Youth spearheading hygiene and environmental awareness : Kiambu experience

The project location is Kiambu Informal settlement, Pumwani Dirision, Nairobi, Kenya and the project initiator are Maji na Ufanisi and the Kiambu Youth Group. The project involves the community in the development and operation of sanitation and hygiene facilities in the informal settlements and has been implemented through the following phases; organisation and mobilization, participatory urban appraisal (PUA), group formation - Constitution, leadership, Membership drive, hygiene and environmental activities and training. The trigger for change was the poor and inadequate social infrastructures (Water, Sanitation, Drainage system and Waste management systems). The drivers for change included the Kiambio Youth group, Kiambio Youth Group children's club, Kiambio Community, Local Government, Maji na Ufanisi and other development partners. The main achievements include hygiene promotion - PHAST, promoting a cleaner environment, formation of a children's club, creation of strong partners with other developmental organizations, community policing in water, environment and sanitation (WES) and hygiene interventions. The main lessons learnt are that youth are important stakeholders in hygiene, water, sanitation and environmental interventions, the youth need to upscale their interventions to reach a larger population and that community participation is important in hygiene, water, sanitation and environment interventions sustainability. The main project challenges were inadequate finances and lack of land /space.