Mathare Community Centre Library

Library inside the slum Mathare

A former student we are familiar with, John Wesonga Mang'eni, founded the first library in the Mathare slum in 2018, the "Mathare Community Centre Library" called "A Glimmer of Hope". The Mathare slum alone is home to over 400,000 people out of a total of more than 2 million slum dwellers in Nairobi. The fact that a library, set up in a former Catholic church, is now available to them, thus giving the poorest of the poor free access to knowledge and education, is a milestone in development policy. Many slum dwellers have expressed their appreciation since the library opened. Our association has supported the library both financially and materially. Numerous people from Trier, including Nadja Sartisson from the fitness studio Mrs. Sporty, who contributed 200 English-language books and a monetary donation, have since supported the project. We are grateful to every person who helps to continue supporting this project.

The library's services in Mathare have recently been expanded to include a computer course. For this purpose, a total of six laptops were provided by the association "Leapfrog". George Wanjala, a member of our association, has since been conducting several computer training courses. You can find more information about the library on his Website.

Educational and cultural center

The first library in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, which we formerly supported, has been expanded into an educational and cultural center since January 2021 (see photos of the renovation below). In the future, various events/seminars will take place in this center with the primary goal of promoting cohesion in a society that is often ethnically divided. In addition, this center will also help to bring young and old together. Planned events include political education, teacher training, health counseling, peace work and environmental protection, music and dance events, as well as poetry readings by young authors from the slum who talk about their lives, their challenges, but also about their visions for the future. In memory of the former church, regular Bible studies are also to be held here. The slum population will experience a previously unknown appreciation and will gain the experience that many things can be planned and carried out on their own. Everyone is invited to contribute their own creativity and to actively shape life in the slum. The fact that civil societies can do something on their own and because the Kenyan government never has a heart for such important renewal measures in the slum, this project deserves our highest recognition! And we are proud to be a part of this project!

Almost half a year has passed since the opening of the Education and Culture Center in the second largest slum of Mathare in Nairobi. Much has happened since the opening of the center at the end of October 2021. This report is intended to show what has been achieved so far and how the future can continue to be shaped positively.

Great thanks are due to several who bring this project to life. What Kenyan politics has not achieved, to give the population in the slum a positive future, the people have taken into their own hands. We are very happy that also from Germany, especially the Globus Foundation, the Diocese of Mainz through the Development Policy Network in Mainz and the City of Trier, and not least members of our non-profit association "Bildung fördert Entwicklung e.V." have helped to turn a desirable dream into reality.

Currently, projects on photography, strongly accepted by young people in the Mathare slum, poetry readings by authors who pay homage to the arduous life of the slum population, that they never give up trying to wrest something positive from their creativity. In addition, there are meaningful discussion circles in the center to always create something new. But also other working circles have been created such as music and dance performances, game nights for young and old, teacher trainings, student working circles and much more. We are proud that we have been able to provide assistance in these areas. Much of what we have sown is now bearing great fruit. Even the entrance gate makes you want to enter and participate in the various projects there.

Whoever would like to get involved financially is cordially invited to contact our association. Who would like to do good, can do this here !