- Research | Empower | Transform
Kambi Moto residence Hurumaresidence Huruma
26th January 2023
Interview
Interviewer: Tell us a bit about your life?
My name is John N. Kimani, I live here at Kambi Moto, and I was also born here at Kambi Moto. But when I was growing, like any other slums or ghetto, there is a history. Normally, there are issues that if the child is not brought up well, one becomes indisciplined. And that is the time I joined illegal groups. So in the process of joining those groups, I was quarrelling first of all by my parent, then from my parent, a bad reputation came from the village. So because of my bad name from the village, I was unable to interact well with the villagers because of my bad manners that I had previously. Then that time I was still young, I was around 12 or 13 years. So between that age of 12- 13 I had challenges; sometimes being arrested, being put into police cells and being released, but when I was released, still there is no changes.
So that was the time that there were a lot of discussions and negotiations when “Muungano” was starting here and construction works. Since I was a young boy, I did not understand the importance of that. My mother was going for meetings, other people were going for meetings but I didn’t see any need. I thought that it was one of groups for women, and it had no meaning for me.
Then in that process when the discussions were starting, I started seeing demolitions and in the process of demolition, I saw some construction work had slowly began. But since I didn’t know what was happening, you know my mind then was still bad. I knew the things which were brought I was to taken and go. So construction works started slowly, I started taking part in the construction so that could get the chance to take some of the things which were brought. But in the process some of the men who were involved, because my mother had already left Nairobi and had gone to live in upcountry. So men who were there tried all means to stop me from doing work there, and they also tried speaking to me. Though those methods were not easy, they were very difficult.
And that was the time that sat down because of the way I was losing friends through crime and at the same time I was going through challenges here and there and also rejection from the community. So I had to sit down and start thinking how I could interact again with the community. Then in that process it was still hard to borrow from people everything, I was forced to start joining construction works, because I couldn’t join the meetings because I was still young. Then I was 15- 16 years there. So I started joining construction as a handy man, but in that job as a handy man there were other peoples who were in the same state. And in the state, still they were affecting construction work, they affected in that there were people especially the professionals; Engineers, Architects those who were sent by organizations to come and help Kambi Moto they couldn’t reach to this place just like that. Because it was a dangerous place, if you could be seen with any valuable thing like phones, cameras we could take them.
And those others that I left, they had continued with the same crimes. So I looked and seen that it wasn’t wise thing and I was difficult job because I was on that side and also the community had not accepted me and on the other hand I had my friend who had continued with the other job.
Now it was the time to try and reconcile them. Both sides with bringing conflicts. Speaking with them to see how we can stop them from crime. But telling a person to stop crime and that is where gets daily bread, stopping that was very difficult for them.
So it was to start finding methods which could bring us together. The first method with Kambi Moto dwellers we thought how we can attract young people in that project because I found myself alone there. And because of that conflicts with young people they were to get a tool that will bring them together. And the first time I remember we organized sports, we organized sports first here in Kambi Moto, we gathered young people together, and they started playing football. When they were playing football we asked them if we can form a football team. And then through the organizations we had with other villages, and the donations we got from the organization we had that time, Pamoja Trust, we started organizing tournaments. So we had started organizing football tournaments. So we could take young people from here, go to Kibera or Dagorreti, so we educated each other slowly as we changed our minds.
That what we did, on weekend we go for sports, and then we report job on Monday. So we started instigating each other as young people, let’s see if we can do this job. According to the procedures of Muugano wa Wanakijiji, in construction it was the masons who were paid, but for others works it was voluntarily from the community. So for us we found ourselves in that category of community especially for those who couldn’t participate in the construction because of their own jobs. But since they had to appear in the register, so we could request them we work on their behalf so that they can for their own activity. So that how we started building our relationship. And we started being given jobs by many customers, from Monday through Friday or Saturdays we found ourselves having jobs to do representing several community members.
That is how I found myself in activity of construction. I started constructing and learned more how Muungano saving we done, bringing youths and community together so that they could understand each other. So that strategy we used as we tried to bring to an ends destructions and bad habits that were going on here
Interviewer 2: Were girls also involved?
Respondent: During that time mostly we focused on young men because then were endanger most. For young girls, they were in danger because they were dependence, so mostly for them it was issues of dropping out of school, look after us as dependence we involved ourselves in destructions. So we started mostly with boy child so that if we could reduce that then demands that were coming from girls could reduce.
Then we could start focusing on young girls for their needs. Remember that time, we had no skills nor education. We only had the basic education from school. But we had no skills of the society, for bringing society together. So tried in the sectors which were squeezed. So in that sector we made sure that young men joined in orderly manner, understanding what is Muungano, involvement in construction, we involved ourselves on savings, so we can became part of the community and the community also accepted us.
So then started looking for some girls who were young, which challenges they were going through. We started forming groups for young people so we could know if there are some of the issues that could be solved in the group which has been neglected by the community. Remember everyone’s focus was on the construction and houses so some of the issues we not being taken into more consideration.
Through building bridges between the society and young people, that when we started to highlight; women, girl child, looking at the economy, how people are earning, how a person can earn without affecting the environment or other person. And that’s how we continued forming small groups for youths.
Interviewer: What are the strategies that Muungano has now to make sure that young people cannot involve themselves again in crimes?
For now the challenges that young people are going through, and one is a challenge that has been there for a while is jobs. And those young people are there wants simple jobs and it is not easy to get even that simple job. To get a white collar job is not easy. So we are trying to see if the can get skills or technical skills so that they can get employment. Because most of the jobs we are getting they are those we haven’t studied for or those that there is few vacancies to satisfy young peoples.
Those challenges, and what I can tell you is, before an opportunity is sort for you, and how is that person prepared? And preparation is that, after the normal studies, which we go through of primary and secondary schools, what else that person can learn in order to have skills so that he can get handy jobs and also to get his own money.
So for now I thank much the former government which put more technical schools and technical schools is one of the ways which can deliver us from this disaster of employment.
Interviewer: For now on young people, Muungano especially, somebody mentioned about ‘Mwamuko wa Vijana’ which courses are you offering , first to teach them skills and are you seeking job for them to solve that problem?
So for now as we are here, as Kambi Moto we have groups for young people, one of which I am in charge. There is a group that I am handling, that I am helping much. And helping them, is looking for them opportunities available especially of skills. And for those opportunities for skills, like 2018-2019 there are those who got an opportunities to learn skills in beauty; shaving, nails design and among them, there are those who started working, others were employed and one of them started her own business. So an opportunity like that. There is also another organization that was called Buildher. We are trying to unite those young people who have no space or did not succeed in education, they go there to get craft skills. And for those craft skills, last year I participated in a conference for builders which had more 350 women who have gone through training process and many of them had secured different jobs.
So for us what we are doing is trying to build bridges and looking for opportunities outside, then we sits down and negotiate on that opportunity needs several people. Now as were are talking, there training that is going on of mobile phone repair. There are youths who have come from different parts in Nairobi, they are being trained then they will become trainers. Next week but one we are expecting youths for Mathare, Lakisama, Baba Dogo and Embakasi North who will trained who then can decide to open their own shop. And exactly as I do that, I must start here at home. There are those youth whom will go and get that training. From here were are talking in these houses, there are about 5 youths who are already trained. And they have those tools, books and so it’s for them to go out there and create jobs for themselves
Interviewer: And something important has come up in this project or this village is about savings, even when people gets job, if they are not connected, which actions are you taking so that these youth may continue with these savings that you started not only to build them houses or starting business? And also for savings, have you trained them those skills?
In those groups, remember the model we have borrowed from Muungano. We look at what they have been doing in order to reach where they are in savings and we got a house. For us we look at what we can get from there to remodel according the current models and the needs that we have and what we are looking for.
In this area that we are conducting this interviews now, there is a group called Kambi Moto youths and Kids. That is it has youth and children. And that one has been doing savings and like last year, they saved and acquired small grant and they were able to buy PA system.
The PA system they lending at a cost, and the money they are getting they want to see if after sometimes they can do a housing project. After some fews, they too will need to have their own houses. Their children will also need them. So that is the plan that is there. And those kids who much younger that we are talking about because as you have heard the name ends with kids. They too were trained on that model of saving.
There are several activities for kids, there is library, arts and that arts requires other expenses and this group is not able cover for all those expenses. So even those kids are trained about savings but they also warned from stealing from their parents so that they can save.
When they are going to school and if a child is given 10 bob, they know that they will 5 shillings and other 5 shillings they will save. Afterwards they take that saving and buy like costumes to use when they have a performance somewhere. And we can see that is a good model.
In the year 2020, we learnt a new saving culture, which was known as weekly saving challenge which was a model started by Safaricom. And since that was Safaricom’s model we wanted to try if it can work for us. We embraced the model and requested youth to gauge themselves and see what they can do. After one year you see what you can take home to help yourself. Year 2020 was a hard because of corona, more than 15 youth who were in the group and we allowed others who were not in the group so that we could sell that culture. More than 15 youths were able to raise more than 120 thousand.
Then on December, they divided among themselves, some got money for Christmas. I have a testimony of two ladies who had no money to take their children to school January while those kids had reached the age of joining school, they had saved around 10-11 thousands and January was smooth for them when their children were joining school.
Then in 2021 the numbers for the group grew upto 20 people then we raised 120 thousand, we also divided among them. So that is a saving very different from that of the group. The savings in the groups is for the projects and that one was for the individuals and it involved even outsiders who was not in those other groups.
Mostly we targeted those youths who are in ‘baze’. There are those ‘baze’ a place young people meet together as they enjoy themselves. And we tells them, remember as you enjoy yourselves, there is some money you are using and you can’t account for. Try and save that money and by the end of the year you will see how much you would get.
Last year also we did the same but we had a lot of challenges because of earnings and we dropped from roughly a target of 120 thousand to 70 thousands. But still they did it. Then now this year we have started it again and this is the second week. And we are doing it weekly, so everyone is weighing himself/herself and now the demand is high because those who got their savings are now selling that policy to many others. Now the demand is very high, every time I am receiving phone calls, people are looking for me because they want to join. They have put a target of 200 thousands this year. And every one want to see if they make to save 20k and to do something with it in January. So if you keep that culture, one can reduce some of the expenses that are unnecessary and focus on expenses that are necessary.
So let’s say in the next two years if we want to get a project like this one it will be easy because we are used to it now.
I am expecting to get my own house in another place because this place is already full. And that why I am trying very much to grow this model so that even when we will leave and join with others, we can get residence in another place.
Interviewer: Because when you was around 15-16 years that’s when you started working as a handy man, which advise you can give to youths of that age so that they too can own a house instead of renting?
There is a proverb which says ‘Ujane ni moshi’ that is ‘widowhood is a smoke’ when one is 15 years of age, many thinks that they will live forever but I want to tell youths who are in between that age, that time will rush and the time you reaches 30 years and you have done nothing in your life you will not be able to reverse back the year.
So for now if you can listen to me or if you happen to see this video, it is now that you start thinking where you want to see yourself in 10 years’ time as you hit 25years. As we speak here, you need to draw a river of life, right now what you have done and from now what is your goal?
If you want your river to flow decreasing draw now, if you want your river to succeed then draw and start doing as you have drawn you river. So if anybody want to get good life, start working for it right now. I will not oppose much those pastors who tell people to wake up and just say ‘amen’ you will get a house and a car but it is also good you get out and start focusing while you are still young.
Interviewer: May be there is something you forgot, you want to add?
No, I have nothing more. Thank You
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