COUNTRY / PROBLEM
Kenya is a country in East Africa positioned on the Indian Ocean. Although it has achieved economic growth over the last decade, the country still struggles to redress social inequalities. Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya, has a population of more than four million people. There are huge economic disparities among people living in Nairobi. Kibera, the slum in Nairobi, is often considered one of the largest city slums in Africa.
Living conditions in Kibera are very difficult. Most families live in houses without access to water or sanitary facilities. Lack of access to electricity is a common problem. In the evenings, Kibera becomes dangerous, especially for girls and women.
In addition, many women and girls living in Kibera cannot afford to buy the sanitary products required to manage their menstruation. This problem is especially difficult for girls who, because of the lack of sanitary pads, skip their school classes. Moreover, the lack of knowledge on reproductive health makes girls more prone to contract HIV or get pregnant at an early age. Sometimes, girls decide to offer sex services to be able to buy the necessary sanitary products.
ORGANISATION
Project Elimu is a local Kenyan organisation that helps children and youth living in Kibera. The organisation focuses on educational activities (‘elimu’ in Swahili means ‘education’).
Supporting the development of artistic skills among its beneficiaries, mainly through teaching ballet, Project Elimu fosters the development of their personality and creativity. The organisation thus helps children and young people gain school knowledge. The contact with art motivates them to pursue education, which is often the only way to break the closed circle of poverty.
Project Elimu was established in 2017. Its founder and leader is Mike Wamaya, a Kenyan dancer and ballet teacher, who in the same year was one of the top 10 finalists nominated for the Global Teacher Prize.
COOPERATION BETWEEN THE KULCZYK FOUNDATION AND PROJECT ELIMU
KThe Kulczyk Foundation is the first international organisation that has supported Project Elimu. The cooperation started in 2018 when the Kulczyk Foundation funded educational scholarships for 120 children from Kibera, supported the development of Project Elimu’s arts education programme, and invested in its infrastructure. Project Elimu’s beneficiaries were also the heroes of one of the episodes of the sixth season of the Domino Effect series.Link to the project..
In 2019, the Kulczyk Foundation and Project Elimu launched a joint project called The Smile Bank Project, which aims to combat period poverty and the lack of knowledge about reproductive health among girls living in the slums of Nairobi. The project assumed:
- access to menstrual products (i.e. sanitary pads, bags for used products, sanitary containers) for more than one thousand girls aged 11-18;
- lessons on reproductive health in 13 schools in the slums of Nairobi.
In return for the support, girls - beneficiaries of the project engaged in social activities at school or for the benefit of their local communities, for 3 hours per week, thus learning how to be socially engaged. Parents, teachers, and local leaders were also all involved in the project, broadening the girls’ social network.
The Smile Bank Project aimed to improve school attendance and self-esteem, as well as to instil social responsibility among young Kenyan girls. The project has made a real impact on its beneficiaries and has had a positive influence on their health, sense of security, and mental wellness. Thanks to the support they have had a chance to develop creativity and problem-solving skills.
Since 2018, Kulczyk Foundation has been continuously supporting Project Elimu in the development of activities for the local community of Kibera.
