TUSHIRIKISHE JAMII PROJECT
Muungano wa Wanavijiji (MWW) is a non-partisan social movement that organizes people living in informal settlement to practice daily savings as a tool to advocate for basic service; MWW is an affiliate member of the Slum Dwellers International (SDI).Thematic areas include Enumeration /advocacy, Savings and loaning, Land and housing, Muungano development fund, Auditing Welfare, Land and housing.
The federation has partnered with Forum Syd to address issues of poor governance and corruption, especially in the devolved funds at the constituency and ward levels, these social vices have for a long time denied marginalized communities the much-needed development opportunities and realization of their faceted human rights as outlined in the new constitution. Low income communities and slum settlement areas have been trapped in this negative cycle, vulnerable and remain at the periphery of major constituency development initiatives.
Forum Syd in Kenya
One of Forum Syd’s roles in Kenya is to strengthen the capacity of civil society as a watchdog and to carry out advocacy, especially on a local level. Forum Syd also plays a role as a platform coordinating joint learning through networking, linking organizations on a regional, national and local vis a vis national level.
Forum Syd has been in the process of fundraising in the issues of bad governance and corruption. Forum Syd is also in the process of establishing relationships with other organizations so that together, global injustices and issues afflicting Kenyans can be tackled whilst building a stronger civil society.
Men and women from slum areas have been denied the opportunity to constructively participate in decision making processes of community based development, yet they form the majority of Kenyan urban populations. Slum inhabitants often suffer from unemployment and lack of security, due to the fact that they are illegal occupants of public/public lands, which weaken their voice resulting in a “non-questioning” attitude.
Project Scope
The Tushirikishe Jamii project, which literally means let’s incorporate Citizens in swahili, the project is supported by EC grants and has the objective of increasing the participation of low income and slum communities in constituency development funds decision-making processes.
Through different initiatives and activities over the past one year, the project has strived to achieve the promotion of good governance and freedom to information access, by strengthening targeted civil society organisations and raising awareness.
The project has put in place will right-based approaches that have so far ensured sensitivities to gender and interfaith inclusiveness. The project seeks to strengthen solidarity linkages through networking with civil society at all levels, relevant stakeholders to create synergize and mobilize resources.
Target group
Over 20,000 community members have so been targeted directly and close to 100,000 others indirectly in constituencies in Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces. Forum Syd has been working hand in hand work together with 2 other implementing partners and 30 community based CSOs in order to achieve its objective of increased youth participation in community development.
Project be implementation
Various strategies had been designed in the project implementation; the strategies include; capacity building of partner organizations and communities, participatory community based education, sports and arts, awareness creation and lobbying and advocacy for good governance.
Information Communication and Technology (ICT) has been incorporated in Resource Centres and SMS (Short Message Service).
Intended Achievements
It is expected that by the end of the project targeted community members will have increased knowledge and skills on good governance, and increased their ability to claim rights and to hold government accountable. The knowledge and skills gained are also expected to lead to collective voices influencing development processes at the community levels.