National Youth Service project offers vital lesson on slum upgrade

Slum upgrading or slum environmental improvement is about projects or programmes whose main objective is to bring dignity and respect to slum residents by improving their bad environment and inhuman living conditions.

What are these living conditions?

There is a high incidence of urban poverty, diseases, unemployment, crime, filth, flooding, crowded housing, inadequate infrastructure and basic municipal services such as sanitation, access roads, drinking water, housing, street lighting, foot paths, recreation parks, markets, schools, health services, worship places, play grounds.

Services that other city residents enjoy.

These conditions lead to violence, crimes and hopelessness.

The other overlooked slum condition is that informal settlements are isolated from the larger urban economy.

That is, they are not integrated or connected.

The effect is to stifle local and wide opportunities for economic and social growth.

Having worked in Kibera Slums for the Kenya Water for Health Organisation, we know there are many donor-sponsored NGOs operating in Kibera.

Their impacts are short-term and unsustainable.

Main Government funded activities were limited to administration, security and construction of 'affordable' housing.

Official definition of slum challenge was that residents lacked decent housing and so the Government went ahead and constructed 'affordable' Highrise Flats that ended up in the hands of the middle class.

Where slum residence took up the flats, they soon let them out since they needed a regular income; this defeated the purpose of removing them from the slums.

Their number one need was not regular income, but to live in peace, safety with hope, respect and dignity.

Since the slum conditions did not happen overnight, improvement of environmental conditions has to be systematic and gradual starting with basic municipal services.

Economic integration of slums can be achieved by connecting them with existing urban trunk roads.

For example, in the case of Kibera slums they can be connected to Langata and Ngong Roads thereby unleashing latent economic potential leading to slum regeneration.

The ongoing Kibera Slums National Youth Service Civil Works Programme should be looked at from its proper context, that is; to deliver peace, safety, hope, respect and dignity by improving slum environment and living conditions.

It is unique because it is publicly funded and probably the only one of its kind in this region.

Building permanent roads within Kibera improves its internal connectivity and thus opens opportunities for trade and social interaction.

Installing street lights improves safety and thus traders can do business for longer hours since residents feel safe.

Public transport, fire engines and ambulances can bring services closer to local residents.

Employment and training of local youth adds public value and hope.

Building of modern toilets improves sanitary conditions reducing incidence of waterborne diseases.

Construction of drainages will reduce flooding, foul smell, property and loss of human lives during heavy rains.

The ongoing civil works by the National Youth Service when complete, will form the foundation of slum economic and social regeneration.

What the Government has shown is that public to public partnership model can be used to deliver simple solutions to improve slum conditions.

It is encouraging to note that the National Youth Services/Youth Re-Socialisation Programme will be rolled out to other slums in major urban centres.

In the case of Nairobi City County Integrated Development Masterplan, this model should be used to deliver projects located in slums.

It is a beautiful home grown, simple and elegant solution.