DISCOVER

Mchnagnyiko hall-Kibera karanja road Estate
Nairobi
Kenya

George Madanyi

He was born in Kibera 26 years ago to a single mother in the sprawling slums of Kibera-Katwekera,after the death of his mother through car accident he was taken in by his grandmother.His mother never told him who his father is.His grandmother was not in a good position to provide for him.After his primary exams he went in Mbale High School near his rural home,here he met boys that would enlist him to the world of crime just to make ends meet. Some of his friends were killed due to crime and in 2005 he saw an acrobat group at Kamkunji grounds in Kibera and asked to join it-the group was Kibera-Hamlets.One year of volunteer service with the group in he brought youths together in the slums in hope of them changing from their social vices. In 2007/8 after the disputed presidential elections,he so what some of his fellow youths were doing in Kibera ranging from rapes to muder which also left many childern orphans.With the youths they came up with different ideas,for forming a group that will get youths out of crime and empower them through various activities and also a home and school for the orphan children.Women came on board to help him and that is how Kibera Fruitful was born.

Charles Wafula

Mr. Charles Wafula is a life coach, interested in supporting other people become all that they were created to be. Charles is the immediate former Executive Director of Youth Initiatives Kenya (YIKE). YIKE is a local based NGO whose vision is a society in which the youths are able to facilitate their own development. The primary beneficiaries of YIKE’s programs are youths resident in Nairobi’s informal settlements including Mathare, Korogocho, Dandora, Huruma, Kawangware. Charles is the author of a publication entitled “Analysis of Kenya’s Budget Allocation Patterns for Basic Education in Urban Slums” published by the Economic & Social Rights Council (ESRC), 2010. Currently, Charles works with Emerging Leaders Foundation, which seeks to mentor young people who will shape the future of Kenya and Africa. Additionally, he also works as a free-lance public policy consultant, besides his part-time teaching assignments at Mt. Kenya University.

Alex Beru

Alex was born in 1989 in Nairobi Kawangware area. His parents passed a way when he was still young. After their deaths, he was taken in by my auntie. Life became too hard at his Aunties place due to mistreatment. When he could not bear it anymore, he decided to go to the street and join other youth outside there. To his disadvantage, life in the street was not as easy as he expected. There were a lot of challenges: Exploitation by the elder youth in the street. No one to take care of you in case of sickness. Drug abuse and glue sniffing that could cause brain problems. Harassment by police and rejection by other members of the society. Lack of food that lead to collection of scrap from gabages. this was not easy since there was high competition because that was the only source of income for everyone in the street. While still in the street, he met a good Samaritan who took him to school. After class 8, they reconnected him with a cousin who he stayed with for sometime while they continued to pay my school fees at form one level. Unfortunately, the cousin he was staying with was a thief so one day he was caught stealing and the police shot him dead. After his death he was not able to pay the rent so he went back to the street. At the street, life become even harder because he had just come out of there and was just adopting to these good life.He was not bale to continue collecting scrape. He then joined a group of youths who used to steal from the market. One day, after they had finished their daily routine, they went to relax somewhere and someone came and told them he was starting an organization for the youth. He asked them to unite and and join his organization. They agreed and he helped him get the youth though he used to pay him for that. He later joined him and became one if the first youth in the program. He underwent trainings in financial literacy and business skills. He was good at street business so after that he joined a white lady whom he helped start up an organization that does sales. The organization sales products that improve peoples life eg solar products and efficient charcoal and wood stoves. To date he is a sales agent at Ismart located in Kawangware between Equity and Krep banks.

Millicent Otieno

Millicent Auma Otieno is community health specialist by proffession,made an IDP in her own country during the disputed presidential election of 2007/8. She is a residence of Kibera for more than 10 years.In her desire to see a transformed society she founded KIVIWOSHEG which is a community based organization ment to empower women and youths economically, socially and politically.