Ghetto Foundation was officially registered as a community based organization in July 2013. It has gone through ups and downs, but these are some of its successes in the 8 years of service to humanity. We take toll of some of the achievements
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
GF has trained over 1200 youths in business skills in partnership with University of British Columbia business school and Strathmore University. The training is held every year since 2013 with participants coming from all over Mathare and its environs. The trained youths have been able to start their own ventures while others have been capacitated with skills to serve well in their already existing social enterprises
LIFE SKILLS AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP
In its 8 years stint, GF have endeavored to empower many youths with life's skills through capacity building trainings and mentorship program which has impacted positive transformation in the community. This is done through the annual youth leadership program which runs from January and ends in December with a graduation to give room for new intake for fresh youths to be taken through the program. It involves topical discussions, talent identification and development, Human rights sensitization, sporting activities, boot camps and other educational outdoor activities to keep the youths engaged and shun away from crime.
PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
GF has also conducted numerous community dialogues engaging the community on different issues especially on conflict resolution and human rights violations where the participants come up with solutions to their challenges. In the run-up to 2013 general elections, we organized community peace dialogues to all the 13 villages in Mathare to sensitize the community on importance of peace and coexistence among all tribes. The dialogues intention was to create awareness on the importance of peace and respect for humanity to avoid conflicts as witnessed during 2007 post election violence where lives and properties were lost and many people displaced from their homes.
HUMAN RIGHTS WORK
GF is one of the founders of Social justice movement whose work is to monitor, document and report human rights violations in a bid to get justice to the victims who normally come from poor backgrounds. Many youths especially young men have faced extra judicial killings, maimed, tortured or arbitrary arrested by police without a justifiable reason or been taken through the legal process. Justice centres work around the clock to see that justice has been served through documenting these cases and following up through the court of law with the help of other agencies. The
social justice centers which started in Mathare has now been established in 19 other settlements across Nairobi and in other counties across the country like Mombasa, Kisumu, Taita Taveta, Machakos, Kakamega among others.
In 2018-2020, Ghetto Foundation partnered with 3 other organizations in a project called Ushirikiano Mwema kwa Usalama (UMKU) whose objective was prevention of extrajudicial killings in Nairobi's informal settlements; the project was funded by European Union and attended by the UNOHR extrajudicial killings rapporteur Agnes Callamard during the project closing ceremony.
RELIEF DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
GF partnered with other humanitarian organizations to distribute food relief to over 2000 families who were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. More than 3000 people identified by Ghetto Foundation were given cash relief of ksh 9,000 by Give Directly to cushion them from economic constraint brought about by the pandemic especially to purchase food, medicine and pay rent. Covid-19 pandemic led to loss of jobs and livelihood and hence the relief came in handy to support members of the community who were hardly hit.
COMMUNITY-LED RESEARCH AND ACTION (CLRA)
Over the 8 years of its existence, GF has trained over 100 community led researchers in Community led research and action (CLRA) methodology. This research methodology is participatory and community led process of knowledge generation. It seeks to challenge the hierarchies and paternalism in mainstream research work by focusing on the voices, experiences and expertise of community members. It encourages community members to deeply understand and reflect on their world and thereafter providing solutions to their issues. CLRA works in collaborative cycles of observing, reflecting and analyzing.
We remain appreciative to all our friends and partners who have walked along with us in the 8 years' long journey; it has not been easy but you have always walked along with us.
Community-led researchers in a session
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