Case Study

Mathare is one of Nairobi’s most densely populated slums. Occupying only 4.5km², 800,000 residents cram into homes only 10m² with families of up to 10 often occupying one home. For children this means school work is difficult to complete, especially with only one source of light at night provided by a single lamppost in the centre of the slum leaving the majority of the slum in darkness. There is little water and almost no sanitation. Add to this unemployment, bootleg alcohol and prostitution and you have a perfect storm for diseases such as HIV/AIDS to flourish.

However, in the midst of this seemingly hopeless situation is Missions of Hope International (MOHI). MOHI was founded by Mary Kamau in 1999 to tackle the entrenched poverty within the slum. She started visited the slum while studying Sociology at Nairobi University with the goal to break the cycle of poverty by offering HIV/AIDS education, testing and setting up post-diagnosis care groups. MOHI focuses on a holistic approach by providing, according to Mary, “integrated empowerment services such as teaching physical, spiritual and moral lessons, giving accurate information on how the HIV infection is spread and how people can take personal responsibility, micro-enterprise training and small loans to provide alternative ways of earning income”.

MOHI is also focused on providing education to children in the slums. Over the past nine years, Mary has founded a child sponsorship programme and a boarding school which takes children out of the slums and provides them with a healthy study environment. She currently has 2,400 children in her programme. Mary also helps young entrepreneurs get businesses off the ground by providing loans through a microfinance scheme. While still in its infancy, this initiative has an outstanding loan portfolio of US$50,000 which has provided 350 microloans in just two years.

A little goes a long way

A very modest contribution of US$30,000 was given to MOHI in 2006. With that MOHI was able to test 1,400 people for HIV/AIDS, place those infected on antiretroviral drugs and form them into self-help groups. In addition she was able to put US$9,500 into her microfinance loan portfolio which has now grown to US$50,000. In total, through this one grant, Legatum was able to impact 2,100 residents of Mathare, and through the microfinance initiative, that money is still working for the good of the community today.

Leadership

Without Mary’s vision, passion, faith and skill, Mathare would remain a place of hopelessness and despair. Her selfless dedication to its people have brought light and hope, particularly to the younger generation.