They Once Lived the ‘Gangster life.’ Now They Tackle Food Insecurity in Kenya’s Slums
- In 2017, nearly a dozen young men in Nairobi's Mathare slum founded Vision Bearerz to leave crime and address local food insecurity.
- The group formed after Joseph Kariaga's brother was killed and poverty pushed many youth toward gangs and violence in Mathare.
- Vision Bearerz operates an urban farm in Mathare, growing vegetables, raising pigs and fish, and runs community programs including weekly lunches for over 150 children.
- The initiative receives support from the NGO Growth4Change for materials and training, and CFK Africa recognizes its potential as a scalable, community-led development model.
- Despite modest impact and challenges like funding cuts, police harassment, and recidivism, Vision Bearerz suggests locally led efforts could be key to aiding slum communities amid dwindling foreign aid.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Colorado Springs Gazette
From guns to gardens: Former gangsters fight hunger in Kenya
Young men who once lived the “gangster life” in Kenya's capital have become farmers with a social mission. They took up the work in one of Africa's largest slums after seeing too many friends shot dead. Now they grow food,…
Washington Top News
They once lived the ‘gangster life.’ Now they tackle food insecurity in Kenya’s slums
MATHARE, Kenya (AP) — Joseph Kariaga and his friends once lived the “gangster life” in Nairobi’s Mathare slum, snatching phones, mugging people and battling police. But when Kariaga’s brother was shot dead by police, the young men took stock. “We said, ‘We cannot live like this. We are going to lose our lives.’ Many of our friends had died,” said Kariaga, now 27. “I reflected on my life. I had to change.” Now the men are farmers with a social mi…
They once lived the 'gangster life.' Now they tackle food insecurity in Kenya's slums
MATHARE, Kenya (AP) — Joseph Kariaga and his friends once lived the “gangster life” in Nairobi’s Mathare slum, snatching phones, mugging people and battling police. But when Kariaga’s brother was shot dead by police, the young men took stock. “We said, ‘We cannot live like this. We are going to lose our lives.’ Many of our friends had died,” said Kariaga, now 27. “I reflected on my life. I had to change.” Now the men are farmers with a social mi…
From Guns to Gardens: Former Gangsters Fight Hunger in Kenya
MATHARE, Kenya (AP) — Joseph Kariaga and his friends once lived the “gangster life” in Nairobi’s Mathare slum, snatching phones, mugging people and battling police. But when Kariaga’s brother was shot dead by police, the young men took stock. “We said, ‘We cannot live like this. We are going to lose our lives.’ Many of our friends had died,” said Kariaga, now 27. “I reflected on my life. I had to change.” Now the men are farmers with a social mi…
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