unique environment that
incubates wellness by helping people survive amidst
a reality of squalor, lack
of services and poverty.
The obvious lack of
these systems outside of the
slum dilutes or breaks the
existing social fabric that
makes slum living tolerable.
Thus, many beneficiaries of the project felt alienated and separated from the
wider community with some
claiming that their survival
is pegged on these systems.
In a society where life
is based on social capital,
bartering and community
support, the upmarket area
of Langata made it hard to
fit in and to make a living.
Moreover, Kibera residents perceive themselves
as a voting bloc, thus the
move to segregate a part of
the residents would obviously put a hamper on the little political sway they have.
Some landlords felt that
the project was the governments plan to take over their

land by taking residents out

the houses in order to reacquire the land that the landlords had claimed as theirs.
Instead of relocating
and essentially displacing
slum residents as the main
strategy for slum upgrading, a more effective way
will be to upgrade the slum
by improving it from within.
This will surely preserve the existing systems that slum dwellers
have come to depend on.
To achieve this, the government and other development stakeholders should focus
on improved road networks,
proper drainage systems,
good sanitation, improved
security and job creation.
For the problem of land
ownership, the government
should make it possible for
the current unofficial landowners to be able to legally
acquire land in exchange for
their participation in upgrading housing and ensuring standard housing laws are met.
In addition, the government and other stakeholders
should aid in acquiring and
adopting cheaper but innovative construction technologies
that fit the slums conditions.
Overall, for any slum
upgrading project to be successful, planners must understand the needs of the local
community and include that
in the process rather than
just focusing on the physical elements of upgrading.

Johnstone Mutua

Send us your feedback by texting your name and where you are reading
from to 20308. The sms is free of charge. Start with Ghetto Mirror Shujaaz
or GM Shujaaz followed by your name and place.

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

one on one

Ghetto Mirror | 3

Smart joker
Who is Smart Joker?
My full name is Michael
Omuka, I am 28 years old and an
artist at Churchill. I am also a musician. Currently Im working on
a few songs and other new jokes.
I easily socialize with people
once I familiarize myself with them.
Tell us about your educational
background.
I started school in 1993 at
Lilia Nursery School in the former
Western Province. I did my K.C.P.E
in Lurrale Primary School in 2003
then moved to Luandeti High School
where I did my K.C.S.E in 2007.

Everybody knows him as

Smart Joker, with his own
popular brand of ribcracking jokes from the
Churchill Show and his hit
song, Tumetoka Analogue,
Tunaenda Digital.
Ghetto Mirrors Andy Wanga
caught up with him to shed
light on his life and how he
manages to stand tall
despite competition in the
highly competitive laugh
industry.

What did you do after High School?

I did lots of odd jobs. In 2008,
I moved to Limuru where I was
first employed by Green Change
Land Caper to cut grass for the
Bata company. However, luck was
not on my side and I was fired.
I then became a security guard
at a private school, Jocy Academy,
in Limuru. I worked there for almost three years without being paid
and was fired when I asked for my
salary. I soon found another job at a
farm in Kabaku, Limuru near Tikoni.
How did you get yourself to Nairobi?
I started saving some of the
money I earned while working at
the farm in Kabaka and when I
felt I had enough to get to Nairobi. I was lucky again as I soon got
hired as a garden boy in Karen C.
Despite having worked as a casual labouror to survive, I never forgot
that I had a talent in singing and acting.
I always knew that I was only working
to get money to follow my dreams.
When did you record your first
song?

After saving enough money, I recorded my first song on

March 2010. The song was about
drugs. It was a collabo we did with
a friend of mine known as Millage.
What made you get into comedy
and music?
There were auditions at
carnivore
grounds
that
were
sponsored by Laugh Industry.
I cracked one heavy joke that
judges were very happy with and I
was acceoted to be a part of the Laugh
Industry team. And just like that,
thats how I found myself in comedy.
In terms of music, Ive always had a passion for it. But
its my the song Tumetoka Analogue, Tunaenda Digital that really put me on the musical map.
On matters of comedy, what have
you achieved so far?
Comedy has made me popular and famous and has therefore offered me more opportunities. Personally, the fame has
landed me big advertising gigs.
You are working on another song,
when will you release it?
That one is too early to
say now. But for my fans, I urge
them to be patient, the song will
be released in a few months.
Youve met a lot of artists and
comedians, who has been your
favorite superstar artist?
Let me first say that Im not just
a fan of celebrities or popular artists
but I am also a fan of fellow ordinary
people, just like me. I dont like naming favorites but I met Basket Mouth
from Nigeria and OmbokoLongai
from Uganda, we had tea together and
cracked jokes together. I have also met

Alaine, a Jamaican-American musician, and I recorded a song with her,

although I dont know where the song
went, I still have hopes it will be one
day be released. I have also met Chris
Brown, 50 cent and a lot of Kenyan artists through shows and organizations.
How does the Churchil Show
pick people to be part of them in
comedy?
There are open auditions on
Tuesdays 9:00am at Carnivore
Grounds. When you audition, try
to be unique, and you will succeed. Also try to crack jokes that
will really make people laugh.
Once you pass the auditions
, they will take you and train you.
But what I can say, dont try
to compete with me because I went
there once, cracked heavy jokes, sang
to them songs and they took me to
be part of their team. But I can say
everybody has got their own luck.
Word of advice to young talents out
there.
Number one, say no to drugs, I
dont use any drugs. Dont ever look
at me when I perform like Im a mad
person on stage, then you go and take
drugs like alcohol so you can be like me.
Drug abuse misleads young people and it has brought shame to Kibera. Kibera is not respected because
outsiders think that the people who
live there usually take drugs like cocaine, changaa, marijuana and so on.
Lastly, if you want to succeed in comedy dont try to copy
anyone, just be yourself and
be creative in anything you do.
Discipline, hard work and determination are the most important
things. And always put God first
above everything you do and you
will succeed throughout your life.

Social stigma causes rape cases to go unreported

from page 1
year and the figure is
probably
higher
since
many
of the cases are not reported.
A legal advocacy center located
in Makina, Kibera called Haki Self
Help Group that counsels rape victims confirmed that this is, in fact,
the scary reality. A study they conducted in Gatwekera, Kibera suggested that only four or five percent
of rape cases reported to the police
actually result in a conviction. According to the study, the victims are
not happy with the manner in which
their cases are handled by the police.
Charles Ogutu, the Chief Executive Officer at the center said a lot
of women do not see the point of reporting to the criminal justice system
because they dont see it as effective.
The rape victims who decide
to press charges get frustrated, demoralized and sometimes abused
by the justice system. So far, a lot
of women and girls think that there
is no point of putting themselves

SHOFCO Gender Development department suggestion

boxes. Fill the black and white forms on the side of the box
by writing your name, telephone number, place and briefly
state the type of assault then drop the form in the box.
Photo: Emily Akoth

through two years of hell when nothing happens in the end. Said Ogutu.
While the lack of faith in the
criminal justice system is an obstacle, there are other deeply underlying causes that keep women from
reporting rape cases to the police in
Kenya. Societal stigma and cultural
and traditional discrimination also
dissuade the victims from bringing up these issues, therefore keeping them quiet and forcing them
to act like nothing has happened.
Ogutu also said that there is a
strong belief in Kenyan society that
women have to be submissive to their
men and that rape might happen within that relationship. It is also strongly believed that a lot of perpetrators
of rape tend to be family members.
Consequently, the challenge of
reporting rape cases for victims can be
caused by the fear of betraying their
family if they report the rape. A lot of
the women have to deal with the internal dilemma of how they will face
other relatives, if they report the case.
The Haki Self Help Group
center said it receives between 40

and 60 cases of rape a month, and

most of them involve children and
are family related. This also makes
it difficult for social workers or
councilors to intervene, especially
when parents do not co-operate.
When it is your boyfriend who
does it to you, you may call it forced
sex, but not rape, even though legally it would fit the definition of
rape. The shame that accompanies
rape also accounts for the vow of
silence that victims tend to take.
Because rape is a traumatizing
event, its no surprise that most victims
just want to put the experience behind
them as quickly as possible so as to
continue with their lives. Rape can
have serious repercussions on a survivor, with the psychological effects usually being more severe than the physical one suffered during the rape itself.
According to Medicine Sans
Frontiers/Doctors
Without
Borders (MSF) who work in Kibera,
the psychological impact can manifest itself in different ways if not
attended to. MSF advises rape victims to speak out and get counseling.

Ghetto Mirror | 4

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

Humans of Kibera

A full page of
stories from
Kibera residents.

Visit Ghetto Mirror online for more on facebook

and at ghettomirroronline.wordpress.com

Richard Mwendwa:

Dan:
I am already used to living in Kibera
but I want my two kids to work hard
so that they can get out of the slum.

Jareld Nyasaka:
Im not sleeping hungry, but Im getting very little money. I have to travel
to Kisii once a month to see my family.

Jeremiah Ogembo:
The proudest moment of my life was
in 1992 when I was arrested for supporting Raila Odinga in a rally.

Kennedy Ochieng:
Education got cut short so I had to
start working at this shower business.
I would like to go back to school at
some point.

Jose:
I started at a polytechnic engineering
school in Nyamira. When I first moved
to Nairobi, I did not have a job for a
year.

I really like to dance to reggae music

but my favorite song is Nataka Kulewa by Diamond.

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

Ghetto Mirror | 5

Kibera musicians patience pays off

By Jared Kefa
Sometime in the year 2005, five
buddies from Kibera united by their undying love for music, decided to form
a rap group called Ghettorian Soldiers.
Today, with only two members
still active, Ghettorian Soldiers comprises of Michael Okiri who is known
as Mike and Jonathan Kutwa, also
known as Kajole Salamanda. Ghettorian Soldiers are now finally on the
verge of releasing their debut album.
Mike says, The exit of three
of our members did little to kill our
morale. In fact, it only served to refuel our resolve to soldier on in
our pursuit to become musicians.
While it is unfortunate that the
others decided to hang the mc and
pursue other interests, the remain-

ing two are happy that they saw the

light and embraced gospel music.
The duo has so far recoded about
20 singles and are well on their way
to finishing their long-awaited album.
Among the songs theyve done so far
are, Wengi, Government, Tangu
Zamani, Gangsters, Love, Mkwanja, Ushapata and Wagada.
Baadaye, which was released
in 2009, is their most popular hit
single which won them many fans
all over the country. Last year, they
recorded Kazi ni Kazi that is currently receiving favorable air play.
Apart from the two hit singles, two years ago, Ghettorian
Soldiers recorded a song called
Street, which is doing equally well.
Finally, we have found our
fan base and we are now receiving numerous invitations to per-

form in different places all over the

country said Kajole Salamanda.
For instance, last year in December, they performed in Mombasa at the Kim for Love concert. In
Nairobi, they have had several stage
performances at Sarakasi dome in
Ngara during Wapi Events. They
have also done a number of charity
shows in Kibera to help raise funds
for the Childrens Home in the slum.
The two musicians say that
they have faced lots of challenges in their journey to make it as established musicians. Things were
quite tough before we could record our first single, said Mike.
In order to raise studio fees to
record their music, they had to sacrifice a lot to save as much money
as possible. They used to walk almost everywhere instead of taking

the bus and would skip lunch many

times. Additionally, they were turned
down by a number of producers.
However, their hard work and
sacrifice paid off when they started
receiving lucrative invitations to perform for various joints. This was proof
enough to them that patience pays.
Our first paid performance
was in Mombasa and others have
followed since then, said Mike.
Those who thought and saw us
as useless are now calling us for
their events to perform, he added.
Since their financial situation
has improved, they have begun working on videos to some of their songs.
Kajole Salamanda says, We are
very glad that now we can manage
to do things we had only dreamt of
doing. So far, they have shot videos
for Government and Kazi ni Kazi.

Their current plans, besides

releasing their album and videos, are to embark on a countrywide tour to popularize their music.
In addition to working on their
music, both work at Pamoja Fm in
Kibera. Mike works as a Radio Presenter in a show called East African Express and as a Production
Manager cum producer while Kajole
Salamanda is a Sports News Anchor.
Mikes parting short is that
hard work, no matter how long
it takes, eventually pays off. His
massage to upcoming musicians
is to work hard and stay focused.
Kajole, on the other hand,
warns their haters that they are here
to stay and people should watch
out for them as they want to prove
the point that something good and
worthwhile can come out of Kibera.

The demise of Mathares Gitathuru River

By Felix Omondi
Take a moment with me to reminisce the Gitathuru River in its hay
days when it was still the heart and
soul of the Mathare Valley community.
It was one of the most popular spots in the Valley as it served
the people who thronged its banks
while simultaneously functioning
perfectly in its role in the ecosystem.
You could find mothers
washing clothes on its banks, children splashing as they plunged
into the water while fathers would
be resting under the shade of the
many trees that aligned its banks.
In fact, it is common knowledge that any Mathare area residents
who knows how to swim probably learned to do so at the river.
This was made possible by the
many swimming areas known as duuf
mpararo spots that aligned the river.
These spots where christened names
like kita 1, 2, 3 and 4 that designated
their level of deepness. But today, this
river lies in a shadow of its hay days.
The high number of people who
thronged its banks have deserted it,

trees and beautiful vegetation that

aligned its banks have been cleared
to create way for the many farms
that have now cropped up around
the river, its water levels have greatly reduced and the water has now
acquired a black mucky colour.
The flow of effluents from industries, domestic waste from urban settlements and run off from agricultural
activities along the river basin constitute some of the things contributing to
the pollution and degradation that will
lead to the future demise of this river.
Theres an alarming number of
gardens that have sprung up around
the river over the years. Locals have
divided the area along the river into
small pieces of land where they now
practice their agricultural activities.
Most of them engage in subsistence farming and plant mostly
sukumawiki (kales), carrots, arrow
roots and maize among other crops.
In some sections, the gardens have gone all the way to the
edges of the river banks and some
farmers have opted to plant all the
way into the middle of the river.
It is not surprising to find sugarcane or bananas planted right

in the center of the river. This

has disrupted the flow of water.
The local farmers have also
mechanized ways of channeling water
from the river into their farms for irrigation purposes. This has reduced the
water levels of the river and also the
amount of water flowing downstream
therefore reducing the size of the river.
Also run-off chemicals from the
excess fertilizers used in the gardens
and farms and the flow of untreated
effluents from industries upstream
have seriously polluted the river.
These
pollutants
sometimes change the color of this
river to pitch black and make
the
water
extremely
toxic.
Furthermore, due to the increasing population in Mathare, there has
been high demand for more houses.
This increased pressure for more houses has forced many people to construct
houses all the way to the banks of the
river to meet the growing demand.
Although this is clearly against
the governments directive that no
houses should be constructed 30 meters from the river, the residents still
continue constructing with impunity.
Consequently, these houses

Low cost milk for residents as

Milk ATM opens up in Kibera
By Kevin Ochieng
A new milk ATM has opened
up in the Gorofani area of Kibera.
The milk machine was first opened
to customers on May 23 of this
year and has been operating since.
Kennedy Otieno, a worker employed to man the machine, says
the machine was installed to provide cheap and affordable milk.
The milk from the machine is
so popular that residents are coming
from far flung areas like in Kianda,
Lindi, Kisumu Ndogo and Olympic
areas just to buy from the machine.
A litre of milk goes for ksh.70 but
the lowest amount of money one can
buy milk with is ksh.10. The machine
can hold a maximum of 200 liters.

In explaining the popularity

of the machine and the milk, Otieno
said, the milk is really fresh and really good, once you try it, you will
come back with ten other people.
According to Otieno, the business peaks in the early hours of the
morning from 5:00 am to 11:00
am. However from around noon to
4:00 pm they have fewer customers.
Business picks up again after 5:00 pm and continues to receive
a lot of customers up to around
10:00pm when they close the shop.
Otieno says that the job can be
exhausting especially since their daily stock of milk can come as early
as 2:00 in the morning. This means
that Otieno and his coworker have
to be awake before or by that time.
He also adds that their job is de-

manding since they work while standing from 5:00 am when the business
opens to 10:00 pm when it closes, with
little or no breaks, depending on the day.
Another problem they face
regularly is when there is a power outage which affects their work
as they have to resort to manually
operating
the
machine.
This sometimes becomes tricky
because some customers think that the
quality of milk has been compromised.
Overall,
Otieno
is
happy about his work as he is one
of the first people to provide this
new business to people in Kibera.

end up disrupting the natural flow of

the river and during the rainy season, the river breaks its banks and
floods many of the houses leading
to the displacement of many and
substantial destruction of property.
These construction activities
coupled with the agricultural activities along the river banks have reduced, in some sections, the width of
this river -which also acts as boundary
between Mathare and Ruaraka constituencies - to a foots length, making
it look more like a trench than a river.
The locals who live near the
river also end up polluting it. Some
use the river as a dump, throwing
in their liquid and domestic waste
without caring. The accumulation
of this waste has, at times, ended
up blocking the flow of this river.
Whats more, there are multitudes of informal toilets that the
locals have built along the riverbank that directly release untreated human waste into the river
therefore increasing its pollution.
Moreover, domestic waste
from the adjacent homes coupled
with run off chemicals from excess
fertilizers that are used in the farms

has led to eutrophication. This is

where plants have grown from the
nutrients provided by these factors.
But all is not lost, the government
has tried to put in place some measures to try and rescue this dying river.
The introduction of the law that
prohibits building any structures within 30 meters of the river is welcoming.
This will help clear the
houses built on the rivers banks
which disturbs the rivers flow.
Also, the government has on
many occasions initiated cleanup projects for the Nairobi River
of which this river is a tributary.
The process has not yet
reached the Gitathuru area but some
residents are positive that help is
on the way for this dying river.
The National Youth Service
(NYS) has also started contributing to
cleaning up the river as part of its general mandate to clean up Mathare slum.
While the challenge to restore
the river to its previous hay day conditions is great, it is clear that an effective plan of action will require
both the efforts of the locals and the
government among other stakeholders to save it from complete ruin.

SHOFCO Economic Empowerment

Offers:

>>Employability training that enhances ones

ability to get and retain a job by developing
ones communication skills and personnal
attributes
>>Information on the DOs and Donts of the job
market.
>> Link to internships and attachments that
offer the required job skills

Call or visit SHOFCO offices.

Ghetto Mirror | 6

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

Society
Youth from slum helping needy street kids
Topical stories on
daily happenings
in our society.

from page 1
to
help
needy
children from Kibera, Korogocho, and other Nairobi slums.
Established in December
2014, the foundations mission is
to give hope, support and opportunities to street children in slums.
Isaac, who lives in Korogocho, knows that if given the
opportunity, poor people have
the potential to achieve a lot.
Because of his entrepreneurial
spirit, Isaac wanted to form a network and help fellow classmates
help themselves. That is how the idea
for the Aboki Foundation was born.
After completing form four at
Jamhuri High School in Ngara, Isaac
decided to get together with other
school mates to start this project.
He spent two months looking
for and pitching the idea to as many
students as he could. He managed to

get 40 of his colleagues to join him.

They arranged a meeting
place in Korogocho where they
met and decided to begin by contributing from the little they had
since none of them had any savings
and the foundation had no capital.
They
gathered
money,
clothes sanitary towels, blankets
and foodstuffs and started donating these things to street children.
They now donate every second
Saturday and Sunday of the month.
Currently, the foundation has
about 80 to 100 youths and usually
selects one member from the group
to walk around from slum to slum
announcing that Aboki Foundation ,
which is also known as Youth Helping Foundation, will be at a particular place such as Kibera or Mathare.
The foundation has so far
helped over 7000 needy children
from various slums but the majority are from Kibera, Korogocho,
Mukuru Kwa Njenga, and Mathare.
More than donating to street

children and the needy, the foun- dren and young youth engage in
dation has orrobbery, hijacking,
ganized a group
drug
trafficking
Im glad I joined and much more.
dance and the
members
enOne of the
this foundation
gage in manual
members,
John
because it keeps
work that cleans
Odhiambo
said,
up the streets of
me busy and allows Im glad I joined
Nairobi slums.
this foundation beme to help kids in
As one of
cause it keeps me
the only youth
busy and allows me
need.
foundations in
to help kids in need.
I was selected to
Nairobi slums
I was selected
that focus on
walk from slum to to walk from slum
helping
street
to slum announcslum to announce ing where they
children, Aboki
Foundawill be giving out
where we will be
tion has so far
their
collections
giving out our col- in certain place
played a major
role in translections in a certain at certain time.
forming lives.
The
founplace & at a certain dation has grown
Its members believe that
a lot since inceptime.
the foundation
tion and the group
has helped reJohn Odhiambo now collects about
duce the rates
ksh.60, 000 to
at which small chil100, 000 before the

end of the second Saturdays and

Sundays of the month. They use
the money they raise to buy foodstuff and other basic things that
the street children might need.
The Foundation also gets
support from various sponsors including churches, unions and organizations who donate items like
beddings, money and stationeries.
Some of the sponsors
help with placing some of the
children in childrens homes.
Aboki, which is now located
in Umoja is looking to expand so
that it may be able to serve more
of the less fortunate in society.
Isaac says, In five years
to come I want this foundation to grow bigger and have a
business element, a childrens
home and a child help center.
Other youth out there are encouraged to join the group as it is
open to everyone. For more information, you can contact 0707606892.

Upcoming library seeks to improve students performance

By Patrick Khamala
Calvary Secondary School
in Kibera is in the planning stages
of opening up a library to its students and the larger community.
Digital Alliance, a non-profit organization that works to promote visual education, has committed to equip the library with a
television and DVD player that
will be used to air academic set
programs in various subjects.

John Mulei, the schools assistant director, said that the librarys mission is to provide
space for book lovers, attract new
readers and to encourage reading habits among the students
and members of the community.
To that effect, the library
will be well equipped with a diverse collection of books ranging from textbooks to fictional
novels in order to provide people
with their book needs and introduce them to new reading material.
In efforts to encourage peo-

ple to come in and promote a

reading culture, Mulei wants the
library to offer a conducive environment that will contain reading
and working spaces with enough
tables and chairs to accommodate as many people as possible.
More than just reading materials and space, the library will
also offer additional quiet rooms
where students will be able to conduct personal or group studies.
Moreover, the library will
serve as a center for creativity where
students will be able to discover

and/or nurture their talents through

writing and reading clubs that will
develop their skills and encourage hard work and perseverance.
Mulei also hopes that by keeping youth busy through such activities, the librarys resources can help
dissuade idleness that tends to lead to
youth becoming engaged in harmful
activities like drug abuse and crime.
He added that the he wants to
ensure that the library is extremely
accessible so as to help students utilize their time better. He hopes that
students use these resources effec-

tively, which will eventually lead

to the students performing better.
Jamila Onyango, a form three
student at the school said that I am
excited about the coming library because it will help me do my research
and assignments on time and hopefully help me improve my grades.
Jackline Serem, a Kiswahili teacher echoed the students
sentiments by saying, I support
the development of the library
as it will create a better studying environment for the students
and help them perform better.

Locals turn to bead work as a source of employment

By Andy Wanga
In Kenya, many tribes have
used beads as a basic element of
their traditional attire, especially in
jewelry. However, modernization
has made beadwork become more
than just a way of adorning a body.
While beads are still most commonly used to make jewelry, nowadays, you can also find beadwork on
shoes, sculptures, table mats, baskets,
clothes and exquisite wall hangings.
With the current levels of
unemployment in our country, a
lot of people in Kibera have embraced this art as a way of venturing into the business world.
One such businessman is Robert Odhiambo, a calm, soft-spoken,
young man who started bead-working in 2009, six years after completing his secondary certificate. He now
makes Maasai shoes and other types
of sandals using beads and leather.

Rose Khavetsa beading a wristband. Beadwork has grown

into the one of the common ways women and youth are
making a living.

Photo::Liz Mahiri

Odhiambo attests that beadwork has been a saving grace

for him as it provides him with
a comfortable standard of living.
I live and pay rent with this
job and I also pay my school fees
from it, he said. He makes approximately Ksh. 1500 to 3000 a day.
His business has been growing gradually to the point that
he has been able to employ two
young men and one mother, who
work on a part-time basis and offer a helping hand when he needs it.
His workers state that they are
happy with their work and wages and
they make sufficient income to support themselves and their families.
He is proud that he has been able to
give back to the community and he
hopes to continue to improve the lives
of more youth who dont have jobs.
We also caught up with women who work in SHOFCOS women
empowerment program (SWEP) who
also make a living off their beadwork.
These women make shoes, wristbands,
wristwatches and logos using beads.

54-year-old
Rose
Khavetsa who works there says that
this work has helped her tremendously and has kept her busy.
Although
both
Odhiambo
and the SWEP women have experienced some success from their
beadwork, there are still a few challenges they all experience equally.
They mentioned that the market for the merchandise is characterized by low prices and at times
there is no market at all for any of
the products they sell. SWEPs women counter this challenge by always
having a diverse set of products,
constantly trying out new designs
and improving on previous ones.
Additionally, Robert states that
commitment, determination and
passion are the secrets of success.
Overall, SWEPs women advise
that you must be the change you wish
to see in the world. These bead workers show that poverty and hopelessness
should not define slum living and that
if you put yourself to it, there are plenty of ways you can overcome hardship.

Health

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

Ghetto Mirror | 7

Residents treated
of eye compliactions
for free

Hundreds receive treatment for eye complication

By Kevin Ochieng

ibera residents were

serviced with a free
eye clinic on June 1
- 5 through the help of the Redeemer Lutheran Church from Austin,
U.S.A in association with Springs
of Life Lutheran Church in Kibera.
In collaboration with Vision for
Africa, an NGO that works to promote
eye healthcare in Africa, Redeemer
Lutheran Church sends volunteers every year to slums in Kenya with the
mission to eradicate preventable eye
problems while spreading the Gospel.
David A. Devore, who led the
team from America, said that this vision clinic usually attracts large numbers of people who throng the venues
to get their eyes checked and receive
medical assistance. Since 2009, Devore and his group of volunteers have
helped thousand regain their eyesight.
There is also a team of four Kenyan
doctors who help with this service.
The initiative has also visited
and set up medical camps in other
places like Kiambu, Narok and Naivasha. On the first day of this year,
the clinic served about 430 people. By
the end of the week, 2220 people had
been treated and received eye drops
or reading glasses. The most common eye problem that is usually found
during the week of treatment is cataracts, which is clouding of the eyes
natural lens that lies behind the iris
and the pupil. It is the most common

Baby Blessing and her parents pause for a photo with David Devore at the Life Springs
Lutheran Church in Kibera courtyard after Blessing had been given medical attention to
remove cataracts from her eyes. The cataracts are said to be hereditary.
cause of vision loss in people over
40 and is the main cause of blindness
in the world. According to Prevent
Blindness America (PBA), there are
more cases of cataracts worldwide
than there are of glaucoma, macular
degeneration and retinopathy, (three
of the most common eye problems)
combined. This initiative has saved
a lot of people in Nairobi slums from

Business

Photo: Courtersy.

contracting this disease, people who

would probably have had no way of
preventing it and no financial means
of getting the surgery to cure it.
A case in point is that of a young
girl called Blessing from Kawangware who was born with cataracts in
both her eyes. Doctors had discovered
that her cataracts were hereditary as

her mother was also born with the

condition. However, her case came in
too late as Devore and his peers were
closing their camp and preparing to
fly out. The girls condition required
urgent medical assistance. Normally we fund one cataract surgery at a
time and mostly for older people because the high chance of infection

and the possibility of losing sight in

both eyes. David however says that
in the case of Blessing, the risk factors of going under anesthesia twice
far outweighed these other factors,
so both eyes needed to be corrected
at the same time. He asked doctors to
make calls and confirm up the cost.
After phone consultations with their
colleagues at various clinics, doctors
reported that both eyes including anesthesia would be a little less than ksh.
40,000. Fortunately, an anonymous
donor offered to pay 1/3rd of the cost.
The surgery went well and Blessing
had her sight restored in both eyes.
While this initiative has been successful in a number of different ways,
it still experiences certain challenges.
One of the biggest challenges is publicizing the project to people who need it the
most as in the case of Blessing.
Spreading awareness through
word of mouth alone takes time and
prevents people from getting treated on time or even checked at all.
Another drawback is getting volunteers especially from the west as
people tend to think that Africa is
dangerous due to disease, war, and
poverty. Despite these challenges,
the eye clinic will continue to do its
work in order to realize its mission.
The next eye clinic will be in
Kawangware around November 5-9
of this year. It will also come back
to Kibera around the end of May
and beginning of June of next year.

Women establish
a new business-model
for washing clothes.

Women group merchandise on cloth-washing

By Eunice Otieno

he Achiever Womens
group in Kawangware is
unlike any other womens
group you would find in a Kenyan slum.
It is a group of visionary women who have devised a new way of
minting money from an age-old engagement; washing clothes for pay.
As opposed to most other clothes
washers who move from house to
house and estate to estate searching
for clothes to wash, the group instead
has residents from wealthier estates
bring their wares to them for cleaning.
Eunishandy Aoko, a single mother who lives in Kawangware, came up
with the idea about two years ago.
Aoko then partnered with other women who would accompany her as she
went knocking on doors in search of
people needing their clothes washed.
I realized there were a lot of
other women with the same problems as I did, and saw that if we
came together, we could solve some
of our problems together, Aoko said.
They later decided to identify
a specific place where they would do
their washing.They started saving and
were able to rent a place and the equipment needed to start their business.
More than making a living, the
goal of the initiative is also to help
poor women who depend on washing
clothes but waste a lot of energy and
time moving around looking for clients.

Members of the Achiever Womens group washing some of

their clients clothes. Over 30 women have been employed
on permanent and part-time basis.
Photo: Eunice Otieno.

Aoko and her colleagues say

that the group has been a saving
grace for them because the previous method had too many problems.
A lot of the time, most of
these women would not get client or would get too exhausted
from walking and be unable to
raise enough money for the day.
A majority of the women complained that their for-

mer clients did not trust them in

their houses and some showed
hostility. Aoko remembers that.
Some bosses used to test me
even with food, She explains. As
you know, after washing clothes
and youre hungry and youve seen
a banana you do not want to leave,
so they normally complained that
my interest was not in washing
clothes but eating their food and

yet they do not want you to break

for lunch before you finish washing their clothes, Ms. Aoko added.
By providing a specific place
to launder clothes, Aokos idea eased
both the work of the women washing and provided a constant and reliable laundry service for the clients.
We are happy now because
our clients do not have the problem of having different people
wash their clothes, some of who
may be dishonest and end up stealing from the client, said Aoko.
She added that she is also happy that her fellow workers have their
own source of reliable income and
do not have to wait for their husbands to bring them money which
may not satisfy all their needs.
One of their clients, Paul Nyangweso, says that, I am happy with the
groups services because they make it
convenient for me and I dont have to
worry about a stranger in the house
and the safety of my household items.
The group has employed 30 women, 10 who are permanent and another
20 women who work on a casual basis.
The women on casual engagement are paid on a daily basis after they finish washing their
share of clothes and the permanent women are paid monthly.
We work from 8.00am to
3.00pm and even pay rent for the
place we are working at. We are

able to pay for our expenses as

well as save money, said Aoko.
To become a member of the
group, one must register with a Ksh.
300 non-refundable fee. As saving is an essential component of the
group, each member is required to
save Ksh. 400 per month, which
also serves as their emergency fund.
The group balances work between themselves as well as between
work and home duties. Aoko explains
why this is necessary saying that,
some of our husbands want us to be
housewives and not to work for pay.
Members of Each member
Achiever Womens group are also
entitled to two days off weekly.
The group has appointed marketers who walk around
to look for clients while some
do the washing, and others fold.
Each piece of cloth has its
own price, jeans cost Ksh. 100, a
T-shirt is Ksh. 40, material cloth is
Ksh. 80, capes and socks are Ksh.
30, towels Ksh. 50, carpets Ksh. 300
and nets and kitambas are Ksh. 150.
All childrens items are half the
price. The group is aiming at employing men who can wash cars and carpets.
To avoid confusion and conflicts with their client over missing
clothes, they have a records book
where they keep track of who has
brought in clothes, and who is washing the clothes of each specific client.

Ghetto Mirror | 8

ISSUE:18
JUNE 2015

Artists rise from bottom to stardom

Brian Otieno Mbowo, commonly known as Bravoo, performing one of his songs
during a good governance concert.
Photo: Bravo
By Kevin Ochieng

rian Otieno Mbowo,

who goes by the name,
Bravoo, is a Kibera-born
dancehall artist who has risen to stardom from very humble beginnings.
He was born in 1994 and was mostly
raised by his mother. Bravoo only ever
saw his father twice; once when he
was sick and again during his funeral.
To make ends meet, his mother
used to sell clothes in Langata. However, as the money that came in from
this was barely enough, she had to resort to selling changaa to supplement
her income, which could land her in
trouble with law enforcers. Bravoo
is however proud and appreciative of
her mother in saying, my mother is a

real holistic woman who has struggled

so much despite the fact that she was
jobless. Her hard work to keep them
afloat is one of the things that drove
him to become successful in his art.
He says, I was always determined
and focused to change the situation.
Although he got into the music
industry when he was much older, his
inclination towards music was sparked
by a series of unfortunate events that
began when he was just a young boy.
When he was still in primary
school, Bravoo used to play football
with his friends at Langata grounds.
But this was short-lived as the football field was demolished to pave way
for roads and estates. Bravoo and his
friends who were now idle and demoralized, turned to crime. They joined a

gang, experimented with drugs, got

addicted to hard drugs like marijuana and soon graduated to robbery.
The gang used to terrorize Langata,
Uhuru gardens, Jamhuri and South B
estates. This activities eventually led
him to drop out of school in 2007.
In took one incident that nearly
cost him his life to change his behavior. Duringa robbery mission, hewas
caught and corneredby a mob, beaten
and left to die. Fortunately, he was
rescued by a goodsamaritan who coincidentally happened to be a neighbor. Having lost consciousness, he
found himself in a hospital. It is also
at this point in life, that he went on a
self-discovery quest throughreligion
and sought forgiveness from God.
It is also around this time that

he discovered that he could sing.

Unfortunately, by then his friends
and relatives had abandoned him because of his past criminal activities.
He was however not deterred by this
as music was the one of the things
that helped him recover and change
his life. He started writing songs on
his experiences in life and the second chance that he was given in life.
So far, Bravoo has released
more than 100 tracks includingHappy Day, I Ask You (a gospel
song), Beat Dem Bad, Hands
Up (off the JoverteRiddim), Illuminati and Im Di Best( the
video was released this year).
He became popular when he released a hit called New Dancewith
a video on YouTube. Fame started following as he got interviews from one
radio and TV station to another. He
launched the song on K24s popular
reggae and dancehall show RiddimUp
Live Peoplewhich helped him reach
out his music to a wider audience.
He has worked with two music stars from Jamaica, one drop hit
maker, Venomous with whom he recorded a song called Shagalabagla
which, he says, is a new dance style
that is getting launched in Africa.
He has also done a song
called PumPumwith Naja Ashie.
His music has also exposed
to local heavy weights like Octopizzo and Rabbit and he has shared
the stage with Venomous, Prof, NajaAshie, and Brian Avia from Uganda and Tess Obrian from Australia.
He has toured in Siaya, Nairobi,Machakos and Mombasa and Uganda.
He is currently planning on
working with an artist called Delus,
Konshens younger brother who has

sent him a beat through mail meaning that there is a hit in the making
and he also has plans to go to Australia to make some video tracks.
Bravoo is inspired by Redsan
and the Ugandan, Jose Chameleon. He
adds that Busy Signal is his role model
because he has been outstanding since
day one of his career. He also thinks
out of the box compared to majority.
He has been rewarded for his
talent and hard work as his music
has won the ECN Radio Awards
for best dancehall artist and best
song of the Season (New Dance).
His success has also won him
back his family.He says that at first
the family did not take him seriously,
especially his mother. That has however changed now as he can support
his mother from his music career.
Despite his success, Bravo still
has a few challenges. He criticizes the
Kenyan music industry for not being
supportive enough of local musicians making it hard to penetrate the
music scene as most radio and TV
stations play foreign music at the expense ofthe local ones. He says that,
This is why you will hear more of
Lil Wayne but less of Octopizzo.
He recommends that Kenya should
have good distribution mechanism
like that of Nigeria or South Africa.
Bravoos long term vision is to
set up a musical empire where every
talented youth from the slum will be
able to have an opportunity to make
the most of their talent. He adds that
his mission is to change the music industry in the same way the hip
hop mogul Dr.Dre changed it with
his Beats. He also wants to create a
sound track that will reign for infinity.

Plight of the mentally-ill people in slums

By Kevin Ochieng
& Michael Ogutu

amkunji is a constituency of Nairobi that is about 200

meters away from the city center.
It houses the mother of (and
therefore) the largest market in all
of Nairobi. As such, it is a hodgepodge of people and things that are
nestled within its slum conditions.
While there are a lot of problems facing everyone who lives in
such congested and poor conditions,
the most overlooked and perhaps
most vulnerable of this marginalized
population are the mentally sick.
Ruth Ndukwe Amwai, who
works for the Ministry of Health
in the department of mental health,
is among the very few who actively advocates for and acts on
the behalf of this shunned group.
She says that because these individuals generally dont receive any
type of aid for their conditions and
since they are stigmatized by society,
their symptoms worsen over time. Because of this, they tend to be rejected
by both family and their community,
and left without any support system.
A lot of them end up fall-

Ghetto
Mirror

ing into the traps of helpless- port in society for the mentally ill.
ness and dangerous situations.
While there are a few services
Amwai claims that the number that cater to the mentally ill in Kenya,
of mentally ill people in Kamkunji is they are scarce and/or inadequately
greater compared to the rest of Kenya. equipped to deal with the condition.
She says that this large number
Mathari Mental Hospital is the
poses a real danger to other men- only institution that takes in mentaltally ill people and the community ly ill patients in Nairobi. However,
at large as they
it is far beyond its
can be attacked She is six months full carrying caor can attack anypacity and does
one in the streets. pregnant, living in not have enough
She
adds
to care
the cold, not attend- resources
that some carry
for all the paknives as weapons ing antenatal clin- tients effectively.
therefore endanIn fact, it
gering themselves ics and not eating has been so overand those that that healthy food. This is whelmed that pathey may come
tients get released
into contact with. why we need a cen- as soon as they
Due to their ter to cater for such start improving.
helplessness, they
Amwai points out
can be influenced cases and help needy that this is a major
by drug peddlers
why there
families to pay hospi- reason
to distribute drugs
are still so many
like
marijuana. tal bills and give the mentally ill peoAmwai, who
ple on the streets.
has been working abandoned & menKenyatta
as a social worker
National
Hospital,
tally-ill a home
in the community
the biggest referfor 30 years, has
ral medical instiRuth Amwai tution in Kenya,
experienced
and
seen the problems
stopped admitting
caused by the lack services and sup- mentally ill patients because there

were a lot of cases where these patients would try to escape by jumping from high floors of the hospitals.
One of the reasons Mathari Mental institution is overcrowded is because of the high costs of these services.
A lot of families might not
be able to afford the bills incurred,
and therefore leave the patients
in the hospital, which eventually
forces the hospitals to let them go.
Amwai says that the lack of a
comprehensive system to handle all
these problems causes a never ending cycle that will not be resolved
unless these issues are addressed.
Mary
Wangari
Kabanais
one such patient who was released from the Mathari Mental Hospital three years ago and
has been on the streets since then.
Once she was out of the institution, she was exposed to a
multitude of risks that mentally ill
women in the slum are especially
more vulnerable to, such as rape.
Unfortunately, Kabana has been
a victim of rape multiple times and has
consequently become pregnant. She is
currently expecting her second child.
She is six months pregnant, living in the cold, not attending antenatal clinics and not eating
healthy food. This is why we need

a center to cater for such cases and

help needy families to pay hospital bills and give the abandoned
mentally ill a home, Amwai says.
In an effort to help change the
situation, Amwai has written a letter to several governmental bodies
urging them to address these issues.
The letter requests help from
relevant offices to help in starting the process of creating clinics
and centers that cater specifically to the needs of the mentally ill.
She explains that there is a
dire need to increase these services
and to make them accessible to people suffering from mental illness
in slum areas and other poor areas.
Amwai believes that community
based centers, particularly in slums and
poor areas will be extremely effective.
She says that it will give existing community social workers, like herself, an easier time
to identify and help individuals
within this marginalized group.
It will also allow each case of
mental illness to be treated in appropriate and effective means, and for
the individuals to be taken care in
humane ways. Moreover, this system
will allow these individuals to make
something out of themselves and to
become useful members of society.

The Ghetto Mirror is a monthly publication published and distributed for free by Shining Hope for Communities as
part of its programs aimed at empowering the youth through developing their media skills and also to bring attention to the
issues affecting the residents of the informal settlements. All the work that goes into production of this newspaper is done by youths
from the slums. Correspondence should be addressed to ghettomirror@shininghopeforcommunities.org. You can also visit our
facebook page www.facebook.com/ghettomirror for constant news updates, photos, and videos. News and advertising 0722 550 024