As the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Christian Life Community (CLC) in Kenya continues to embody this hope through action – responding to God’s invitation to co-create a more just and sustainable world. Living a dignified life is inseparable from caring for our common home. In this spirit, the Mazingira Afya project was born to address the pressing issue of pollution in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements.
Kibera’s residents face the daily reality of poverty and inadequate waste management systems. The accumulation of organic, plastic, metallic, and electronic waste, alongside open sewage, has led to alarming levels of pollution – threatening both human health and the environment. Guided by the message of Laudato Si’, CLC youth in Kenya discerned a concrete mission: to restore dignity to communities through environmental stewardship and solidarity.
Phase One: Learning, Serving, and Building Partnerships
The first phase of the Mazingira Afya project focused on understanding the dynamics of waste management within Kibera. CLC youth volunteers were invited to sign up and participate in an induction workshop that introduced the project’s vision and objectives. The training fostered a sense of shared purpose and grounded the volunteers in the Ignatian call to “find God in all things,” including in the care of our environment.
Launching the Project
The project was officially launched through a tree-planting ceremony at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School – a CLC mission school supporting bright students from Kibera who are in need. Together with members of the community, both young and old, we planted fruit trees as a symbol of life, renewal, and long-term sustainability.
Community Clean-Up Initiatives
Our first clean-up activity took place in Kibera Block D, in collaboration with Foundation of Hope (FoH) – a community-based organization dedicated to waste management. This marked FoH’s first clean-up in this area. Volunteers cleared trenches and removed solid waste around houses, an effort that deeply touched local residents, particularly elderly women who often bear the greatest burden of environmental degradation.
A second clean-up followed in Block E, focusing on stagnant drainage systems heavily clogged with sewage and solid waste. Despite the challenging conditions, the team successfully improved the area’s sanitation. To sustain these efforts, 500 reusable waste sacks were distributed to households through FoH to support ongoing waste collection.
Training and Collaboration
To strengthen the project’s impact, Mazingira Afya brought together stakeholders – including CLC youth volunteers, FoH, Walakolo, and Mtaa Safi CBOs – for a capacity-building workshop. The training, led by Mtaa Safi, known for its specialty on recycling, deepened participants’ understanding of waste management cycles and uncovered opportunities for innovation and collaboration.
Through these discussions, the need for advocacy and community sensitization emerged as a vital next step. This led to a dynamic environmental campaign that expanded awareness, attracted new volunteers, and strengthened the partnership network supporting Mazingira Afya.
Joint Clean-Up of the Waste Holding Area
In response to a request from Walakolo CBO, the project organized a major clean-up of a waste holding site that had been neglected for nearly three years. Together with FoH and Mtaa Safi, the team cleared solid waste along the railway line and nearby market — a highly visible effort that was deeply appreciated by residents and local leaders alike.
Looking Ahead
The first phase of Mazingira Afya has been a profound learning journey- a testament to what can be achieved when faith inspires action. We have witnessed the power of collaboration, the resilience of community, and the hope that springs from small, consistent acts of care.
As we move forward, the project aims to deepen its work in waste management, advocacy, environmental education, and community capacity building. Inspired by the Ignatian spirit of service and discernment, we continue to “plant seeds of hope” – nurturing both people and the planet for generations to come.
