Hayley Stewart

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Power of Light parade in Freetown, Sierra Leone

10 09 2024

IMPACT STORY: How ARISE art projects facilitated community priority setting and communication in Freetown informal settlements

Authors: Sia Tengbe, Kate Hawkins, Ibrahim Juldeh Sesay, Samira Sesay, Ibrahim Gandi, Sulliman Conteh, Abu Conteh, Samuel Saidu, Francis Reffell, Briama Koroma, Joseph Macarthy, Bintu Mansaray

ARISE research has taken an interdisciplinary approach to data collection within the broad remit of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). One area of collaboration that has been particularly fruitful is partnership and engagement with artists and the arts. This has constituted a fascinating innovation in the way data is collected and communicated on health and wellbeing in informal settlements. An opportunity to receive Liverpool City Council financial support to partner with internationally recognised artist Luke Jerram was taken up by partners in Sierra Leone. Dubbed the ‘Power of Light’ project, this partnership was an opportunity to make an impact on the communities that we work with in Freetown.

Background

Since 2020, the Sierra Leone team – from the Centre of Dialogue on Human Settlement and Poverty Alleviation (CODOHSAPA), the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), the Institute of Gender and Children’s Health Research (IGCHR) and the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) – have been collecting data relating to health, wellbeing, health systems accountability, spatial inequalities and other forms of marginality using a range of participatory methods in informal settlements in Freetown. These findings have been documented in blogs, articles, briefs and dissemination workshops. However, effectively communicating these findings at the community level has been a challenge.

A range of concerns have been highlighted through this work and even though there are other factors at play a lack of safety and security, especially at night, and particularly for women and girls was one of these concerns. The risk of harm reported by women and girls is related to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, since responsibilities for cleaning and the collection of water are often gendered, with women and girls assumed to be responsible. Study communities also were concerned about the impact of inadequate and unreliable electricity supply on their daily activities such as their livelihoods and their children’s education.

The Power of light project presented an opportunity to help address these issues. The Power of Light project was funded by the Liverpool City Council and Luke Jerram (a UK-based artist of international renown) as part of the 125th anniversary celebration of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Luke and a videographer, Jackson Kingsley, travelled to Freetown and worked with ten local artists who had been identified by the research team. They all collaborated on the ‘Power of Light’ Project. The Project was a combination of the creation of paper-based light sculptures, the installation of solar powered street lighting and a street carnival.

The artists were introduced to the key messages from the ARISE research related to safety, education, access to water and sanitation services and climate change. Twenty one solar-powered streetlights were installed in public areas across three communities. A parade at Dwarzark which brought together school children, community chiefs, youth, researchers and co-researchers marked the end of the project in Freetown where the installed solar lights were officially switched on and handed over to the community. Participants danced to melodious tunes played by a local brass band through the main street from Dwarzark Junction to the community centre near the main football field, showcasing designed sculptures to the community. The evening ended with refreshments and the distribution of 60 small LED lights to participating children to help with homework and navigating more safely at night. Furthermore, the team also rehabilitated the Moyiba community primary school, and the main water point in Cockle Bay. The project was documented in a short film. The impact of this work has reverberated outwards. In 2023 a presentation on this work won best innovative poster award at the International Conference on Urban Health.

Impact

The inclusion of locally based artists and a film maker in the co-production process was an opportunity for capacity building, cross learning and fostering stronger relationships in the community.The paper sculptures reflected the identified health and wellbeing priorities of residents within our communities and reflected these messages back to the broader community in a fun, inclusive and simple manner.

The distribution of LED lights to children and the rehabilitation of the primary school helped to provide a supportive learning environment and highlighted the importance of education for children. The rehabilitation of Moyiba primary school can help create a more conducive learning environment and may potentially improve their academic performance and educational outcomes. The rehabilitation of the main water point at Cockle Bay and toilet facilities at the Moyiba primary school will improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

The installation of solar powered streetlights has helped to address some of the safety concerns that disproportionally affect women and children at night within these communities. They have also had the knock-on effect of supporting local businesses who can now stay open later.

Lessons learned

The installation of the streetlights was widely accepted and appreciated by residents of the three communities as they saw the increased economic, educational, and security potential of the project. However, due to the limited number of lights that were installed, not all areas in the communities were sufficiently covered. Issues of equity are a core concern for ARISE and this learning was fed back into subsequent art projects. The Power of Light project acted as a catalyst for other ARISE countries to conceive of and implement their own art projects, including photography in India and Kenya, the recording of the songs of waste workers in India and other artistic collaborations with Luke in Nepal and Bangladesh.

04 09 2024

Impact Case Study: Fostering inclusivity and equitable access to essential services through the household address initiative in Kiamutisya settlement, Nairobi

In informal settlements like Kiamutisya (Nairobi, Kenya), where fires, flooding, and disease outbreaks frequently occur, accurately identifying affected households is crucial for rapid and effective response efforts. Cholera outbreaks, for example, are best contained and controlled by swiftly locating affected areas. The absence of a reliable identification system poses significant challenges for Community Health Promoters (CHPs) tasked with maintaining records of affected households.1 Consequently, during relief operations, there’s a risk of aid being distributed inequitably, potentially overlooking those most in need. Routine community health promotion services also require accurate information to enable effective targeting and inclusive coverage.

The introduction of household addresses in Kiamutisya village in the Mathare informal settlement near Mlango Kubwa Village, Nairobi has had far-reaching benefits for those living in these settlements. This community information is vital for planning and effectively mobilising resources and services at the grassroots level. It makes the invisible visible, providing a basis for negotiations between the community and local authorities for city-wide initiatives to improve the current settlement conditions. Find out more in our case study.

ARISE case study – Fostering inclusivity and equitable access in Nairobi 2024 Download

02 09 2024

Impact Case Study: Community sensitive emergency measures taken during COVID-19 in informal settlements in Freetown, Sierra Leone

The participatory and inclusive approach employed by the ARISE Sierra Leone partners strengthened relationships and trust between communities and the government agency responsible for the COVID-19 response at the district level (DICOVERC – District COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre). This created a more open and conducive environment for health service uptake within these communities. ARISE created spaces to give a voice to communities, allowing them to communicate with service providers on how the lockdown was affecting every aspect of their lives and highlight their evolving needs as the pandemic unfolded. This attitudinal shift amongst health professionals has the potential for long-term influence on how health services for informal settlements are planned and delivered. For informal settlement communities, stronger awareness of, and trust in, health services has positive implications for future health service uptake.

ARISE IMPACT CASE STUDY – DICOVERC COVID-19 in Sierra Leone Download

02 09 2024

Art as part of storytelling in community workshops in Nepal, with Luke Jerram

In August we had the privilege of once again working with internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram on another community project, this time in Nepal. Working alongside our partners at PHASE Nepal, Luke devised and delivered a workshop with a women’s community group in Khudikola informal settlement, Pokhara, Nepal. As part of the project Luke and our ARISE team visited three informal settlements in and around Pokhara. Here Luke shares his reflection from his time spent in these communities.

The first community we visited, Mathillo Ghotse, was a small village at the base of a valley which had a fast-flowing milky white river running through it. Single story houses had been built at random, made predominantly with breezeblock concrete walls and corrugated roofs. As we arrived down the hill, we passed a scene of children playing football on a waterlogged pitch, with cows on the field helping to create an extra wall of defence for the goalkeeper.

On our tour we spotted a few distilleries, where large saucepans of liquid boiled, creating a strong alcohol made from maize. Many villagers drink this alcohol, which is the root of numerous social problems within the community. One of the main forms of employment in the village at this time of year was pulling sand and gravel from the fast-flowing river. Young men and women scrape the mud from the riverbed by hand and filter it using nets and woven baskets. It is then carried on their backs to the edge of the river, ready for collection by lorries for use in the construction industry. Backbreaking work, villagers are paid £4 a day. Occasionally, we were told, the area would flood washing all their hard work away.

Presumably left unaccompanied by their parents as they worked, and with poor safety infrastructure around the river, some children had drowned in the river previous years. With funding and support from ARISE and Phase Nepal, a nursery and primary school with accompanying toilet block had been built for the village, providing care for the children during the day. Having only just been completed, with the walls and ceiling of the building still drying out, we were welcomed by the community and helped to launch this new building. While this is a huge development, there is still room for further improvements. The leaders suggested they would appreciate children’s playground in the garden area connected to the new building. Luke Jerram plans to support all three settlements he visited, through The Jerram Foundation, and has asked the community for a costed list of improvements they’d like to see.

The second settlement was Barahi Tole. As we arrived, we could see parts of the road had washed away. The foundations of an entire house had disappeared (presumably by a flood), leaving the corner of the property above dangling precariously, and starting to collapse. Some 50 chickens were sheltering from the heat of the day, beneath the foundations of the house in this newfound space. Subsidence in the village is a major problem, caused by the loose sand, gravel and small rocks that make up the landscape. ARISE and Phase Nepal has funded the completion of a community space. They provided funding for materials, and the community then built a community space, installing walls, windows, electrics and flooring. This new village hall will become a real asset and focal point for the village in the years to come.

The final informal settlement the team visited was Khudi Khola, an hour’s drive from Pokhara. Despite not being officially recognised by government authorities, the informal settlement did have a school at the top of the hill.

As in Malto Gosti many people make money by collecting and carrying baskets of boulders, gravel and sand up the steep river banks to sell to the construction industry (earning approximately 10p per basket). Some women in the village have suffered from pelvic organ prolapse, caused by the tension and damage to their bodies by this backbreaking work.

Everyone wanted the opportunity to work, to help their families and their community improve their situation. The words and ideas they shared were turned into imagery which then formed stencils used to decorate umbrellas. The workshop (using umbrellas), was designed specifically for the monsoon season! The umbrellas were then paraded by the group through the streets, accompanied by Nepali music.

All the tools, torches, art materials and umbrellas were donated to the community after the event. The children were delighted to be given pens and pencils to help with their schoolwork. There was a great cheer at the end, when we let the women’s group know we were also gifting them the sound system we used for the parade as well!

The women’s group have been asked to draw up a list of projects which could be deliverable by their community, if they were given investment to do so. Based on the findings of the research workshop The Jerram Foundation is now allocating funds, to deliver practical improvements in these communities.

Find out about other work undertaken with Luke Jerram through the ARISE project.

30 08 2024

IMPACT STORY: Co-production of community-led water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in informal settlements in Bangladesh

Authors: BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh with the ARISE Consortium

In four informal settlements in Dhaka, Khulna and Satkhira cities of Bangladesh, ARISE partners BRAC Urban Development Programme and BRAC JPGSPH facilitated community action plans (CAPs) led by community members that led to increased ownership and empowerment of communities to advocate for their needs, as well as improvements to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure.

Background

Informal urban settlements in Bangladesh are characterised by unsafe water supply, inadequate environmental health services and substandard sanitation. Marginalised and vulnerable groups – such as children, young and adolescent girls, pregnant women, the elderly and people living with disabilities (PWDs) – face substantially more challenges. Despite universal access to basic water sources and over 80% access to shared improved sanitation in informal urban settlements, residents complained about foul smell/colour/taste, bacterial contamination, frequent unavailability, and sharing toilets (with on average 70 people) and long waiting times, along with a lack of accountability mechanisms.

To address these issues, the BRAC UDP, as a part of an ARISE Responsive Fund project, applied the CAP tool to support and facilitate the co-production of community-led WASH interventions in four informal urban settlements – Kallyanpur and Shyampur (in Dhaka), Greenland (in Khulna) and Itagacha (in Satkhira).

CAP is a participatory strategic planning tool that allows communities to actively take part in decision-making – identifying and prioritising problems and needs and deciding on a set of actions to address those issues.

CDO members present their Community Action Plan (CAP)

What happened

In each settlement, BRAC UDP worked with local community development organisations to implement the CAP process. Each community development organisation had 21 members, including influential community leaders, women, people with disabilities and young adults. community development organisation members played a key role in mobilising residents and represented their informal settlements as the voices of their community in meetings and forums with diverse stakeholders (i.e. formal and informal service providers, elected Ward Councillors (WCs), and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working in the communities).

Initially, several rounds of leadership training were held with community development organisation members, followed by consultation workshops with the community and stakeholders. Between May and July 2023, BRAC UDP and BRAC JPGSPH jointly arranged four CAP sessions with the community development organisation members, one each in Kallyanpur (Dhaka), Shyampur (Dhaka), Greenland (Khulna) and Itagacha (Satkhira) along with four validation sessions with key stakeholders, including the WCs.

In the CAP sessions, with BRAC UDP and BRAC JPGSPH facilitation and support, community development organisation members collectively identified the problems and possible solutions. Discussions revealed several socio-economic issues (unemployment, drug misuse, gender-based violence, child marriage and disease prevalence) and infrastructural issues (lack of reliable water sources, inadequate hygienic toilet facilities, waterlogging, inadequate waste disposal systems and lack of daycare facilities) in the informal settlements. The participants then prioritised their needs by voting, and BRAC UDP and communities jointly agreed on what areas of the WASH infrastructure needed improving and created a list of actions required.

The final CAPs were presented to the respective WCs to get their buy-in and support. Informal settlement residents seldom have the opportunity to articulate their needs to WCs, so these meetings marked a shift in power dynamics and established a conducive environment for them to assert their demands. With the support of the BRAC UDP and BRAC JPGSPH teams and BRAC’s legitimacy, WCs agreed to support them in solving these problems, approved the action plans and signed written endorsements in all areas, as a sign of their commitment and accountability to the community.

Additionally, WCs in all four sites committed to raising the issues in different relevant meetings and forums with Mayors, police, the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and other NGOs.

Once approved, BRAC UDP assisted in implementing the identified prioritised WASH interventions through the ARISE Responsive Fund and created an enabling environment for the active participation of the community. Community members contributed 10% of the total cost needed for the WASH interventions in their area, and community development organisation members decided on suitable places for the infrastructure establishment, formed small committees to actively monitor and were involved in each step of implementation – from buying bricks and monitoring the construction workers to inaugurating the infrastructure with the WCs.

Once completed, the communities inaugurated the WASH infrastructures inviting the stakeholders to the events and in the presence of the WCs. BRAC UDP field colleagues also shared the CAP in the NGO coordination meeting.

The councillor signs the CAP as a symbol of acknowledgement after the validation session

Impacts

Throughout the CAP process, ARISE played the role of a catalyst between the community and stakeholders, in line with ARISE’s goals to enhance accountability and responsiveness. Impacts from the process include:

Development of an advocacy tool: The CAP report acted as a reference of evidence for the community and local councillors to present the findings in City Corporation meetings, pursue NGOs and other duty bearers and advocate for their communities.
Community ownership and sustainability: Joint implementation of need-based, context-specific WASH interventions through partnership between communities and service providers, active participation and co-financing by communities helped to ensure community ownership and long-term sustainability.
Building trust: Interactions between the communities and the councillors established a sense of accountability and enhanced the relationship between community members and councillors.
Empowerment of community members: A crucial accomplishment of this implementation activity was the empowerment and capacity development of marginalised communities to participate in decision-making processes and articulate their demands. “We are the guardians of this area, it’s our responsibility to prepare this plan correctly.” [CAP Participant, Kallyanpur]
Improved inclusion: Active involvement of marginalised and vulnerable groups ensured their voices and priorities were reflected in the process. While overall there was an increased inclusion in the process, in some areas and on occasions, powerful men continued to dominate the conversation.

Lessons learned

Co-production promotes an equitable approach: Involving community residents in the self-assessment of their needs and in decision-making represents a pioneering, meaningful and equitable approach. It allows feasible and context-specific solutions based on the knowledge and active engagement of community, NGO implementers and Government actors.
The CAP process strengthens relationships: Periodic session-based collective activities (like CAP) by an organised platform (like community development organisations) proves to be mutually beneficial. When councillors endorse a plan, communities feel assured that their problems will be solved, and when councillors observe genuine community participation in the proposed plan, they feel a sense of accountability and satisfaction in taking action to meet the community’s needs. It also encourages community cohesion, allowing them to demand accountability from service providers and governance actors.
Empowering the community is crucial: Empowering communities in decision-making enables them to articulate their demands, which is crucial for addressing their needs. It recognises that their rights and voices are acknowledged, considered, and incorporated when decisions are made in programmes and when shaping policies.

The community discuss and plan their WASH-based intervention with local leaders

What’s next

CAP reports continue to be used to seek support and accountability from key stakeholders. In Kallyanpur, the CAP identified the need for drains and roads in some areas. Through the ARISE project, two roads with drains were built, but more were needed. Community development organisation members have since used the CAP to approach a local NGO working in their community to build these additional drains and roads.

It is hoped that community members and key stakeholders will continue to develop their strengthened relationships to work together to address the challenges of their communities in an equitable and inclusive way.

Relevant resources

Rahman A. et. al. (2023) Water: A story of voice, agency, harmony and leadership among women in Itagacha, Satkhira in Bangladesh, ARISE Consortium https://www.ariseconsortium.org/water-story-of-voice-agency-harmony-and-leadership-among-the-women-in-itagacha-satkhira-in-bangladesh/

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Nazia Islam, Louise Clark, Sweta Dash, Kate Hawkins, Jiban Karki, Leah Murphy, Anthony Mwaniki, Hayley Stewart, Joe Taylor and Sia Tengbe for developing and editing this output.

15 08 2024

How to conduct community-led action oriented data collection

In this blog Jacob Omondi, Muungano Wa Wanavijiji federation leader, talks us through how best to engage community researchers in data collection, based on his work in the Mathare informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Slum Dwellers International and Muungano Wa Wanavijiji conducted a study that investigated the enablers and barriers to capacity strengthening with community researchers. The study highlighted key issues on how community researchers have been engaged during research processes over the years. The study was conducted with 28 community researchers from Mathare and Mukuru informal settlements. It brought many insights on how best to engage community researchers in data collection, which I highlight in this blog. I will focus on Mathare informal settlement.

Mathare Valley is one of Kenya’s oldest and second-largest informal settlements, with approximately 300,000 residents. Mathare, the valley has four wards: Mlango Kubwa, Mabatini, Hospital and Utalii Ward. These wards are divided based on political boundaries into 13 villages. Like many informal settlements in Kenya, Mathare is characterised by poor housing, inadequate healthcare access, insecurity and limited access to basic needs

Key barriers and enablers to engaging community researchers in data collection

During our workshop, we discussed key barriers and enablers. Some issues that came out during the study include: a lack of inclusivity during research processes, lack of feedback after conducting research, lack of trust in community knowledge during data collection, research fatigue in communities and limited sustainability measures .

Over the years, informal settlements have been regarded as a research location as a result of the vulnerabilities that come with them; such as unemployment, poor housing, inadequate services, drug abuse and poor healthcare access. Research is one of the tools that vulnerable communities can use for advocacy, resource mobilisation, education and empowerment. Community members are at the centre stage of all research processes and development. It is easy for community members to mobilise resources and foster a sense of ownership if they get access to research data.

Informal settlements have often been used as a field for data collection without recognizing the efforts of community co-researchers. Indigenous knowledge during data collection is crucial as it provides a unique analytical perspective on research and should inform objectives and priorities. Recognizing and valuing the efforts of community co-researchers is a crucial step in this process.

To enable capacity strengthening and meaningful engagement, community members have proposed community-led exchanges and training on research to scale up research processes including data collection among informal settlement residents. These exchanges foster mutual learning and knowledge sharing, empowering community members and organisations to effectively leverage expertise and resources within and beyond one locality. These initiatives not only strengthen community resilience but also promote sustainable development. Through collaborative efforts and shared experiences, communities can collectively tackle challenges, identify opportunities and build networks to support creativity and innovation in addressing community issues.

One example of participatory research that involves community-led data collection is the settlement profiling and physical addressing system. In 2021 and 2022, as part of ARISE Slum Dwellers International-Kenya and Muungano wa Wanavijiji conducted a settlement profiling Mathare to understand what services exist.This exercise was actively led by community members, with professionals from SDI-Kenya and LSTM providing technical expertise and guidance. For instance, local Community Health Promoters were actively involved during the mapping and profiling exercise.

This involvement significantly improved the way in which Community Health Promoters offered healthcare services to community members. The physical addressing system made it easier for Community Health Promoters to navigate their task, particularly in offering health emergency response, immunisation and healthcare awareness. This reassures the audience of the effectiveness of the system and instils confidence in its ability to improve healthcare services in the community.

To conclude, by embracing community-led data collection approaches, we pave the way for scalability with impactful and targeted solutions that address complex issues and nurture thriving societies through capacity strengthening of community researchers .

12 08 2024

Fostering inclusivity and equitable access to essential services through the household address initiative in Kiamutisya settlement, Nairobi

An ARISE Case Study by Wairutu Jane, Milka Kori, Emily Wangari, Jacob Omondi and Joseph Kimani

In informal settlements like Kiamutisya (Nairobi, Kenya), where fires, flooding, and disease outbreaks frequently occur, accurately identifying affected households is crucial for rapid and effective response efforts. Cholera outbreaks, for example, are best contained and controlled by swiftly locating affected areas. The absence of a reliable identification system poses significant challenges for Community Health Promoters (CHPs) tasked with maintaining records of affected households. The initiative of introducing household addresses in Kiamutisya village, Nairobi, has significantly enhanced the lives of residents by improving health service delivery, disaster management, waste collection and access to education. Read more about it in the full case study.

FOSTERING INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES THROUGH THE HOUSEHOLD ADDRESS INITIATIVE Kenya – ARISE Impact case study Download

12 08 2024

IMPACT STORY: Co-creating accountability and governance in slum relocation sites in Ahmedabad, India

An ARISE Impact Story by SPARC India

ARISE’s Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to working with community members in Ahmedabad relocation colonies contributed to the identification and prioritisation of community needs and the creation of governance structures within fragmented resident welfare associations. Community peer-to-peer exchanges were held between other relocation and resettlement (R&R) sites, the communities in Ahmedabad and Mahila Milan in Mumbai and Surat. These led to improved relationships among residents, leadership across relocation sites and increased capacities and interest of community members to seek accountability from governance actors in order to improve their living conditions and wellbeing.

Background

Between 2009 and 2012, tens of thousands of residents of riverfront slums colonies in Ahmedabad were displaced to make way for the Sabarmati Riverfront redevelopment project. They were moved to 32 R&R sites in various parts of the city. The relocation process dislocated residents from existing community support structures and mechanisms to hold authorities to account.

People in slum relocation sites in Ahmedabad suffer due to poor institutional support post-relocation, poor access to basic services and caste conflicts among residents. Living conditions at the relocation sites compromise both personal safety and health due to the low quality of building structures and water and sanitation infrastructure. Lack of maintenance further exacerbates poor living conditions for the residents.

These issues largely emerge due to poor local accountability and weak governance structures, such as Co-operative Societies responsible for operations and maintenance and keeping the colonies in order.

There is a need to bring community members together to demand change from governance actors, addressing concerns of health and safety and the well-being of communities. This is done through collaboration, partnerships and series of consultations with governance actors. However, there is a complex web of power and governance issues that need to be negotiated.

Impact

The Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) began working with community members in the Ahmedabad relocation colonies in 2019 as part of the ARISE project. At that time there was a sense of distrust in the community toward anyone, including academics and NGOs. As one Surya resident stated, “NGOs just come and go; nothing changes for us.”

ARISE had originally intended to collaborate with community members to address health issues. However, it soon became clear that other social determinants of health, such as badly damaged infrastructure, needed to be prioritised before focusing on human health. Damage to the infrastructure was significant and persistent, with community members losing hope of improvements. One community member said, “The condition of these buildings is like our lives, broken and hopeless.”

ARISE worked with community members to map service infrastructure to identify, prioritise and facilitate urgent infrastructural improvements, including fixing corroded water pipes, overhead water tanks at risk of collapsing and the structural deterioration of buildings including water seepage, corroded exterior walls and peeling off of exterior walls. This helped community members to gain agency and confidence in the process, as they could see tangible results through their engagement with ARISE.

Eight community exchanges were held between the community in Ahmedabad and Mahila Milan, several of which focused on supporting women’s representation and leadership for improved accountability-seeking processes. In relocation colonies, women were generally underrepresented in conversations and decision-making processes. Despite being told by men that women tend not to participate, during a community exchange visit in May 2022, Mahila Milan encouraged women in the colonies to actively participate.

These meetings empowered women to form groups, address local issues and voice their opinions and priorities. As a result, more women began participating in the process, and have begun demanding accountability. For example, when the only water pump in their area was pumping sand and mud, it needed to be fixed immediately. However, there were delays on account of the local governance actors. So about 40 women prevented staff members from leaving the governance offices and refused to budge until their demands were met. Not only did the pump get fixed on the same day, but they also experienced the power of an organised community, setting a precedent for themselves and for the other residents and rekindling their sense of community.

The experience of, “travelling to learn from other communities that have had similar lives as ours,” was new to the Surya residents. The exchanges were frequent, repeated and staggered for them to be effective. While it took multiple visits to show evidence of what was learned and exchanged, each visit produced micro actions around one community issue and strengthened the residents’ commitment to forming a functional housing society.

Lessons learned

There have been increased numbers of women participating in meetings and other accountability-seeking actions in the Ahmedabad relocation colonies, opening the possibility of women taking on leadership roles going forward. Additionally, there are a lack of organised groups for accountability-seeking in the colonies, and, for the most part, only the people that have always been in leadership roles in their locality volunteer to lead. These may require longer term efforts and relationship-building over time to really make the communities’ organisation streamlined.

What next

After seeing the kind of work that SPARC and ARISE has been doing with communities in Ahmedabad, other neighbouring communities have come forward with their interest to work with us on similar issues related to improvements in structural and housing issues, water supply, safety, open spaces, livelihood, identification documents and accountability mechanisms. This methodology will be replicated and scaled up in three more sites as part of an associated piece of PhD research.

Relevant resources:

Rehabilitation and relocation in Mumbai and Ahmedabad

Community exchanges: Powerful peer learning and knowledge sharing

CBPR corner

Catalysing effective social accountability systems through community participation

09 08 2024

Empowering co-researchers in Mukuru: A community-led approach

Kamila Gojobe (Muungano wa Wanavijiji Community organiser) reports back on a meeting between co-researchers in Nairobi on the participation of co-researchers in research projects.

Have you ever considered the unique perspective of the community before embarking on a research project? What does it take for community co-researchers to meaningfully participate in research, and what ensures that the research benefits the engaged community?

Shack Dwellers International Kenya and Muungano wa Wanavijiji, with the support of ARISE and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Jean Clayton Fund, organised a workshop that brought together co-researchers from Mukuru and Mathare, two of the biggest informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Together, they explored these questions from the viewpoint of those who are most affected – the community co-researchers.

Co-researchers workshop on capacity strengthening. The group discussion comprises co-researchers and Muungano wa Wanavijiji leaders from Mukuru.

This blog draws on a dialogue with co-researchers who articulated the gaps and opportunities they perceived in capacity strengthening in research, particularly in Mukuru. Co-researchers are local community members who provide support and hold local expertise, which they share and enhance throughout the research process. Before we delve into their insights, let us explore what the community envisions as a community-led process and the reasons behind their preference for it, using the Mukuru Special Planning Areas as an example.

Mukuru Special Planning Area

Mukuru is one of the largest informal settlements in Kenya, home to approximately 300,000 people. Like many informal settlements in Kenya, Mukuru faces numerous challenges, such as limited access to basic services—for example, lack of access to clean water, inadequate health services, sanitation, and secure, good-quality housing. This has prompted various organisations to take an interest in its development and community empowerment. Muungano wa Wanavijiji – the largest slum dwellers’ movement in Kenya – organised residents of Mukuru to identify and voice their challenges. Through Muungano wa Wanavijiji’s advocacy efforts with the people of Mukuru, it was finally declared a Special Planning Area (SPA) in August 2017.

Mukuru SPA is the largest informal settlement planning process that the city of Nairobi has ever undertaken. Its main focus is the development of an integrated plan with all eight sectors – Education, youth affairs, and culture; housing infrastructure and commerce; health services; water sanitation and energy; environment and natural resources; community engagement; – providing proposals on the upgrading process. It aimed to transform a 689-acre slum with some of Nairobi’s severest challenges into a healthy and functioning neighbourhood. The community participated in a community-led settlement-wide planning process in collaboration with the county government of Nairobi, Non-Governmental organizations, academic institutions, and other relevant stakeholders (47 organisations).

The upgrading of the informal settlement began with the community co researchers collecting data through settlement profiling, enumerations, and surveys at the household level. After the data collection process, a consortium of diverse partners across different sectors was established. The community designed their settlement proposals in the consortium by understanding the problems and possible solutions. They presented the designs to the government in relevant sectors, e.g., health solutions, to the Ministry of Health. Later, the government implemented various services that followed community designs. This is a prime example of a community-led process where the community owns and drives its agenda.

Mukuru SPA, a community consortium meeting taking place in Mukuru Viwandani.

How can we be more equitable and sustainably strengthen the capacity of co-researchers?

When talking to co-researchers about their engagement in different projects or community initiatives, they see this process, Mukuru SPA, as the best model to use in informal settlements. The co-researchers explained more about the opportunities they see in different projects, challenges, and recommendations for capacity strengthening for future engagement:

Support and understand communities’ needs

Understand the community’s needs, support them in driving their agenda, and advocate for different issues. Ensuring the sustainability of projects requires careful planning, budgeting, and resource allocation for capacity-strengthening activities. Projects are often implemented without considering long-term benefits, reducing their lasting impact on the community. The co-researchers explained that before projects begin, it is important to sit with the community to understand if the project will be of importance to them, if there is a gap that the project will offer possible solutions for, and lastly, to involve them to ensure community ownership that will have a long-term impact. This will ensure sustainability, as the community will run it.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

Continuous learning and improvement are key to the long-term effectiveness and impact of any project. Many organisations overlook this, focusing more on project implementation than on monitoring, evaluation and learning. However, implementing a systematic follow-up process, led by the community and co-researchers, ensures that projects remain beneficial and adjustments are made as needed for ongoing improvement. By building the capacity of co-researchers to monitor, evaluate, and share learnings from projects, organisations can ensure that the community’s needs are being met and that the project is having the desired impact.

Impact and sustainability

When engaging co-researchers, researchers often treat the process as a box-ticking exercise to achieve the project’s desired objectives. However, community co-researchers often do 80% of the data collection and validation as well as project on-ground implementation, and organisations should aim to enhance community skills and ensure project impact and sustainability in informal settlements. The co-researchers explained that there is often a missed opportunity to build connections among community groups, CBOs, and NGOs engaged in the space, which could enhance resource sharing and collaborative efforts. This would help leverage local skills and knowledge, ensuring project effectiveness and sustainability. Learning from other communities and institutions through, for example, mentorship and exchange programs, can provide valuable insights and enrich local initiatives. Forming partnerships with various stakeholders brings additional resources and expertise. Providing training programs empowers community members to take active roles in development initiatives, ensuring that the community drives its own progress and development.

Awareness creation on ongoing and planned projects

Increasing awareness about ongoing and planned projects was also highlighted as ensuring community members understand the project, are able to make informed choices, and actively participate. Reviewing and adapting policies to reflect community needs and realities can create a more supportive environment for development initiatives.

Recognition of co-researchers and community

Furthermore, recognition of co-researchers and participants in community projects – such as providing a certificate of participation and being given credit in project outputs – significantly enhances their future opportunities and motivation for participation. For example, being acknowledged by community members and administration officers opens employment opportunities, as it validates their contributions and skills. These steps can enhance the overall impact and sustainability of community projects.

In conclusion, co-researchers have strengthened their research capacity through different initiatives, and they have had the privilege to share their community knowledge and expertise on how to engage communities. This is critical to the development and community-led process. By addressing these challenges and seizing these opportunities, we can create a research environment that truly benefits the communities involved and the future of community-led processes.

07 08 2024

Brief: Working with WIWAS to address the needs of sanitation workers in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

Supported by the ARISE responsive challenge fund, the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) worked with Women in Water and Sanitation Association (WIWAS) to address the accountability and responsiveness to sanitation workers, specifically manual pit emptiers (MPEs) as right holders. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation goals relies on a significant increase in sanitation workers with safe, dignified, and healthy work environments. In Nairobi’s informal settlements, inadequate infrastructure leads to poor sanitation services and unsafe working conditions for MPEs. These sanitation heroes often face health risks, injuries, and even death due to the physically and emotionally demanding nature of their work (lifting, carrying, pulling, pushing, stigma) and a lack of protective gear, causing direct contact with human waste. Their invisibility within society exacerbates these challenges. This brief presents activities, key outcomes, lessons and recommendations of clear and practical actions for improving occupational health and safety (OHS) and increasing visibility of MPEs with regard to social accountability in sanitation service provision.

ARISE-Responsive-Fund-Kenya-Brief-WIWAS-and-WASH-2024

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