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Kenyan Photobook Project

“…I sometimes ask myself whether we shall be able to overcome and make it through to take care of the children” – Lenar is an older person living in Viwandani Informal Settlement

Arise Kenya Photobook Download

This gallery has been created using a selection of images included in a recent Photovoice project. The project is the result of a collaboration between ARISE partner LVCT Health and community members, co-researchers, living in Korogocho and Viwandani informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Photovoice is a qualitative method used in community-based participatory research to gather information, stories, and personal experiences of participants.

Co-researchers were taken through a two-day training to discuss ethics and techniques around photography. They were then supplied with smart phones to enable them to gather images. These images were then coupled with in-depth interviews, which allowed for deeper understanding of the images, after which each participant selected five images which represented their story. The whole process was consultative and co-creation with community groups helped us to unearth important themes and priorities in the research work.

This gallery is a selection of some of those images which help describe the experiences and priorities of people living in informal settlements. The images, taken by older people, community health volunteers, people with disabilities, and children who head households, cover themes such as environment and utilities, water and hygiene, work and education, health, disability and accessibility.

With thanks to…

The following colleagues at LVCT Health: Dr Lilian Otiso, Nelly Muturi, Inviolata Njoroge, Linet Okoth, Faith Munyao, Sakibu Lyaga, Mercy Kihiu, Jane Muturi and Robinson Karuga.

Hayley Stewart and Kate Hawkins of Pamoja Communications

The Community leaders in both Korogocho and Viwandani for their support as we implemented the study.

Special gratitude to all the co-researchers in Viwandani and Korogocho Informal Settlements who gave us insights on vulnerability and marginalisation through photo voice and interviews.

We dedicate this book to Jacob, who happily shared his life with us so that we could use his story to inspire change for thousands of others living in urban slums. Your friends in Korogocho will miss your genuine concern for their welfare and the environment.

“Lord make me an instrument of your peace” – St Francis of Assisi

“This is the path I use. It would help if this road is repaired so that I don’t get muddy when I enter the house… there is too much mud and you have to jump over the water, sometimes you fall down. Shoes get old fast.” – Mayaba is a Community Health Volunteer in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“It affects me because if I don’t have electricity then I am forced to use the small tin lamp which affects our health. We become affected by diseases because there is no ventilation. It is also affecting the education of the children. There are some electricity cartels, they steal from these companies… that is now the electricity that we use. We don’t have electricity coming from Kenya Power.” – Beatrice is a Community Health Worker and Co-Researcher in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“If you look at the picture I took, you can see the commotion during fetching water because it is usually sold to us but here free water given to us by a particular well-wisher after seeing us buying water. Another challenge I have is carrying the water on my own. I have to look for someone to do it on my behalf and some would ask for money which I do not have sometimes. If I don’t have money I have to rely on a kind person who will help me carry it. The energetic young men will always ask for money. I have to wait in the queue at times until someone volunteers to help me carry it and take it home. That weighs me down so much and my wish would be that the government provides water.” – Beatrice is an older person living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“My sisters were sent away from school because of a lack of school fees… I feel I have been marginalised because right now I shouldn’t be looking for their school fees.” – Jecinta is a child heading a household in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“I have been disturbed mentally because the landlord wants his rent and I don’t have money. I don’t have a job right now. What I was doing ended in September so I have been struggling.” – Julia is a Community Health Volunteer and Co-Researcher living in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“The children become sick and when you take them to the government hospital there are no medicines so you are forced to buy medicine outside. It is better to go to a private one where they get treated and are given medicine… I prefer the private hospital because when I go to the public one sometimes you can find they are not there, or they tell you to come the following day.” – Pauline is a person with disabilities living in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“Sometimes I feel like my body is so tired but I have never gotten proper support to get my body checked up. I normally feel like my whole body is in pain. It feels like I have overworked it so much and that makes me think about so many things. The challenge is that when I go to the hospital they tell me to go and buy medicine but they do not understand that I don’t have funds. They just refer me to a certain chemist to buy drugs there. I sometimes even contemplate killing myself when I am in the house, but then I just thank God for his love.” – Andrew is a person with disabilities living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“Since COVID-19 came, my health has deteriorated. If you observe that photo, I looked very healthy, but now I cannot properly feed myself. I cannot afford to eat fruits or vegetables which I have been advised to take lots of by the doctor for the purposes of giving me strength. This photo was taken on a day when I tried to get vegetables for my diet to no avail.” – Beatrice is an older person living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“When my prosthetic is spoiled I have problems walking. This means I won’t get to where I was going to be able to provide for my family. When I see people walking well and are able to make their income while I am forced to rely on my broken artificial legs. I pity myself because my children depend on me, yet my artificial leg is at times broken… and I am unable to provide for them so I end up feeling worthless. Also, sometimes when walking, people expect me to walk at their pace, yet I am unable. I have to walk at a pace I can manage.” – Pauline is a person with disabilities living in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“I teach these ladies karate. You can see my punching bag here. We started training around the same time two elderly women were murdered. There came a well-wisher who was a foreigner and when he heard about the murders the wife volunteered to teach us some few karate moves. We chose to call the program Cucu Jikinge.” – Beatrice is an older person living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“I sometimes ask myself whether we shall be able to overcome and make it through to take care of the children. Because I am the one taking care of these children and I am old and I am not able. I sometimes feel depressed but I ask myself if I commit suicide who will I leave these children with… that will be the problem and then I just decide no, I won’t commit suicide. I usually wish I couldn’t have given birth to her. A person who gave birth to three children and left them and she can’t even come with a mango to give the young one. I feel bad…” – Lenar is an older person living in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“This photo shows rainwater that entered the house. I had even transferred some of the water by the time I took that photo. When it rains we don’t have any peace. It rains inside the house… our old TV got spoiled because of the rain. During the rainy days I am forced to stay awake because I have to make sure that the house doesn’t flood. I usually store that water to use to wash my children’s clothes.” – Andrew is a person with a disability living in Korogocho informal settlement
“There is no specific place for dumping, or for it to come to be collected by the City Council. There are areas where people pay 20 shillings, and the garbage is collected by the youths. When they don’t pay then they dump in the river. This is a river and there are water pipes, and they dump in here.” – Felisters is a Community Health Volunteer and Co-Researcher in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“In case of a fire we have been completely marginalised because there are no roads, when the fire starts in the area we just put it out using water. That is marginalisation because if we had roads these fires could be easily extinguished.” – Mary is a Community Health Volunteer in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“This is the path where people who are coming from drinking pass. Some urinate here, but this is also a place where people go to bathe. There is a tap that runs near here but the space there is so small so people prefer to come to bathe here. My brother’s wife became sick because of going to wash clothes here so I don’t go there. One can easily catch a cold because of walking on that water. Most people who go to wash clothes here have become sick but there are some people who still go there to wash once in while.”
– Miriamis a deaf person living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“Before my mother became sick I never used to wash clothes, she either used to wash our clothes or we wash them together. But now I have to because I am doing it so that I can get paid which leaves me with no choice.” – Alice is a child heading a household in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“In this one, I am at the onion merchant’s place. He is commonly known as “Baba Dennis”. He has a huge space and is very well known within the market. Here, I am arranging onions for him according to size. When I have done a lot of work by the end of the day, he gives me three hundred shillings. Sometimes, hidden among the bulk are onions that have started sprouting from the bulb. He discards these but I pick them up, cut off the sprouts and sell them to clients who like how cheap they are. This is also a source of income. I have to do odd jobs for a living. It does not make sense to me because I am young and still providing for my family while the rest of the families have their parents for that. I wonder for how long I have to rely on other people to employ me for a living. I want to be an employer rather than an employee.” – Clinton is a child heading a household in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“When I think too much, some thoughts sometimes come to my head that I just feel like there is no point being alive in this world if that is the life we are living. I can’t help my mother, my sisters. My wife is telling me I should go for my child because he is crying for me.” – Martin is blind and lives in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“I took this photo when I imagine how my mom used to be before. Now it hurts me so much but I always say one day my mum will get well and continue doing her responsibilities. Mum has been sick since last year. I never used to see my mum being like this…. I used to know her as one who leaves the house in the morning and comes back in the evening but nowadays, I just see her sleeping. There is nowhere that she can go, she is just there. It makes me feel so sad, so I just tell myself let me just work because when she was healthy she used to work.” – Alice is a child heading a household living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“My body is getting weaker as I age, if it gets to a point where I am unable to work I will call my son to come and take over the shop. This will mean that I will not have any source of income. Such thoughts worry me so much; l can’t sleep at night.” – Jacob is an older person living in Korogocho Informal Settlement
“One day the last house on our plot was burning. There were screams “fire, fire”, I was asking where is it? Nobody was answering, so I just pick a bag that has clothes, the rest can burn. I try running to the gate to get out; I was running without knowing which side the fire was. Everyone was struggling to save their things and I thought let me get these clothes so that I don’t get burnt inside.” – Martin is blind and lives in Viwandani Informal Settlement
“When my friends call me to hang out, I cannot because most of the time, my mind is thinking of home. My friends sometimes advise and encourage me to stop thinking about home and my family, but I cannot because I am the one who has to sustain it. ” – Clinton is a child heading a household living in Korogocho Informal Settlement

View the photobook here