Tree Planting with Mathare Roots.

July 2nd 2011 will be remembered as a day we spent the better part of our Saturday saving the environment by planting trees in the Mathare slums. How many trees are there in Mathare slums? When you get a chance to visit please do a count and send me the numbers, I believe from the last visit the numbers will grow tremendously as opposed to sewage and garbage.
On our way across the narrow routes we either found running sewage or heaps of garbage scattered everywhere which poses a health hazard especially to children, but at least there was hope as we traversed towards our destination.

I got a chance to visit the interior of Mathare slums with friends from the Netherlands following an invitation by Mathare roots youth group. It was so encouraging to see how things are positively changing since I was last there; for example, you will find accessible roads, access to clean water and best of all there are flats of about five floors coming up in the heart of Mathare.
One thing I liked the most is the involvement of youth projects in making a cleaner and safer community. One such youth groups is Mathare roots located in the Mathare slums.

"The name Mathare 'Roots' came from the fact that the group has emerged from the Mathare slums (reputedly the second largest slum in Africa after Kibera), where most of the group's members were born and raised, hence the members know the struggles of the residents and would like to try and bring 'good fruits' from the slum, which would paint a better picture of the community".

For more about Mathare roots: http://kenyanyouthandcommunityforum.blogspot.com

Pictures tells it all…

Part of Mathare slums.
Guest from Netherlands.

Tree planting exercise.
Wilson taking part in tree planting.