Tag Archive for: Poverty in Kenya

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K-Pop in Kenya: Boosting Youth and Economic Opportunities

K-Pop in KenyaK-pop is a music genre from South Korea and since the early 2010s, it has been a global success. However, K-pop in Kenya has exploded as a cultural phenomenon in recent years. In 2022, Spotify reported a 93% annual growth in K-pop streams across the sub-Saharan Africa region, with K-pop in Kenya seeing a 140% increase. The data shows that the majority of these listeners are below the age of 30. Yet this exponential increase in listeners has had a more profound impact beyond just boosting K-pop’s listener base – it is having real-world impacts on Kenya’s youth and economy.

Cultural Enrichment in Education

The growth of K-pop in Kenya has given way to various education initiatives in the country. One example is the rise in the use of the King Sejong Institute. This online platform reaches worldwide and is supported by the South Korean government. As a result of their interest in K-pop, Kenyan students are using this platform to learn the Korean language and immerse themselves in Korean culture, including gaining further exposure to K-pop, Korean TV (K-dramas) and cuisine.

Kenyan university student Pe Arlkh shared on the K-pop fansite KCrush how learning Korean through K-pop-inspired programs created new opportunities. These experiences allowed them to study Korean cuisine in South Korea. This, in turn, opened doors to better educational and professional prospects, helping to break cycles of poverty.

Economic Impact

Beyond their experiences learning Korean and studying in South Korea, Pe Arlkh explained that they could return to Kenya. As a result of the growing love for K-pop in Kenya, they established a platform to share their experiences with K-pop and Korean culture. This led them to organize cultural events and teaching experiences. These opportunities help individuals to empower each other and to generate their income, increasing their chances of economic freedom.

Additionally, the growing popularity of K-pop in Kenya is boosting the country’s economy in several ways. The demand for K-pop music has led to an increase in vendors selling merchandise and organizing K-pop events. This trend has created new income opportunities for locals, allowing them to turn their passion into a sustainable livelihood and increase their economic participation.

K-Pop Fest KE: A Creative Platform

Events celebrating K-pop in Kenya and contributing to the economy are rising. For instance, the inaugural K-Pop Fest KE in 2024 was a landmark event showcasing the power of music and culture to inspire creativity among Kenyan youth. Hosted at Hillcrest International Schools in Nairobi, the festival featured live K-pop dance performances, interactive K-drama sessions and K-beauty demonstrations, attracting more than 300 attendees.

Events like this encourage young people to explore new creative outlets and foster a sense of belonging, helping to amplify their aspirations. The K-Pop Fest KE has bolstered this trend, with merchandise booths and vendor participation enhancing local economic activity.

Broader Social Impacts

The social impact of K-pop in Kenya goes beyond education and the economy. With increasing internet penetration and cultural divides shrinking through social media, Kenyan youth are more connected to global cultures than ever. The K-pop fandom in Kenya has a unique community-building power, making individuals feel part of something larger. This sense of belonging helps them encourage each other in their educational and professional pursuits while combating feelings of isolation.

The movement of K-pop in Kenya is a clear example of how the sharing of cultures can transcend entertainment to impact education, professional development and economic empowerment. Through creative programs, events like K-Pop Fest KE and entrepreneurial ventures, K-pop has opened pathways for young Kenyans to embrace confidence, pursue education and achieve sustainable livelihoods. Its ability to foster connection and inspire growth highlights the transformative power of cultural exchange.

– Amber Lennox

Amber is based in Suffolk, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Stellah Bosire: A Lifetime of Fighting Health and Economic Poverty

Stellah BosireAlthough widely described as the largest slum in Africa, Nairobi’s Kibera is deeply rooted in community values and caring for your neighbor. While women face higher rates of health risks in varying forms, Dr Stellah Bosire persevered as a child engulfed in poverty. Feeling encouraged by her community and teachers, she became a highly influential human rights activist.

Childhood

Before Bosire was a Gates Foundation Goalkeeper and accomplished actor globally, she faced the same struggles that persist to this day in Kenya. Children were taught at a young age that odd jobs were necessary to provide basic needs for your family. Along with unsafe work opportunities, Bosire and nearly a third of women in Kenya have experienced sexual violence.

Despite the overarching strength instilled in the women around her, Bosire could not help but realize how much they are being held back due to inevitable health risks. For example, the neighborhood struggles with inadequate sanitation, while dangerous social norms blockade women into unfair cycles of poverty.

After falling into this cycle herself at 13 years old, she prioritized finishing school despite selling drugs to financially support her family. She studied the material and took her final exams after just two weeks, scoring the second-highest grade in her school, The Gates Foundation reports. It was this validation that showed Bosire the potential of her knowledge and gave her the confidence to work hard at solving the hardships her community has faced for years.

Bosire’s Career and Giving Back

Bosire attended the University of Nairobi’s School of Medicine, receiving a full scholarship. Her long list of accolades began compiling soon after beginning schooling. She has achieved a Bachelor of Science in Medicine and Surgery, a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Management, and a Master of Science in Global Health Policy. To cover all aspects of her activism, she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Law at the University of Nairobi.

Bosire has excelled in several leadership positions, allowing her to expand her efforts and help those internationally. She served as vice-chair for Kenya’s HIV Tribunal, focusing on women in the healthcare system who were discriminated against due to their HIV status, The Gates Foundation reports.

Bosire has brought a more holistic approach to health care in Kibera, focusing treatment efforts based on the context of individual lives. In 2021, Bosire created the HerConomy initiative to fund projects that allow women to excel economically, The Gates Foundation reports. This program provides aid and workshops to make a reliable worker, such as loans for healthcare expenses, making soap and professionalizing women-owned small businesses.

Along with accumulating more than 5,000 members, Bosire has also had to overcome harmful gender norms. Men in her own hometown called her “the homewrecker” for trying to shift gender dynamics in the home, according to The Gates Foundation. As a result of this, she invited the men to community discussions to shift their perspective on how economic empowerment for women can benefit all.

Using Her Own Experiences

Coming from an unsafe and uncertain environment, Bosire has used her power to give back to her community. Her mother was ill her entire life, and after Bosire’s education and exposure to formal schooling, they recognized her condition as depression and schizophrenia. In her last year of schooling at the University of Nairobi in 2011, she had lost her mom to Aids related complications.

The work that Bosire has put back into Kibera is present in the whole community. After her mother’s death, she became heavily involved in HIV/AIDS treatment and generated multiple projects for women affected with HIV/AIDS.

Street Healing Program

Tending to women in Kenya and all over Africa, Bosire has also digitized the experience of economic prosperity. She is building a software program to ease the lives of women in the economy, in the form of saving/accessing funds and building credit for a profile in the formal banking system, according to The Gates Foundation.

In addition to women’s economic empowerment, Stellah Bosire also tends to everyone she can on the streets of Kenya. Bosire runs what she calls the “Street Healing Program,” where she walks the business districts in Nairobi, medical bag in hand, ready to help any homeless people who are in need of common treatments or wound cleaning, Nation reports.

With no limits to her selflessness, Stellah Bosire has proven through overwhelming adversity that good change is possible. She credits hard work and resilience for her success, a message that has been relayed back to Kibera. Bosire’s childhood friends and others in Kibera call her achievements a “community degree” since that is where its efforts will flourish, right at home.

– Rachael Wexler

Rachael is based in Chicago, IL, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Safi Organics Brings Sustainable Agriculture to Rural Kenya

Safi Organics Brings Sustainable Agriculture to Rural KenyaIn Kenya, 3 million farmers face high fertilizer costs, spending a combined $84 million each year on conventional products. Globally, rising fertilizer prices affect an estimated 237 million smallholder farmers. About 56% of Kenya’s population lives below the poverty line, with most people in rural areas relying on agriculture for their livelihoods. Poor soil quality limits productivity and quality fertilizer remains too expensive for many. Reports reveal that only 20% of Kenya’s land is suitable for cultivation. To address this, Safi Organics uses decentralized production of organic fertilizer as an affordable alternative that strengthens farmers’ incomes and improves soil health.

Safi Organics

Samuel Rigu and Joyce Kamande founded Safi Organics in 2015 to partner with local farmers in Kenya. After graduating from agricultural college, Rigu noticed that Kenyan farmers were burning farming waste like rice husks while the land decayed. He developed a method to make soil more productive using local materials. With partnership from MIT graduate Kevin Kung, they introduced a new process to convert agricultural waste into organic fertilizer, helping to improve long-term sustainability. Safi Organics created a decentralized business model where crop residues are locally processed into organic fertilizers, reducing transportation costs and empowering rural farmers economically.

The company employs rural farmers to help produce the organic fertilizer from agricultural waste. It also works with more than 35,000 farms across Kenya to expand access to sustainable farming practices. Its partnerships give farmers unique access to sustainable agricultural practices that help even the playing field of systemic inequality. 

Economic Impact for Farmers in Kenya

Farmers using Safi Organics fertilizer have seen a 30% increase in crop yields. About 600 farmers using the fertilizer reported a 50% rise in income. The fertilizer also reduces the need for expensive chemicals, allowing farmers to spend 60% to 70% less on fertilizer. Safi Organics has helped preserve more than 6,000 hectares of farmland and repurposed large volumes of waste, contributing to environmental sustainability in Kenya.

Challenges and Opportunities for Growth

Access to credit and financing remains a challenge for many farmers. This challenge makes it difficult for farmers to invest in the new technology that Safi Organics offers. Infrastructure in rural areas in Kenya is underdeveloped, increasing the cost of transport. The company provides more affordable options than international fertilizer providers. With greater outreach and further efforts to help the marginalized in the agricultural industry, the company could further expand awareness of sustainable farming practices. 

Safi Organics demonstrates how local agricultural innovation in Kenya can contribute to farmers’ poverty reduction. By transforming farm waste into affordable, eco-friendly fertilizer, the company improves crop yields, boosts incomes and creates employment for farmers in rural Kenya. As more rural farmers achieve financial independence, the benefits extend to their households and communities. With additional investment and strategic partnerships, Safi Organics could scale its impact, supporting sustainable development and economic inclusion.

– Divya Beeram

Divya is based in San Antonio, TX, USA and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Kenyan Inventors Are Turning Waste to Affordable Prosthetics

ProstheticsAround 4.6% of Kenyans live with some form of disability. The causes of these disabilities vary, ranging from accidents to congenital conditions and illness. Additionally, persons living with disabilities face challenges securing employment, with those living in urban areas like Nairobi being more advantaged in accessing employment opportunities. For individuals living with disabilities, stigma and discrimination often pose a greater challenge than the medical conditions they face. These social barriers contribute to high unemployment, poor living conditions, increased dropout rates and rising poverty levels. In Kenya, traditional prosthetics are prohibitively expensive, with above-knee prosthetics costing about $3,000 and below-knee prosthetics priced at around $700. Hence, only 26% of people with disabilities have access to assistive devices, with the private sector providing 24% and government health facilities offering just 3%.

These systemic barriers and inequalities continue to perpetuate poverty, but David Gathu and Moses Kiuna are breaking them down. They prove that restoring dignity to individuals with disabilities and ensuring affordability can go hand in hand. Their low-cost prosthetics, made from e-waste, are a fraction of the price of commercial alternatives. Through their AI project, they go even further, addressing not only the physical needs of persons with disabilities but also the social isolation they often face.

David Gathu and Moses Kiuna

Gathu and Kiuna, the brilliant minds behind an AI-powered prosthetic designed to empower individuals with disabilities, may seem like seasoned engineers. However, the two Kenyan inventors are self-taught high school dropouts driven by an unwavering passion for innovation. Their journey began in primary school when Gathu, inspired by a friend who was an amputee, sought a way to restore his ability to use his hand. Witnessing his struggles with everyday tasks like eating and writing, Gathu researched harnessing neural signals to create a functional solution. Working from their grandmother’s granary, the duo set out on a mission: to uplift people with disabilities by fostering independence through technology.

What started as childhood curiosity turned into groundbreaking innovation. Using salvaged electronic components, they developed a bionic hand that translates brain signals into movement, allowing users to grasp objects effortlessly. “Just like a microphone; it listens to the brain signals or waves that are coming out of the skull because every time you are thinking or talking there is that activity that happens in the neurons. These neurons release electrical pulses which are electoral magnetic. This gadget listens to these magnetic waves and converts them into electrical and then this electrical is converted into digital signals. These digital signals are transmitted away, so this gadget itself amplifies these digital signals and transmits them into the robotic arm,” David explained to BBC’s Newsday.

After spending countless hours and years, their efforts finally paid off, as their prototype now operates flawlessly. With just a simple thought, the device springs to life effortlessly, requiring no physical input from the user.

The Poverty-Disability Cycle

Gathu and Kiuna’s work is important because their low-cost, e-waste prosthetics provide hope for persons with disabilities in Kenya, who are more likely to experience poverty. This bidirectional relationship is especially prominent in low- and middle-income countries, where poverty often leads to unsafe living conditions and poor quality of life, heightening the risk of disabilities. The exclusions faced by individuals with disabilities often trap families in economic hardship. Women and children with disabilities encounter even greater challenges, as cultural stigma and gender inequality often deny them opportunities for empowerment. The lack of affordable assistive devices further amplifies these barriers, leaving many amputees without the mobility they need to fully engage in daily life.

Therefore, the development of AI-powered prosthetics by Gathu and Kiuna, if fully implemented, can make assistive devices affordable and accessible to low-income individuals with disabilities in Kenya. By providing affordable prosthetics, these innovations can empower individuals to participate in the workforce, engage in daily activities and regain their independence. This increased mobility and autonomy can help break the cycle of poverty, improving economic stability for families and communities and ultimately contributing to greater social inclusion and empowerment for people with disabilities.

Support and Market Access

While their work has gained both local and international media attention, gaining coverage on the BBC and other global media outlets, they have yet to receive significant institutional or financial backing to scale their innovations. Recognition has come, but resources to transition to mass production have hindered their progress.

Nonetheless, their journey exemplifies more than innovation. What originated in their grandmother’s granary could spark a movement transforming every discarded circuit board into a symbol of hope and each prototype into a stride toward a more equitable society. It highlights the remarkable impact of grassroots creativity in changing lives. With increased backing, these two self-taught innovators have the potential to change numerous lives for the better, with affordable prosthetics.

– Grace Ruria

Grace is based in Nairobi, Kenya and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Lack of USAID and Tuberculosis in Kenya

kenya tuberculosisKenya is experiencing a resurgence in tuberculosis (TB). Thousands of Kenyans have lost access to public health care regarding Tuberculosis testing and treatments in the last month since the Trump administration eliminated foreign aid. The aid freeze went into effect on January 20, Inauguration Day. Many Kenyans have taken tuberculosis tests before the aid freeze but unfortunately have not received results due to the health program cuts. Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease; in 2023 alone, 1.25 million died from TB. Half of the international donor funding for TB research and treatment came from the United States.

The U.S. personally funded TB Essentials for Kenya. With the loss of financing, public health programs have shut down, leaving many undiagnosed and suffering. Tuberculosis is fully treatable, yet with the lack of international funding, the entire program, including research, diagnostics and successful treatment, has been ceased.

Unaffordable Care

Many Kenyans live below the poverty line.  According to the UNDP report, 36% of them live below the national poverty line. This percentage is living off of less than $1 a day. This poverty rate prevents many Kenyans from obtaining basic necessities and creates many health issues. In the case of the resurgence in tuberculosis, this poverty rate is detrimental for many. A TB test can cost more than $80 and is highly inaccessible to Kenyans—the U.S.-funded testing for Kenyans and transportation for the movement of medical supplies and prescriptions, according to The New York Times. Most importantly, the U.S. paid for data management on the resurgence. TB treatments require long-term intense medication that often makes the infected feel dejected. Without constant care, it is most likely that TB patients will relapse.

In the neighborhood of Nairobi, the infected still live in their homes, spreading the disease to their families persistently. Community advocates are rallying together to protect their neighbors. TB survivor Doreen Kikuyu collects sputum samples for her neighbors and delivers them to one of the last standing labs herself. There is a lack of public health care workers to administer prescriptions to Kenyans who are not drug-resistant. TB drugs are intense; there are a dozen tests to be run on a patient to ensure their body is strong enough for life-saving treatment. A lot of Kenyans are drug-resistant and have been prescribed a rare drug concoction, according to The New York Times.

Since the foreign aid freeze,  prescriptions are not being re-stocked. TB patients must be consistent with treatment, and fall-off is a cause for a relapse in illness. It takes the average Kenyan family’s entire savings to treat TB and check those uninfected for the spread of the disease.

Survivor, Savior

The resurgence in tuberculosis resulted in almost 90,000 infections alone in Kenya in 2024. TB survivors are a trustworthy source of help for those struggling. Survivor Agnes Okose uses personal funds from her small business to fund visits to other villages to collect sputum samples and transport them to the remaining lab for testing. Twenty years ago, President George W. Bush established the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, setting up many clinics across Africa, The New York Times reports. These clinics have treated HIV and TB patients for the past two decades. These clinics are utterly separate from the nation’s primary medical systems. The foreign aid halt has affected this network of clinics.

African health officials claim that this has resulted in 40% more patients needing care in the primary medical systems throughout Africa, according to The New York Times. Due to the separation of the infectious disease clinics, clinicians in the primary medical systems are unaware of how to diagnose or treat HIV and TB. The resurgence in tuberculosis has left the Kenyan government grueling with no further details on how they will fix the loss of foreign funding.

Hope for surviving this resurgence and the world’s safety is that of the tuberculosis survivors in Kenya. It is unclear if foreign funding from the U.S. will return; what is constant is community care for each other and the desire to prevent tuberculosis from spreading. The Astellas Global Health Foundation works tirelessly with community health leaders to establish public health care access, specifically in Nyamaria County. Kenya’s resurgence in tuberculosis can quickly become another global pandemic with the lack of USAID. Kenyans are protecting their people, their nation, and the world.

– Mackenzie Inman

Mackenzie is based in Washington, DC, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Being Poor in Kenya: Challenges and Solutions 

Being Poor in KenyaMillions of Kenyans live in abject poverty. In 2022, the overall poverty rate was approximately 40%, and the food poverty rate was around 32%. Kenyans suffer financially and lack the resources to live a stable and productive life, even as the country’s economy grows. To address this inequality, the Kenyan government and NGOs have implemented programs and initiatives to fight this problem. Here is information about being poor in Kenya.

Challenges

Several challenges exist that exacerbate poverty in Kenya. Here are some examples of those challenges:

  1. Limited Access to Basic Services: Limited access to quality education, health care and clean water affect many Kenyans. Overcrowded classrooms and poor learning conditions prevent educational development in many schools. Major health risks arise for families due to common poor hygiene habits. In the urban slum of Kibera, crowded shacks and contaminated water bring about typhoid and cholera.
  2. Unemployment: The World Bank Group estimates that 75% of young Kenyans (35 and under) have few employment opportunities. Being poor in Kenya leads to most people performing low-paying informal work with little job security. Many farmers also struggle with poor infrastructure and limited access to international markets.
  3. Food Insecurity: Rising food prices and regular droughts make it challenging for families to afford food. Rural Kenyans suffer from a lack of soil fertility and volatile weather. The Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation interviewed farmers in Yatta and found that food shortages negatively affected 87%, rising food prices impacted 76% and decreased water availability affected 72%.
  4. Gender Inequality: Being poor in Kenya leads many women to face social and economic barriers. These women are mostly limited to low-paying household employment. Cultural standards create very young mothers, which forces women into full-time childcare and discourages further education. Additionally, a 2023 report found that women are around 27% less likely to have the same opportunities as men, especially in political representation and decision-making power.
  5. Environmental Disasters: Environmental disasters severely impact Kenya. Unpredictable climate shocks prevent local communities from recovering, leading to forced displacement. Indeed, a farmer in Loya states that droughts and locust infestations are “missiles sent from the skies.” Lengthy droughts in Kenya’s arid regions have caused hunger for 23.8 million people.
  6. Crime: Rampant poverty leads to rampant crime. A Security Research and Information Centre study found that 98.8% of residents of urban slums had seen a crime within the past three months. Being poor in Kenya also drives people to commit minor crimes, such as illegally selling alcohol or wood.

Solutions and Initiatives

Despite the difficulties that Kenya is facing, several initiatives are working to address poverty in Kenya. Here are examples of some of those initiatives:

  1. Inua Jamii Program: The Inua Jamii Program is a government-led cash transfer program. President Uhuru Kenyatta started it in 2015; the goal was to fight poverty and help vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, orphans and disabled. This program provides bi-monthly cash transfers, helping more than 700,000 elderly people greatly improve their well-being.
  2. The BOMA Project: Kathleen Colson founded The BOMA Project in 2005 and it operates as a U.S. nonprofit and Kenyan NGO. BOMA’s Rural Entrepreneur Access Project provides cash grants and business training to Kenyan women in arid regions. It empowers these women to start small businesses and work towards escaping poverty. BOMA has launched more than a thousand businesses and hundreds of savings groups, helping more than 800,000 women and children overcome poverty.
  3. Waste Management: Alfy Ayoro and Yajub Jaffar founded the local organization Kibra Green in 2017. The organization allows Kibera residents, especially young people, to be involved in their community by establishing weekly garbage clean-ups and by collecting and selling recyclable items. The organization also trains locals in metalworking for future job opportunities, strengthening community engagement and helping them overcome poverty.
  4. Vaccine and Sanitation Initiatives: Kenya’s Ministry of Health and Shining Hope for Communities launched a vaccination campaign to fight Nairobi’s cholera outbreak. The outbreak started in 2022 and health officials acted fast by temporarily closing schools. Nairobi’s informal settlements were especially at risk due to a lack of clean water and poor sanitation, making it easier for a waterborne disease like cholera to spread. This initiative achieved a 99.2% vaccination rate and implemented over twenty new sanitary facilities and water ATMs, improving overall sanitation and reducing disease.
  5. Water Backpacks: Teachers gave students water backpacks to transport water to and from schools in Laikipia County efficiently. Teachers and health officials educated students on proper hygiene. These backpacks created more locations where students could access safe drinking water, greatly improving their health. Adding the backpacks in classes prevented students from overcrowding around one water source.

Looking Ahead

Millions of Kenyans struggle with limited access to essential services, unemployment and food shortages made worse by climate change and sanitary concerns. However, successful initiatives against poverty are possible through heavy investments in many government and international organizations. Overcoming this widespread issue involves long-term partnerships between many organizations to guarantee the complete elimination of poverty in Kenya.

– Rafe Photopoulos

Rafe is based in Gainesville, FL, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Mercy Rescue Trust: Foster to Forever Family

Mercy Rescue Trust: Foster to Forever FamilyWorldwide, 16.6 million children under 18 have lost one or both parents to HIV; 90% of these orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, about 53 million children in this region had lost one or both parents. According to UNICEF, Kenya alone has approximately 2.08 million orphans. Previous estimates reveal that about 3.6 million children in Kenya are orphaned or vulnerable, comprising nearly one-fifth of the country’s population under 18 years old. To combat this, Mercy Rescue Trust, a rescue center based in Kitale, Kenya, finds homes for abandoned babies and young children. The organization aims to protect children in vulnerable situations by providing medical care, shelter and long-term support.

Mercy Rescue Trust’s Mission in Kenya

Financial challenges and family instability in Kenya have led to severe neglect and abandonment of many infants. With limited social support systems, children often endure harmful conditions, suffering from malnutrition and poor physical and emotional health. Rescuers find many in life-threatening situations and bring them to Mercy Rescue Trust, where doctors conduct comprehensive health screenings to detect diseases or health risks caused by exposure to unsafe environments. Once medically stable, children enter temporary foster care with local families who provide a nurturing environment until a permanent home becomes available. If a child requires emergency medical care, doctors oversee their treatment until they recover.

From Rescue to Reunification and Adoption

After rescuing an infant, Mercy Rescue Trust searches for biological family members and prioritizes reunification whenever possible. To support successful reintegration, the organization provides regular meals and financial assistance for education, increasing the child’s chances of thriving in their home. If reunification does not work, the child remains in temporary foster care while Mercy Rescue Trust arranges a permanent, loving home. The adoption process follows strict guidelines to ensure each child finds a secure and nurturing environment. Social workers follow up regularly to monitor the child’s development and well-being after placement.

The Role of Foster Families in Child Welfare

Mercy Rescue Trust emphasizes a family-centered approach by placing children in local, family-based foster care rather than institutional orphanages. Foster families, often volunteers, provide infants with a stable home environment during this transitional period. Since its inception, Mercy Rescue Trust has placed more than 400 children in homes, including 269 with local foster families and reunited 114 with their biological families. Foster care gives infants the emotional security needed to rebuild trust and recover from trauma. Living in a home-like environment allows them to develop attachments, experience daily routines and build a sense of stability, making their transition to a permanent family much smoother.

Emergency Care and Community Support

Mercy Rescue Trust operates a 24-hour emergency care center where medical professionals provide immediate care to rescued infants. These services depend on donations that fund food, medical care and education programs for children in need. The organization also welcomes volunteers, photographers and supporters to help raise awareness and expand outreach efforts.

Looking Ahead

Mercy Rescue Trust continues to rescue, protect and advocate for vulnerable children, ensuring they receive the care, stability and opportunities they deserve. Furthermore, by prioritizing family-based care, education and long-term support, the organization is working to break the cycle of abandonment and poverty, providing children with a path to a brighter future.

– Jennifer Cermak

Jennifer is based in Ontario, Canada and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Little Lions: Reducing Poverty Through Education in Kibera

Little Lions: Reducing Poverty Through Education in KiberaKibera, one of the world’s largest slums, is home to more than 230,000 men, women and children on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Many households survive on less than $2 a day, struggling with a lack of infrastructure, waste management, plumbing and water access. The high cost of refrigeration prevents residents from safely storing food, contributing to malnutrition and health risks. Waste accumulates in the streets and waterways, placing additional strain on the community.

The Barriers to Education in Kibera

Extreme poverty limits access to education, leaving 60% of children without formal schooling. The few available classrooms are overcrowded, with student-teacher ratios reaching 100-to-1 due to insufficient infrastructure, staff and resources. Without intervention, many children miss out on opportunities to build a better future.

Providing a Safe and Nurturing Environment

Little Lions opened its first school on the outskirts of Kibera in 2019. Through generous contributions, the team created a safe learning space for 167 students and counting. The school provides more than just education—students participate in art classes, dance competitions and soccer tournaments, building confidence and teamwork. Technology is another crucial element of the curriculum. Donated computers and online tutoring tools help students develop digital literacy, an essential skill for future opportunities. Before focusing on academics, however, the school prioritizes basic needs. Children receive two hot meals daily, sometimes the only food they will have, as well as plumbed bathrooms with running water—a rare necessity in Kibera.

Little Lions: Breaking Barriers Through Education

Little Lions is working to change this reality by providing structured, high-quality education in Kibera. The program ensures that young residents gain knowledge, skills and resources to build prosperous futures. The initiative focuses on nutrition, modern learning methods, personalized care and emotional support to address the deeper challenges of poverty.

Tuju Otieno, Little Lions Project Director, leads a team of educators who understand the hardships of growing up in informal settlements. Many teachers and staff were once orphaned or raised in slums, giving them a deep connection to the students. Little Lions offers a holistic approach to learning, combining the British and Kenyan curriculums while integrating counseling, music and art therapy to help children process the realities of their environment.

Beyond the Classroom: Supporting the Community

Little Lions’ impact extends beyond the students. The school employs about 20 staff members, including kitchen workers, teachers and sanitation crews, reducing high unemployment rates in the area. Through a partnership with Penda Health, the school provides health screenings for students and their families, ensuring their overall well-being. Parents are also included in the initiative through financial literacy, entrepreneurship and positive parenting workshops. Strengthening families allows students to thrive both at school and at home, reinforcing their ability to succeed.

A Ripple Effect in Kibera

Since its launch, Little Lions has transformed the lives of many Kiberans. Students have gained confidence, curiosity and academic skills and many have gone on to pursue secondary education. As education access expands, economic opportunities increase, helping to break the cycle of poverty in the community. By investing in education, holistic care and community development, Little Lions aims to prove that sustainable change is possible, even in the most challenging environments.

– Sarah Lang

Sarah is based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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DreamSave: Women in Kenya Combat Poverty

DreamSave: Women in Kenya Combat PovertyAccess to financial resources remains a major challenge for women in Kenya, limiting economic growth and business expansion opportunities. The gap in financial exclusion between men and women in Kenya has narrowed over the years. In 2024, financial exclusion was higher in women at 10% than in men at 9.8%. Women own nearly 48% of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya, yet they receive only 9% of available credit from financial institutions. With more than 80% of Kenyans working in the informal sector, the lack of banking access contributes to economic instability and deepens poverty.

Barriers to Financial Access

Small and medium-sized businesses in Kenya face significant obstacles in obtaining credit from financial institutions. Many lack sufficient assets to provide as collateral, making commercial bank loans difficult to secure. As a result, business owners often turn to friends and relatives for financial support, which is rarely enough to sustain long-term growth. Without proper funding, enterprises are forced to rely on lower-cost and often inefficient technologies, limiting their potential for success.

How DreamSave Works

DreamSave, an innovative mobile app, is transforming how savings groups operate by digitizing financial management. The platform enables users to track savings, manage loans, build credit histories and set financial goals without requiring access to traditional banking services. By providing a reliable and structured approach to saving, the app is helping women gain financial independence and break the cycle of poverty. In addition, the platform simplifies financial management for savings groups in underbanked areas. The app helps users record financial data, conduct meetings and track credit histories, ensuring accountability and transparency. By automating these processes, DreamSave allows members to focus on growing their businesses and achieving their savings goals.

Key Features of DreamSave

DreamSave is designed to overcome common financial barriers in developing countries. Its offline capability ensures that users in remote areas with limited internet access can continue managing their finances without interruptions. Data automatically syncs to the cloud whenever a connection becomes available, maintaining continuity in record-keeping. The app also offers enhanced traceability and compliance by keeping detailed logs of all transactions, allowing users to track their financial activities with full transparency.

Recognizing the high cost of mobile data in its target markets, DreamSave has optimized its platform to minimize data consumption, reducing costs by up to 60% compared to previous versions. Faster data synchronization ensures that users with limited internet access can efficiently update their records, even during brief online sessions. Additionally, DreamSave’s near-real-time data processing allows savings groups to instantly access updated financial insights. To ensure continuity, the app is backward compatible, meaning users can seamlessly transfer their existing data when upgrading to newer versions.

Global Recognition and Impact

DreamSave’s innovative approach has earned it multiple awards. It was recognized as the Best Finance App and Best Developing World Technology at the Fast Company 2023 World Changing Ideas Competition. The app also won the Best Digital Banking Technology Award at the 2023 Worldwide Finance Awards and the Most Empowering Digital Banking Technology Award at the 2022 Worldwide Finance Awards.

Looking Ahead

DreamSave continues to expand its reach, enabling more women in Kenya and beyond to access secure financial services. By bridging the gap in financial inclusion, the app is empowering women to achieve economic independence and contribute to long-term poverty reduction.

– Taylor Naquin

Taylor is based in Gilbert, AZ, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Footprints Family Is Transforming Lives in Shimba Hills

Footprints FamilyIn Shimba Hills, Kenya, many challenges keep families from meeting basic needs. With a population of more than 866,000, Kwale County is Kenya’s 27 most populated counties. Kwale is also one of Kenya’s most impoverished and marginalized counties.

Primarily, the youth of Shimba Hills face a lack of quality schools, limited access to health care and essential medications, poor infrastructure and inhumane living conditions. The primary catalyst of these issues is the lack of government support. Both at the local and national level, there is little to no federal interference to resolve these life-threatening matters.

Poverty in Kenya

The overall poverty rate of Kenya in 2022 was 39.8%, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. In Kwale County, the child poverty headcount rate is 51.1%, with almost 1,000 children below the poverty line.

Rural areas are also hit at an unequal rate compared to urban areas, forcing them into a more difficult cycle of poverty. In 2022, the hardcore poverty rate in rural Kenya was 9.3%, affecting around 3.2 million people. Along with being hit at an unfair rate, rural areas such as Shimba Hills also show weaker recovery from poverty rates yearly, especially post-COVID-19.

Footprints Family

In 2007, Kerry Watson visited East Africa. Her trip turned from simply volunteering to a widespread child poverty activism project in Kwale County. That same year, Watson bought land and created the U.K.-based charity Footprints Family. After opening its doors in 2010, Footprints Family has profoundly helped more than 200 people in the Shimba Hills community.

After nearly two decades, Footprints Family has achieved numerous milestones in supporting Kwale’s most vulnerable children. Hundreds have benefited from free education programs, secure on-site accommodations during school terms and improved access to education through dedicated transportation services.

Along with nurturing relationships among families facing unfortunate situations, Footprints Family offers three programs to target specific problems at home.

Mama Kerry’s Home-Based Care

Introduced in 2019, Mama Kerry’s Home-Based Care program offers essential support tailored to the unique dynamics of children’s families. In partnership with the Children’s Welfare Society of Kenya, the program conducts assessments and provides financial assistance and food packages to those in need. As a result, most children are successfully reintegrated into kinship care, with regular follow-up visits ensuring continued support.

The Mkwakwani Stepping Stone Youth Program

The Mkwakwani Steppingstone Youth Program supports children in their transition to adulthood, equipping them for a brighter future. Upon completing formal education, participants receive continued assistance through counseling, educational programs, cyberlearning centers and more.

The Early Years Academy

In 2021, the nonprofit introduced Early Years Academy to address education and learning poverty by creating a school accessible to children ages 4-11. The staff consists of trained educators and transportation is provided to and from schools in surrounding villages. The extensive grounds allow each child to learn hands-on and make the most of the nature surrounding them.

Conclusion

Footprints Family remains a lifeline for vulnerable children in Shimba Hills, filling the gaps left by inadequate government support. Through education, family reintegration and youth empowerment programs, the organization transforms lives and creates lasting change. With continued support and donations, Footprints Family can expand its impact and provide a brighter future for the children of Kwale County.

– Rachael Wexler

Rachael is based in Chicago IL, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels