Child headed households in Kenya, in pictures
We ran photovoice research with child headed households to explore their vulnerabilities in the context of Nairobi’s informal settlements. We trained four children living in two urban informal settlements – Korogocho and Viwandani – to use smartphones to take photos that reflected their experiences. We held in-depth interviews with eight more. They highlighted what caused them stress and affected their mental health, social interactions, school performance and attendance. The main challenges were lack of food and poor nutrition, hazardous living conditions and stigma from peers because there were limited livelihood opportunities for them. Despite the hardships, they were resilient. Decision-makers need to halt the generational transfer of poverty, to improve the life chances of these children who have inherited their parents’ marginalisation, and to prevent further transfer of vulnerabilities to their children.
