Aid in Mathare

Quote from one of the inhabitants of Mathare: "If all the aid to Mathare Valley were to vanish, the next day the life would stay more or less the same. Survival of the fittest is the way of Mathare."

As our quest has been moving forward we have been in contact with an organisation called Rays of Hope. With the help of this organisation we hope to find out more about who the aid workers working in the Mathare slum are, and show what their work is all about. In our first two visits we met some of the people who are working inside the different areas. There are some who are skeptical to interviews whereas others are open and honest. Through these contacts we also hope to gain a deeper understanding of what life is like in an African slum.

With the people from Rays of Hope we want to create something positive out of our research in Kenya. The organisation is still in the start phase so they're not receiving any funds or help yet. They are very ambitious and that is one of the reasons we are choosing to have a closer look at their work inside the slums of Nairobi. And of course, it's a golden ticket to be welcomed inside with honesty and respect. Many of the people who work in Rays of Hope are still living with their families inside Mathare, and that makes them capable of winning the trust of the inhabitants.

Julius, one of the founders of Rays of Hope, tells us that one of the problems of some organisations inside Mathare is inflated membership numbers, "It's all that they really care about", he says. For instance, one organisation has 17000 members when they're actually only helping 400. Julius's goal with Rays Of Hope is to help a few properly rather than focusing on unrealistic numbers. Hopefully, as their work continues inside Mathare, they can follow the kids throughout their life and create a positive and sustainable network together for the future.