THE KOROGOCHO YOU ARE NOT TOLD ABOUT.

by Oluoch Japheth

Many research papers have been written about it. The media, both national and international are common visitors here. Many international visits call in annually. This has not been out of accident. Those who write about it see “an illigal people in an illegal land”. The doom writers talk of it as a land of unemployment, poor education facilities, high crime rate and several deliquent gangs. This, they say, is the history behind Korogocho a name associated with a Kikuyu man nicknamed Kurugucu meaning worthless or scrap.

Korogocho is the third largest slums in Kenya after Kibera and Mathare. It is situated on the eastern side of Nairobi, about 11 km from the central business district. Korogocho is about ten square kilometres and house about 150,000 resident according to Matrix Development Consultants, an Inventory of Informal settlements. The slum dwellers, however do not own the land that their shanties stand on. They are usually associated with illigality of land occupation. The government threatens them with evictions. On eviction, such land is used for some development projects by potential investors most of whom are politicians and those close to the ruling class.

Contrary to the picture of Korogocho that has been painted by the so called journalists and researchers, Korogocho is a living slum, full of life. Anybody visiting the slum will celebrate the hope and determination portrayed by the residents. Korogocho itself is an important market and most residents are engaged in income generation activities. Apart from employment in the formal sector, most women operate road side business units where the slum dwellers get goods at cheaper rates. Men on the other hand prefer more manual based income generating activities such as carpentry, welding and construction.

The St. John Catholic Church, situated at the heart of Korogocho slum plays a very important role. Run like a community centre, residents from different cultures and religions look forward to St. John to set the agenda particulary of there is a problem. The St. John Community itself is structured in a way that makes it possible to carry out this difficult task. The Christians who attend St. John Catholic Church are advised to join a ‘Jumuiyia’ (small Christian Community), There are about 20 Jumuyias and the Christian are encouraged to join one nearest to them. People meet as the Jumuyias every week to pray together and discuss issues affecting their own welfare. They then find solutions to their problems. They work under the supervision of a priest who addresses more difficult challenges. Currently Fr. Daniele Moschetti is the priest in charge of St. John Catholic. He lives in Grogon, one of the nine villages that form Korogocho. This has really encouraged many Christians that he has decided to live among his ‘flock’ as opposed to leaving at the Posho Kariobangi Parish where the priest have their houses.

Being in the Jumuyia alone is not enough. Every member of the Jumuyia is encouraged to belong to at least one ‘Huduma’. These are the various commissions and departments set up by the Church for easy administration and to ensure that everybody is given an equal chance to participate in the running of the Church affairs. Some of the ‘Huduma’ include; peace and justice commission, Huduma Ya Wagonjwa (commission of the sick) Huduma ya maskini (commission of poor), the Liturgy department, the family department (for the married) the sports department, and the youth ministry. Through  these Hudumas, the Church is unified as one single / Integrated entity.

The youth ministry is one of the most successful departments. The youth fall into two categories. Those over 16 and those  under 16. Currently there are about 150 youths at St. John Catholic Church, fifty are over 16. This year has been a very busy year in the calendar of the Senior Youth (Over 16). Early this year, they went round all the nine villages in Korogocho with a street theatre. Their play encouraged good family values. The play focused on street children, early  marriages, HIV / AIDS, shelter / Land, abuse of human rights, drugs and alcohol. These are major problems affecting the slums. Fr.  Daniele has referred to them as ‘Social apartheid’ while the Youth talk of ‘the monster of slavery dressed in a new style’. This year also saw the youth play an important role in facilitating the Lanten Campaign. The lenten campaign is a period in which the Catholic Church focuses its mirrors on the realities facing our communities. It’s facilitated by the Peace and Justice commission.

The climax of the youth activities was the play (Save Africa by Africa  -Africa or death) – a dedications for Daniel Comboni who was canonized by the pope  in Rome on Oct 5^th this year. The play has been staged in different parts of the country. The play takes us through the beauty of African continent particularly before the colonialists raped it to its knees. The play then shifts to the modern day slavery and how the comboni of today are struggling to live the Comboni dream of the regerations of Africa by Africa.

The St. John Catholic Church also runs an informal school, St John Informal School. Originally started to rehabilitate street children, it has grown to be a major school in Nairobi. It is important to note that there are only two government schools in Korogocho. Before the Government initiated the free primary education programme, most children could not afford to join these two schools. The informal school has recorded improved academic performance in national examination, as a result, every year many pupils from the school join Secondary schools and vocational training institutions. The Church also runs a community library of its kind. It is managed by the school though it is opened for  everybody. Access to the library facilities is free. Every day, 200-250 readers visit the library. Besides stocking text books for learning institutions, the St. John Library also have youth, health, peace and justice and spiritual sections among other sections for general reading.

The most interesting programme is that of adult education. I have never seen such hardworking people as the ‘pupils’ taking this programme. Many old people are quickly learning how to read and write. In future many of them will be able to sit their final certificate examinations.

In conclusion, it is now clear that it can take years to highlight the efforts of Korogocho slum dwellers in improving their welfare. What is required is responsible journalism and change of attitude towards the slum dwellers, We should not look at Korogocho as a ‘slum of despair and rot’ but as a rich ‘slum of hope’. We must therefore, while appreciating that Korogocho faces some major challenges which  require institutional and individual solutions, highlight the promotive and preventative poverty alleviations strategies.

(The writer is the secretary of Light heart  youth, the senior youth at St. John Catholic Church Korogocho)

E-mail: japhol2002@yahoo.co.uk.