Safe and Inclusive Cities Project: How Downtown Youth Group in Mathare - Nairobi is going green

The oldest and second largest urban slum in Kenya, Mathare is home to around half a million people. One of the biggest challenges facing the community is waste management, with less than half of the rubbish produced being reused or recycled. With no official waste disposal services, piles of rubbish cover the community, causing drainage problems, flooding and polluting the rivers and clean water sources.
Wanting to clean up their community, a group of young people came together to form the Downtown youth group. Over the past few years, the group has constructed several water points and public toilets in Mathare, cleared drainage systems and led community training sessions on good hygiene and sanitation practices. The group has also partnered with Taka Taka Zero organisation to convert rubbish into fuel which powers a community cooker.
Plan International Kenya, through its Safe and Inclusive Cities Project partnered with Horn of Africa in mapping existing youth-led groups such as the Downtown Youth Group that deal with renewable energy and waste management on issues concerning climate change. Thereafter, the groups were engaged in capacity-building sessions revolving around entrepreneurship, waste recycling and savings. Through these sessions, the groups were able to gain skills and enhance their youth led initiatives.
The goal of the project is to ensure that the youth-led groups are independent, empowered and sustainable through quality education and provision of decent opportunities.
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