Soko Kijani ー Green Market (Day 16)

There is a small workshop in Ujamaa Center where I have interned since last week. They produce hand-made, fashionable bags and sandals that are decorated by beads.

The purpose of the workshop is to give skills for young people. The problems of youth around the area are that drub abuse and prostitution. In addition, Mombasa is existed in a costal area and the community people who live around costal area make their livelihood by farming and fishing, though those businesses are not so much profitable. To protect youth from those criminals and get skills to make them live by themselves, the workshop was planning to start.

Though they produce only sandals and bags these days, they produced a lot of products such as Christmas ornament, textiles, tables & chairs, carving, painting, and picture frame made by recycling paper when they started in 2008.

They transferred place for two times because of the landowner issue, and they have settled in smaller place than that of before, so they reduce the workshop size. Before transferring the current place, they hold 10 expertized people who have skills in each area, and those expertized people had their own group; however, the workshop has reduced only one group that produce bags and sandals now.

Their first priority is to renew the sawing machine. Currently, they use an old secondhand sawing machine, so some function is restricted. For example, it is impossible to use twisted thread to saw on the edge of the sandal. To improve the quality to compete big shoes companies, it is necessary for them to renew the sawing machine.

The second priority for them is to reach market. Currently, their target is tourist and local people; however, the tourist is decreasing because of terrorism. They need to expand the market to be profitable constantly.

The third priority is to change the order system. The deposit that is paid when they get order doesn’t cover the cost for production of sandals, so they have to borrow money to complete the products. After deliver the products, they get full amount. They need deposit that covers the cost for production.

TThe manager of the workshop said that he would like to compete big companies; however, I think they have advantage that appeals some markets, so it is not necessary to think about as same market as big companies.  For example, the products are handmade and very nice quality, and the object of the workshop is socially good. Also, their concept is very nice. the workshop’s other name is “Soko Kijani” that means green market. The reason why green market is that they sold the products that was made of recycled materials. For example, the sole of the sandal was made of a tire. Although the recycled materials stop using now because tire is sometimes too hard to walk, I think the concept of using recycled materials attracts some people. My feeling is to change the gear to the target who prefer the products.

Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural Centre

Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural Centre is a program of the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK). The organization produces crafts that include jewelry, textile, wood and leather products. Most of the crafts are handmade and created by disabled people. 

The workshop includes four areas: jewelry area, textile area, leather product area, and wheelchair area. In the jewelry area, I observed people created some parts of jewelry and cut and knitted with recycled materials (those are cans of soda), and at the textile area, people printed clothes by using silk screen painting. In the wheelchair area, I saw a lot of order-made wheelchairs that adapt the users' body.

The person who introduces the Bombolulu Workshops said that “we think that people who work here is not disabled, they have strong points”. According to him, the workshop started in 1967 in Mazeru, 22 km far from the current place, by a British guy. The workshop transferred to the current place in 1986 and APDK took over the project.

The workshop started jewelry craft with only 20 people. Currently, the organization expands about 160 people including 90 permanent workers, 60 part time worker, and 16 admin people. The organization also incorporates a nursery school that holds 180 kids. The other feature of the workshop is that the workers in the organization live very near to the workplace. 

Surprisingly, Japan is one of the biggest business markets for them. The guide said that Europe, the US, and Japan are the biggest sales partner. The Japanese organization that partner with the workshop is Global Village that is the mother organization of People Tree.

Although this organization does a social good, there were some problems. I heard about the issue that they differentiated the salary between disabled craft maker and not disabled marketer or designer. The capital system utilizes socially vulnerable. 

Community Meeting at a Slum Area

I went to a slum area that exists in Tudor today. The purpose of the visit is to see one aspect of regional disparity in education. According to the village elder, around half of the school age children have lacked the chance to attend school system in the slum area.

Before coming to Kenya, I researched about the Kenyan educational system. Based on the report, the national Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) at primary level increased from 107.6% in 2005 to 115% in 2011. The GER at the secondary level also increased from 28.8% in 2005 to 48.8% in 2011. Also Second Medium- Term Plans of Kenya Vision 2030 addresses the issue of lack of school facilities.

One of my colleagues, Mr. K, took me to the area to see what is the actual situation in the slum area. I realized that there is still regional disparities in terms of school attendance exist at the place.

There are some problems at the place. The primary education in Kenya is free, so every child can go to public school without pay; however, public schools are crowded with children. This report mentions, “The pupil/teacher ratio at primary school level increased from 1:39 in 2003 to 1:45 in 2009”. According to the report, there are gross disparities within regions and I assume that the pupil number is more than average. Therefore, only the children who have parents with influential power can go to public schools. Even if children could enter school after school age, sometimes they can’t follow the lecture, because they lack basic knowledge, resulting in a high drop rate.

Because it is hard to get high quality education in the area, children are deprived of getting capability for human capital, and they only can get casual work or sometimes they can’t get jobs. This is a visions cycle. There are some private schools at the place, and the tuition of those schools is ksh 21,000/year (ksh 7,000/term). The people of the area have lived with less than $1/day, so it is difficult for the parents to have their children go to private schools.
*$1=ksh 88 (6/10)

In addition to educational problems, there is hygiene issue of the place. There are only two toilet facilities and a bath in the area for more than 2,000 people. During the way to beach, that takes within 10 minutes, I saw a lot of small houses that made of mud exist, and wastes are scattered on the road. I saw a well that some organization established, but before the well is established, the people use a hose to bring water.

When I went through the crowded houses, there was one building at the place. Mr. K introduced me that the building is community center as well as school and church. There was one black board in the building that was made by the elders of the area. The idea is that they create the place that supports the children who can’t go to public school by themselves.

I joined the community meeting that held in the building. Around 10-community people that include 2 women and a village elder participated the meeting. They are welcoming me and ask me to come together with my friends to see the area’s condition. The people strongly require education for children to get better lives, especially women worry their children’s education. Finally, the community people took shaking hands gesture (sending power gesture) that means crapping hands. Mr. K explained that people who live in slum area are prohibited to have meetings, so they don’t use crapping hands. To receive the power gesture, I also took receiving gesture.

I have heard about the slum’ conditions and problems; however, it is my first time to go to a slum so far. Actually children who live at the place are very cheerful, and hygiene condition is more worth than that I expected. This experience is an eye opener for me, but how can I address this issue?