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- Gustafsson, Jessica, 1980-
(författare)
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Voicing the Slum : Youth, Community Media and Social Change in Nairobi
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since late 2006, several small media projects have emerged in the slums of Nairobi with the aim to counterbalance the ignorance from mainstream media, provide the slums residents with news, information and an opportunity to voice their needs and discuss relevant issues. These media are best labelled community media, since their main concern is to serve the interests of the community, in this context the slums. The aim of this project is to assess the potential impact community media have on the community in which they operate. Moreover, it considers the role community media play in promoting community development and democracy, especially in relation to young people living in the slums of Nairobi. Through ethnographic fieldwork in Nairobi (January 2007 to April 2010) including interviews with producers and audience, the study not only maps the establishment of the community media landscape in the slums of Nairobi but the advent of community broadcasting. The study reveals that community media and community radio in particular play an import role in the local youth’s identity construction. By promoting a “slum identity” and ascribing to it positive connotations they help the youth strengthening a sense of pride in who they are and where they come from. Moreover, community media and especially community broadcasting provide the audience with information and a platform for debate where the community can interact directly or indirectly with civil society group, local power holders and experts whether in health, law and finance. This can improve the living situations of the audience but also their engagement as citizens. On a macro level, community media’s biggest contribution to social change is their proactive work to combat tribalism by encouraging their audiences to perceive themselves as Kenyans rather than clinging on to identities based on tribal belonging, which is further reflected in their use of Swahili. The political economy of community media is the biggest challenge that prevents the media projects from fully fulfilling their objectives and being a progressive force for social change. The weak financial situation not only affects their output negatively, it makes them dependent on external funding and (mis)use youth as unpaid labour.
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| 2. |
- Onjala, J., et al.
(författare)
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Risk perception, choice of drinking water and water treatment: evidence from Kenyan towns
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. - : IWA Publishing. - 2043-9083 .- 2408-9362. ; 4:2, s. 268-280
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study used household survey data from four Kenyan towns to examine the effect of households' characteristics and risk perceptions on their decision to treat/filter water as well as on their choice of main drinking water source. Because the two decisions may be jointly made by the household, a seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model was estimated. It turned out that treating non-piped water and using piped water as a main drinking water source were substitutes. The evidence supports the finding that perceived risks significantly correlate with a household's decision to treat non-piped water before drinking it. The study also found that higher connection fees reduced the likelihood of households connecting to the piped network. Because the current connection fee acts as a cost hurdle which deters households from getting a connection, the study recommends a system where households pay the connection fee in instalments, through a prepaid water scheme or through a subsidy scheme.
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| 6. |
- Egondi, Thaddaeus, et al.
(författare)
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Community perceptions of air pollution and related health risks in Nairobi slums
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 10:10, s. 4851-4868
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Air pollution is among the leading global risks for mortality and responsible for increasing risk for chronic diseases. Community perceptions on exposure are critical in determining people's response and acceptance of related policies. Therefore, understanding people' perception is critical in informing the design of appropriate intervention measures. The aim of this paper was to establish levels and associations between perceived pollution and health risk perception among slum residents. A cross-sectional study of 5,317 individuals aged 35+ years was conducted in two slums of Nairobi. Association of perceived score and individual characteristics was assessed using linear regression. Spatial variation in the perceived levels was determined through hot spot analysis using ArcGIS. The average perceived air pollution level was higher among residents in Viwandani compared to those in Korogocho. Perceived air pollution level was positively associated with perceived health risks. The majority of respondents were exposed to air pollution in their place of work with 66% exposed to at least two sources of air pollution. Less than 20% of the respondents in both areas mentioned sources related to indoor pollution. The perceived air pollution level and related health risks in the study community were low among the residents indicating the need for promoting awareness on air pollution sources and related health risks.
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| 8. |
- Pyati, Ajit K., et al.
(författare)
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Rethinking community and public space from the margins : a study of community libraries in Bangalore's slums
- 2012
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Ingår i: Area (London 1969). - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0004-0894 .- 1475-4762. ; 44:3, s. 336-343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growth of slums in urban regions of the Global South is an issue of major concern for a variety of fields. These rapid urban changes are presenting a myriad of challenges, including the provision of social and educational services to urban populations that are often invisible to the gaze of the state. One issue that is not often discussed in slums is the role that educational spaces and places can play in facilitating community development. Specifically, this article discusses the case of community libraries in the slums of Bangalore, India. Community libraries, while only part of a larger empowerment and development strategy, can play an important role in providing a sense of place and belonging. The libraries that are part of this case study are focused on providing services to children, which in certain respects creates wider community support.
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| 9. |
- Unge, Christian
(författare)
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Uptake, adherence and discontinuation of antiretroviral treatment in the Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: As antiretroviral treatment (ART) is being scaled-up, long-term success depends on high adherence to ART and retention in care. Rapid urbanization and growing slum populations present specific challenges for sustaining HIV-infected patients on ART. Aim: To study determinants for low adherence to ART in an urban slum in sub-Saharan Africa and to explore factors related to drop-out from ART. Methods: All studies were conducted at the Médecins Sans Frontières s (MSF) or at the African Medical Research Foundation s (AMREF) HIV clinics in the Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya. Study I: 26 patients eligible for ART at the MSF clinic who choose to not initiate ART were interviewed to understand underlying reasons. Study II: Patient records were reviewed to study access to ART during the violence in Kibera following the general elections in Kenya 2007/08. Study III: Adherence to ART and drop-out from the programme was analyzed retrospectively through review of 830 patient records. Study IV: 20 patients known to have dropped-out of ART to seek alternative care/cure, were interviewed about their reasons. Study V: A prospective cohort study of 800 patients to analyze dose-adherence to ART by creating an adherence index based on dosing, timing and special instructions and performing Cox-regression survival analysis to study time to drop-out. Findings: Study I: The main reason for not accepting ART was fear of taking medication on an empty stomach due to lack of food. Study II: During post-election turbulence in January 2008, 42% of 447 scheduled appointments were missed compared to 14% in January 2007. Study III: 27% of ART patients had a mean adherence below 95%. No factor remained independently associated with low adherence. 29% dropped out more than 90 days after the last prescribed dose. Residence in Kibera was associated with drop-out. The probability of remaining on treatment was 0.83 at 6 months, 0.74 at 12 months and 0.65 at 24 months. Study IV: The most important reasons for dropping-out from ART related to religious beliefs and traditional medicine were: patients firm belief that traditional medicine was more effective/had fewer side effects compared to biomedical medicine; faith, praying and religious practices to seek cure from HIV; negative attitudes from religious leaders; and; important personal trigger events. Study V: Among 800 patients, 11% were non-adherent at 6 months follow-up (dose-adherence<95%). Undisclosed HIV-status and living below the poverty limit were significant predictors of adherence <95%. Using the adherence index, also taking adherence to timing and special food instructions into account, 38% of patients were defined as non-adherent. Lack of treatment buddy and low education were significant risk factors. Almost 1 in 4 dropped-out from the ART programme for more than 90 days after the last prescribed dose. Cox regression analyses showed a significantly higher hazard ratio for people who lacked a treatment buddy for support. Conclusion: Sustaining HIV patients on ART in high-risk and highly mobile settings such as urban slums is a major future challenge. The high proportion of patients dropping out from ART and being non-adherent must be addressed using context-specific solutions. It is important to invest more in poverty reduction strategies in general, but also to encourage an open, non-judgmental discussion between patients and providers around possible foreseen challenges to treatment maintenance e.g. food shortages, religion and traditional medicine, in order to strengthen uptake and adherence to ART and to reduce drop-out from ART, especially important in resource-poor settings where stigma, and poverty is prevalent.
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| 10. |
- Wihlborg, Elin, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Internet café as a supportive educational arena : a case study from the urban slum of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to interpret a case study of the unexpected educational impact of an Internet Café – Cyber – in the slum of Kibera, Kenya. Our focus is here to examine the transformation of ICT in development country, and more specific in Nairobi, in Kenya. We consider this an interesting illustration of the spread of globalization to a local community in a development country and how learning takes place in unexpected contexts. Therefore the paper takes off from a comprehensive portrait of one Internet café in the urban slum area and its management, some users and non-regular users. As a part of a long-term field study this analysis is a first analysis of the project and it also aim to illustrate from conception to realization, and implementation of Internet café. We are studying one actor, a NGO driven commitment that opened an Internet café in Kibera primary to generate income, provide access to Internet for the local people and a more general ambition to develop the local community. Field work has been on-going and consists of a series of interviews with key informants in the management, and interviews with adolescent customers (users and non-regular users) of the Cyber. Our findings show that there is a clear ambition from the management of the Internet Café to enable computer literacy and bridge digital divides, as well as social and educational progress. Such learning takes place even if it looks like clients mainly use Facebook or browse the Internet. The findings also show that focus on eco-friendly technique to act as a role model was overshadowed by profit-making aims. Even if Internet Café is managed by a NGO they have a clear profit focus. In the beginning the Cyber had a more educating purpose, or a charity purpose, by letting poor people have access to Internet to a cheaply cost, but when established the economic aspects made it behave like a market actor. The main purpose of the management to empower poor people computer literacy is worthy, however doubtful, because it emerges with training and economy. Recent technological development of Internet on the cell phones has challenged the Internet cafés and there are incentives to use the cell phone even for activities that formerly was performed at the Internet Café. If the Internet is in everyone’s pocket the educational arena of the Internet Cafes’ are threaten, but the Cyber´s advantage is tutorial support from peers and management. The Internet Café promotes learning ambitions in the slum and presents opportunities available for them, but it also shows the divides of the knowledge society. Although youth in the slum with computer skills has got increased access to Internet, and their voices has reached out and in some way the digital divide between North and South has decreased.
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