The one-year project “Toward a green, clean Mathare slum” is implemented in Mathare Slum of Kenya (Mathare Villages 1, 2, 3, and 4A), an informal urban settlement in Nairobi. Mathare is plagued by extreme environmental degradation, severe overcrowding, lack of formal waste management systems, and a high prevalence of waterborne and sanitation-related illnesses. The area suffers from illegal dumping of garbage, which clogs drainage systems, causes localized flooding during rainy seasons, and breeds disease vectors.
The project targets 140 vulnerable local youths (aged 18–35), community leaders, and local households. It serves as a comprehensive waste management and community sanitation initiative designed to address the interconnected crises of youth unemployment, poor sanitation, and environmental hazards.
Organization and Partners
The initiative is requested and managed by CADIS International, with the field operations executed locally by CADIS Kenya. The project is funded by the Tzu Chi Foundation, and carried out in close collaboration with the local administration (such as the Mathare Environment Offices and the Village Chief), and the local youth committees.
This project is an extension of the waste management project implemented and completed in 2025.
Project Objectives
The primary goal is to transform the living conditions in the Mathare Slum into a cleaner, healthier, and safer environment while building economic self-reliance through sustainable waste management. Its specific objectives include:
- Cleaning up major illegal dump sites and clearing clogged drainage systems in the target villages to mitigate flood and health risks.
- Promoting behavioral change regarding waste segregation and disposal through extensive community sensitization.
- Establishing a sustainable, youth-led solid waste collection and recycling system.
- Generating sustainable livelihood opportunities and income for 140 local youths through recycling and waste management activities.
Key Activities
The project spans a 12-month duration and is broken down into structured, consecutive operational activities:
- Community Sensitization and Mobilization: Conducting initial sensitization meetings with village elders, local chiefs, and youth leaders to build trust and mitigate potential internal conflicts. Distributing waste sorting bags and educational materials to households to improve segregation at the source.
- Youth Training and Capacity Building: Organizing comprehensive training workshops for the 140 participating youths, focusing on safe waste handling, recycling best practices, bookkeeping, data management, and conflict resolution.
- Environmental Clean-up Operations: Executing mass cleanup campaigns to clear accumulated solid waste from clogged drainage channels and designated public spaces in Mathare Villages 1, 2, 3, and 4A.
- Infrastructure and Operations Setup: Allocating space and securing necessary environmental permits in cooperation with county offices. Purchasing essential operational tools (wheelbarrows, personal protective equipment, rakes, shovels, and weighing scales) and establishing sorting hubs.
- Routine Waste Management and Recycling: Implementing a weekly waste collection schedule from households. Setting up an on-site sorting capacity to process recyclables (plastics, metals, organic waste) and establishing logistics to sell these recyclables to manufacturing companies.
- Data Logging and Monitoring: Maintaining daily and weekly collection logs, activity records, and financial sales ledgers to ensure transparency and evaluate the volume of waste diverted from landfills.
Expected Outcomes
The 12-month intervention is designed to create an immediate environmental impact while establishing a permanent framework for youth employment:
- Restored Urban Environment: Cleared and free-flowing drainage systems, significantly reducing the risks of localized flooding and eliminating open-air illegal dump sites within the targeted villages.
- Reduced Health Risks: A cleaner community layout leading to a drop in sanitation-related and waterborne diseases (such as cholera and typhoid) by eliminating breeding grounds for pests and pathogens.
- Youth Employment and Livelihoods: 140 vulnerable youths actively employed, gaining vocational skills, and securing a reliable, independent source of income generated directly from the processing and sale of recyclable materials.
- Behavioral Change: Enhanced community awareness where local households voluntarily sort waste at the source, leading to lower contamination rates of recyclables and higher quality materials for the market.
- Empowered Community Structures: Properly trained youth committees capable of independently running the waste management micro-enterprise, maintaining precise accounting logs, and coordinating community affairs.
Sustainability Factors
The design of the project focuses on self-sustenance and long-term viability beyond the initial funding period:
- Economic Sustainability: The project is structured as a circular economy micro-enterprise. By linking the youth group directly with commercial recycling buyers, the system generates continuous revenue from waste sales, allowing the group to maintain equipment, purchase bags, and sustain youth stipends independently.
- Institutional Sustainability: Strong integration with Nairobi’s county environmental offices and the local chief ensures the initiative complies with municipal regulations, enjoys political backing, and secures institutional permanence for its operational spaces.
- Socio-Cultural Sustainability: By placing local youth—often marginalized or vulnerable to political exploitation—at the center of leadership, the project fosters deep community ownership. The transfer of project management, conflict resolution, and financial skills directly to the youth ensures the framework remains community-driven and durable.
