“I'm trying to pick myself up.” Mamito, 22
In the last few months, torrential rains have caused devasting flooding in East Africa. Lives have been lost and homes have been destroyed. In Kenya, slum communities near the Nairobi River, where Toybox supported projects run by our partner Pendekezo Letu (PKL) take place, have been disproportionately affected by the floods.
22 year old project participant and single mother of two, Mamito, is just one of the young people whose life has been turned upside down by the floods. Here, in her own words, she shares an update, which was documented shortly after the flooding occured.
making ends meet
"Before the floods hit, I was washing clothes, houses and utensils to make ends meet. I would earn between 150-200Ksh (Approx. 87p-£1.16) per day. In the evenings I would visit the urban farm project to ensure the group members had watered the plants. With the grant that I was supported with by PKL, I opened a second hand clothes business and sold clothes in the evening."
Losing everything
"The floods hit us hard. The plot that I was staying in was washed away. We lost our personal belongings with other base* members and community members. I lost my son’s uniforms, books, bedding and stock for my business. My daughter got sick from staying outside until I could get someone to house my children and me for the night. One of our base members lost her child during the floods as her child submerged."
A community in crisis
"We're in a dire situation, still struggling to rebuild what was lost. Many of us are displaced, with nowhere to go. The floods have disrupted our lives tremendously, making it difficult to find stability or even meet basic needs like food and shelter. The government is making the situation worse by demolishing houses and they’re not providing solutions for us. To cope, we're relying on each other and the support of organisations like PKL. PKL supported us with mattresses, blankets, sanitary towels, nappies and food. They also supported one of our base members with the funeral contribution and have been conducting follow-ups to ensure that all base members are safe during this period."
Pictured below:
Left - Mamito receiving emergency food supplies in the wake of the recent floods.
Right - Mamito standing on the site where her house stood before it was washed away by the flood.
Adaptation and rising crime
"The floods have changed life in our community drastically. While it's brought people together in solidarity, there's also a sense of hopelessness and anger lingering - the government and the elected leaders are not helping us.
The floods swept the bridge away (pictured below) and youths made a makeshift bridge where they charged community members to cross the footbridge. If you couldn't pay you would have to swim to the other side. Crime rates have increased as desperation sets in, but there's also a newfound resilience as we try to support each other through these tough times."
seeking a fresh start
"Some community members are relocating to the countryside, others to neighbouring villages or slums. As for myself; I'm planning on requesting PKL support us with business capital to start up businesses with other base members. I'm trying to pick myself up."
get involved
From the moment the floods started, the team in Kenya have been helping to meet the immediate needs of young people like Mamito.
Find out more about how you can ensure that the worst affected can now start to rebuild their lives.
*Children and young poeple on the streets in Nairobi live with peers orfamily in groups in open spaces they identify as safe. These ‘bases’ are normally located in unused public spaces such as flyovers or disused land.