With an unusual cycle awareness tour in Mukuru slum in Nairobi a few days back, young and elderly have raised awareness for the need of food safety and security. The awareness ride was organized by VICCO NGO, a NGO that cares for urban farming in the slums and organizes daily feeding for children in need. The number of children passing by every day and asking for a cup of porridge is steadily growing…

Making More Health supported the food for the children during the cycling awareness tour.

Although most food and nutrition analyses of Kenya have traditionally focused on rural areas, where rates of child under-nutrition tend to be higher than in urban areas, Kenya’s population is increasingly urban, and urban food insecurity and under-nutrition are rising concerns. Urban dwellers are highly vulnerable to food price spikes, which affects their access to food. The loss of informal jobs and the overall consequences of the Covid crises becoming very visible although in Mukuru Slums.

Cycling for food

“We cycle in Mukuru slums and sensitize community members to utilize their small space to grow some food. During the campaign we demonstrate how to mix manure with soil. It will be one of a kind event in slums of Mukuru Viwandani. We hope to make people understand that they can grow their food organically and be able to feed the selfs in dignity,“ explains Shakur who leads VICCO. “With the help of some private donors were organize a cup of porridge every day for the children here in the slum who are hungry, but mid term wise more people living here should try to grow their own food – even in the smallest places…”

Shakur’s dream is to buy a piece of land in the slums, a bigger piece and a little away from the river that is full of water and human excrement which floods his training garden in the rainy season…

In the 2021 Global Hunger Index(GHI), Kenya e.g ranks 87th out of the 116 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2021 GHI scores. With a score of 23.0, Kenya has a level of hunger that is serious.

Please contact if you are able to support. Thank you!

Read more about urban farming activities in Mukuru slums here.