Before the start of the WSF, GGJ organized sight visits to three local communities. One visit that will forever stay in my memory was a stopover the Korogocho community. About 200,000 Africans live in this community settlement, also called a “slum” by most because it is located next to a dumping site. Sixty percent of the population in Korogocho is youth and many are forced into crime, prostitution, and alcoholism. Poverty and unemployment contributes greatly to these conditions.
The settlement houses eight villages that have no electricity, no running water or plumbing. The land they live on is owned by the Kenyan government, yet local utility services are not offered to them. They are not recognized by the government whatsoever, yet they still have to pay rent for houses they built themselves from scraps.
Although the situation seems hopeless, the people of Korogocho have built their own projects and programs from the ground up. The youth have built their own “informal” schools, their own newspaper, and forced the city of Nairobi to give them air time for their own youth radio show.Community programs are divided into four projects through the Miss KOCH Initiative: Badilika (means Change) promotes HIV/AIDS and sexual reproductive health, Burudika (means Enjoy) promotes talent, skill and capacity development, Wadada (means Women) promotes girl empowerment and education and Daraja (m
eans Bridge) promotes human rights, governance and peace. The settlement also consists of the Korogocho Environmental Network (KENET) where the community analyzes the needs of the environmental concerns facing their community. They have their own recycling program and organized clean ups and are currently constructing a site to employ 258 youth.
Walking through the Korogocho community reminded me of the colonias in Mexico. One in particular that came to mind was a community in Matamoros, Mexico, the border of Brownsville, Texas that I visited along with others through the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice’s YOTI (Youth Organizing Training Institute). The conditions were the same as in Africa.
I could not believe that all of Nairobi’s trash is dumped next to homes and the city government does not care to do anything about it. During our visit, a GGJ delegate asked, “Why not move away from here? These conditions are terrible!” A community member replied, “Because this is my home. Moving will not solve the problem. I will be replaced by someone in need of shelter or a home. We have to fix these problems so those who will continue to live here and the future children to come won’t have to suffer as much as we have.”For more information or to help out, please email misskoch2001@yahoo.com or visit http://www.misskoch.org/
The settlement houses eight villages that have no electricity, no running water or plumbing. The land they live on is owned by the Kenyan government, yet local utility services are not offered to them. They are not recognized by the government whatsoever, yet they still have to pay rent for houses they built themselves from scraps.
Although the situation seems hopeless, the people of Korogocho have built their own projects and programs from the ground up. The youth have built their own “informal” schools, their own newspaper, and forced the city of Nairobi to give them air time for their own youth radio show.Community programs are divided into four projects through the Miss KOCH Initiative: Badilika (means Change) promotes HIV/AIDS and sexual reproductive health, Burudika (means Enjoy) promotes talent, skill and capacity development, Wadada (means Women) promotes girl empowerment and education and Daraja (m
eans Bridge) promotes human rights, governance and peace. The settlement also consists of the Korogocho Environmental Network (KENET) where the community analyzes the needs of the environmental concerns facing their community. They have their own recycling program and organized clean ups and are currently constructing a site to employ 258 youth.Walking through the Korogocho community reminded me of the colonias in Mexico. One in particular that came to mind was a community in Matamoros, Mexico, the border of Brownsville, Texas that I visited along with others through the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice’s YOTI (Youth Organizing Training Institute). The conditions were the same as in Africa.
I could not believe that all of Nairobi’s trash is dumped next to homes and the city government does not care to do anything about it. During our visit, a GGJ delegate asked, “Why not move away from here? These conditions are terrible!” A community member replied, “Because this is my home. Moving will not solve the problem. I will be replaced by someone in need of shelter or a home. We have to fix these problems so those who will continue to live here and the future children to come won’t have to suffer as much as we have.”For more information or to help out, please email misskoch2001@yahoo.com or visit http://www.misskoch.org/
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