KUUM B Biocentre Household air pollution is high due to burning of traditional fuels (kerosene and charcoal) for cooking and lighting having adverse health impacts. Use of these fuels produces high levels of smoke around the home with health-damaging pollutants. These pollutants can lead to a wide range of child and adult diseases like acute and chronic respiratory conditions (e.g. pneumonia), lung cancer, stroke and cataract. Residents in the informal settlement are the ones mostly affected by these conditions. Umande Trust through funding from Wimma Liikuttaa has been able to maximize on the bio gas utilization from the KUUM B bio centre by installing 4, one burner stoves and biogas lamps in the four rental rooms. The biogas burner ensures the tenants have their privacy as they cook their meals and importantly improve the health of women and children. The residents have been able to save on the cost of buying paraffin and paying electricity bills. The
Kibera, the largest informal settlement in East Africa, rests five kilometres from Nairobi’s city centre and houses more than a quarter of the capital’s population. Defined by its uncertain land tenure, inferior infrastructure and low incomes, it is no secret that this densely populated area suffers from dangerously low levels of sanitation services. According to an Impact Assessment Report conducted by Jean Africa Consultants (JAC), there is one pit latrine for every 50 to 500 community members living in Kibera. Often times, the location of a pit latrine makes it inaccessible for waste collection and after it overflows with excrement, it is abandoned. This results in the increased use of “flying toilets,” a plastic bag used for defecation that is tossed as far away as possible. In Kibera’s Silanga Village, a survey conducted for the previous assessment report found that more than 50% of respondents admitted to throwing their waste using the “flying toilet” approach. The lack of
Written By: Sophie Stowe and Alexa Storzinger This Earth Day, Umande Trust partnered with Kidani Youth Venture to run an all day event focused on engaging youth in informal settlements on the issues of climate change. We ran the event out of the KID YOT biocenter in Kibra, Nairobi and had over 40 kids in attendance. It was a fruitful day full of smiles and learning that we can’t wait to share with you. A bit more about Kidani Youth Venture (KYV): Joy and Edwin are the founders. They met at a conference a few years ago at a time when Edwin had his heart set on leaving Kibra forever to find better opportunities elsewhere. However, when Joy shared her inspiring philosophy with Edwin, he was convinced to stay. Now they run KYV together, driven and directed by Joy’s vision of making Kibra a place that people want to live and are proud of. This vision for Kibra and understanding of the importance of education and youth, drives the activities run on the regular by KYV. Using the s
I love what you are doing, i would like to be part.
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