Women in urban slums act for climate resilience and Covid-19 recovery in Kenya
Description of the project:
This project brings useful responses to specific gendered impacts of the COVID pandemic, which left many women in urban slums without a job while increasing their household responsibilities. AWAK trained 700 urban women in slums to convert former domestic dumping sites into vegetable gardens, using organic compost to enrich the soil and biomass waste to produce biochar. The project provides women with sustainable sources of livelihood, including from vegetable sales, and promotes table funding as well as access to formal banking. It builds a holistic recovery program, with beneficiaries training more women, economic empowerment reducing domestic violence, and access to education for children.
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Financially supported by: Compassion International, SIANI, HiveOnline, UAF – Africa
Climate impact
- Reducing methane emissions by converting dumping grounds into green spaces
- Promoting organic farming, including organic compost
- Re-greening of urban areas
Gender impact
- Economic empowerment for women who sell vegetables, briquettes and soap
- Women gain technical and business skills and transfer knowledge to other women
- Promoting women’s leadership in the community
Scalability / replicability
- Systemic approach to solve climate and covid crisis
- Women as demonstrators and leaders for the community
- Objective to reach 10,000 households countrywide
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