Hi, I'm Alfred Asande, and I've had the pleasure (and sometimes the terror) of working with several water and sanitation NGOs, including Umande Trust, Maji na Ufanisi, and the Civil Society Urban Development Programme. Today, I want to share with you the rollercoaster ride of earning aliving as an ICT consultant supporting Non-Governmental organizations in Kenya's informal settlements. Trust me, it's not just about photos; it's about people, perseverance, and a good dose of humor.
I am sometimes called to fundraise for projects. Ah, the joys of fundraising! Picture this: me, in a suit that’s a tad too tight, pitching for bio-center project to potential donors. It’s like being on a reality TV show where the prize is not a million dollars but the chance to change lives. The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce. But when you finally get that nod of approval, it feels like winning the lottery. And I am sure you have won several lotteries! Fundraising for community projects is one of the toughest things I have put my hand in.
But the real challenge is not actually fundraising. It is negotiating with communities and getting their buy in. Luckily, this is where the real fun begins. In 2010 I was enlisted by Umande to develop their website. This required me to venture deep into Kibera to see a new bio-center site and take photos for the website and social media. I was nervous, to say the least. Kibera is a maze of narrow alleys and bustling activity. My initial fear was getting lost or getting mugged at noon, but soon it shifted to the challenge of convincing the community to give us land. It appeared that the negotiation was not over yet or the elders thought I was the donor. Imagine trying to negotiate with a group of elders who have seen it all. It’s like playing chess with grandmasters. But with patience, respect, and a lot of listening, I got my photos.
This also gave me the opportunity to follow the construction of the bio-Center. Construction in informal settlements is an adventure. I dont know what changed but in my third visit, I had to hire the administration police to escort me because I feared my camera might be stolen. Picture this: me, flanked by stern-looking officers, trying to take photos of the construction site. I think the police increased my insecurity. It was like being in an action movie, minus the explosions. Despite the challenges, seeing the bio-center take shape was incredibly rewarding.
As part of the process, Umande Trust organized several training sessions, which I attended with my Camera without police escort. I think I had discovered that being poor does not make one a criminal. It is just that society has stigmatized those who have no say on where they can stay. Anyway, capacity building is where things get a bit absurd. You organize training sessions to teach the community how to manage the bio-centers. But sometimes, brokers show up instead of the actual community members. These brokers are more interested in the per diem than the training. It’s like hosting a party and realizing your guests are there just for the free food. Despite these hiccups, resilient actors such as Umande trust persist, ensuring that the right people get the knowledge they need.
Over time I followed the project to see why it was still working. Deep down I expected the project to fail due to informal settlement challenges such as water scarcity and zero government support. This is when I saw first hand the power of capacity building and community buy in. Communities were committed to making it work and several enterprises and business were spawning from the bio-centers. In one bio-center, I saw a safe space for youth and a library, things you would normally not see in informal settlements. The environment around the bio-centers became clean and you could see the happiness of the community. You could literary catch this happiness. I later realized that Umande Trust never leaves a bio-center even after handing it over to the community. Umande Trust carries out regular monitoring and evaluation visits which it says are crucial to ensure everything runs smoothly. This involves regular visits, feedback sessions, and a lot of paperwork. It’s like being a detective, always on the lookout for clues that something might be amiss. But when you see the positive impact on the community, it makes all the effort worthwhile.
I can confidently say that working in informal settlements is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a journey filled with challenges, surprises, and moments of pure joy. As I reflect on my experiences, I’m reminded of the resilience and strength of the communities we serve. Building a bio-center is more than just a construction project; it’s about building trust, fostering collaboration, and creating lasting change. And yes, it’s also about having a good laugh along the way, such as when I was stopped mid-sentence and advised to stop speaking "big English".
