Engaging youth to build a greener future
The river that weaves through the dense slums of Mathare behind the KINATCO Community Hall is one of the main rivers in Nairobi. It is unfortunately highly polluted and unusable. MaSCA is leading a project to rehabilitate the Mathare River and its surroundings by engaging local youth in clean-up activities, landscaping, community infrastructure development, and the creation of sustainable sanitation and waste management systems.
The project involves waste management, scenic restoration, soil conservation, landscaping, and the development of parks, trails and infrastructure like benches and outdoor meeting spaces – all while engaging youth in the design and implementation.
The sad state of the Mathare River has not developed overnight, but is the result of decades of neglect, in which the river became the depository for industrial and agricultural waste and the dumping ground for municipal garbage. The Mathare River goes through the large slum of Mathare, which is located in the Eastlands of Nairobi, Kenya. It’s the oldest and second largest urban slum in Kenya after Kibera. Public utilities are practically non-existent. Mathare has few toilets, and the river serves as the slum’s sewerage system. Water is sold by vendors at comparably high prices, resulting in residents consuming less water than they should. With few systems of solid waste collection, waste is subsequently dumped into the same river where residents do their washing. The lack of access to clean water, inadequate medical facilities, and refuse, exacerbates health related issues including dysentery, hepatitis and cholera.
Damage to the river has become a serious problem that requires action before the situation becomes irreversible. MaSCA sees the river as a complex three-dimensional system that includes the river, the riverbanks, and the surrounding areas. This concept is the basis of a unique planning initiative to bring cleaner water, green parks, and recreation areas to Mathare for all residents to enjoy. The damage of years cannot be corrected in days, weeks or even years. In order to restore the river to its former glory, MaSCA and its community partners have a long-term outlook and a multi-stage plan.
In early 2023, the acre of land surrounding the river behind the KINATCO Community Hall was donated to the project for the newly-created Mathare Community Park. Initial activities have included waste removal, tree-planting, the demarcation of the park boundary and two dumping sites, and the construction of benches and accessible walking paths. Mathare youth have been key implementers, as volunteers and recipients of modest stipends. Once successful in rehabilitating this section, the project will expand to other areas along the river.
Through education and skill-building engaging youth and community-based groups, this project will enhance communal spaces and develop programs to build basic sanitation infrastructure and services, creating connection and healthier environments.
MaSCA has engaged multiple community organizations and local residents in making the project possible. The main objective of the river rehabilitation project is to improve the quality of life of people who live in the vicinity of the river. Support from residents of Mathare as well as their environmental awareness is essential for waste management and maintaining the riverbanks as green land. As well, wherever possible, work will involve training and capacity-building opportunities for local stakeholders, which also contributes to community ownership.
