By Brenda Ooko and Kamilla Gojobe

Slum Dwellers International and Muungano wa Wanavijiji participated in the 2023 Nairobi Agricultural Trade Fair, which was themed ‘Promoting Climate-smart Agriculture and Trade Initiatives for sustainable economic growth’. Exhibitors were meant to showcase how they enable environmental sustainability in their daily operations and how they align with the said theme. It also meant sharing and celebration of the great ideas, innovations in pursuit of sustainable solutions to climate change.

This annual event organized by the Agricultural Society of Kenya, held in Jamhuri Showground in Kibera, gave participants from all sectors an opportunity to exhibit their products and services, and their contribution to national development. The platform also enabled the participants to create awareness of their products/services to the general public. Furthermore, they had the chance to market and sell their products and services to the general public. Businesses had the opportunity to build on existing and new customer relationships by initiating a one-on-one feedback on the service and product provided, thus boosting customer loyalty.

This year's theme resonated well with what Muungano and SDI-Kenya, under our Voice of a just climate action program, intend to ensure and promote grassroots organizations and vulnerable groups to take the lead in creating, facilitating, and advocating for innovative and inclusive climate solutions, with the main aim of promoting inclusivity in the fight against climate change. As an organization supporting youth-led climate action projects within the informal settlements, we decided to give youths within the Muungano wa Wanavijiji movement a platform to showcase their very innovative, creative ideas in enhancing sustainable economic development in their settlements.

These young individuals play vital roles in promoting a sustainable environment within informal settlements. For example, the Bridge Shakers youth group demonstrated the production of high-quality Cabros blocks using recycled sacks and plastics collected and sorted from their neighborhood. This represents an environmentally friendly approach to waste management. Similarly, Mtaa Safi youth initiative showcased how they enhance the value of collected waste from Kibera by crushing various types of plastics into pallets. These pallets are then sold at premium prices to companies engaged in plastic packaging, contributing to the promotion of recycling practices.

The Foundation of Hope and Community mappers exhibited their artistic creativity by transforming waste glass bottles into beautiful decor and creating beautiful drawings aimed at advocating for conservation. Conversely, the River Adoption youth group presented a unique model of the Mathare 4B settlement, reflecting the community's vision for a sustainable settlement with a clean environment and Mathare River, showcasing our work in settlement planning and upgrading. Additionally, the Ujumaa youth group featured distinctive woven bags, sandals, and earrings made from eco-friendly materials, such as discarded bones and tires/sisal. Their production processes prioritize reusability, offering solutions to environmental pollution, especially in relation to plastics.

These groups managed to share these innovations with the public, and they were able to learn and explore how to better enhance their creativity in enabling a sustainable green and orange economy in their locality. The showcased products garnered significant interest from customers who were enthusiastic about learning and purchasing some of these items.

Lessons drawn from Participation in Trade Fair:

Advocacy

Our participation at the Nairobi Agriculture Fair Trade in 2023 revolved around advocacy impact. The event's theme, 'Promoting climate-smart agriculture and trade initiatives for sustainable economic growth,' provided a fitting backdrop for our activities. We were excited to showcase the innovative ways in which we address climate change. Our offerings ranged from turning recycled waste into art to crafting cabros from used sacks and fashioning sandals from discarded tires. The emphasis on urban adaptation to climate change was clear, and it was essential for the public to witness the inspiring initiatives undertaken by the youths in reshaping their settlements.

Economic Impact

The fair trade also served as a catalyst for economic growth. Visitors to our exhibit discovered an array of affordable, handcrafted products. Our wares, including baskets, art pieces, handbags, key holders, and earrings, drew enthusiastic customers. Moreover, our team introduced an engaging activity by providing face painting for kids, which created a vibrant atmosphere around our tent and boosted sales. This platform gave the youth groups a chance to earn a living from their creativity and innovations, boosting their determination towards enabling a sustainable environment.

Exposure, Learning, and Partnerships: For the youth groups, the fair-trade event marked their debut in showcasing their work at such a grand scale. It offered exposure to the work they were deeply involved in within their communities, providing a unique opportunity to exhibit their contributions to a wider audience. Beyond that, our teams took the opportunity to explore other groups' offerings at the fair trade, creating an environment of mutual learning and exchange of expertise. We learned valuable insights and ideas from fellow participants, setting a clear course for improvement in our future endeavors.

The fair-trade event also presented an opportunity for networking and forging partnerships. We had the privilege of meeting people genuinely interested in our work. One such instance was the Bandari Sacco, which expressed a keen interest in our youth's artistic contributions. Kenya Forest Service Officials were fascinated with what our 4B youths are doing along Mathare River and promised to supply them with more trees. Other partners inquired about acquiring our art products in larger quantities, and some were interested in knowledge sharing and inter-learning exchanges.

Future Plans

The 2023 fair trade experience, with its successes and lessons, has set us on an exciting path for the future. As we look ahead to the next Nairobi Agriculture Fair Trade in 2024, our aspirations are expansive. We hope to secure a larger space that can accommodate all our groups and an even wider range of our remarkable work. The selection of participating groups will be more competitive, with a focus on understanding what they showcase and their readiness to engage with potential customers. Our objective is to present a diverse array of products representing each pillar of Muungano wa Wanavijiji, encompassing climate change: urban farming, poultry keeping, and arts, housing, and advocacy on basic services in urban informal settlements. To effectively convey our work, we desire to create captivating models that highlight housing upgrades in informal settlements and innovative river adaptations. This vision will guide our preparations for the next fair trade, as we aim to elevate our work.

Conclusion

The 2023 Agriculture and trade Fair provided a platform for businesses, parastatal, CSOs, CBOs, and individuals from all sectors to demonstrate how they enhance a sustainable environment in their capacities. Our youth groups used this platform to show their locally led climate action initiatives which incorporated a diverse range of approaches for effective and sustainable waste management practices, through creative plastics and glass recycling methods, artistic drawings, and provision of eco-friendly solutions to plastics manufacturing industries among other groundbreaking solutions to environmental pollutants. SDI Kenya and Muungano wa Wanavijiji are glad to have given these groups a chance to connect and develop their capacity to further expand their inventions and creativity in what they are doing to solve climate change in their settlements, and we will continue to support these initiatives to enhance sustainable economic growth thus fighting climate change.