MARKET ECONOMY - FINALIST
KENYA


Market economy

Hawkers Market Girl Centre provides education and opportunities to girls from Nairobi's slums.

It's estimated that at least half the population of Nairobi live in slums. The children of the slums flock to the city's markets to search for food among their waste. The harrowing sight of young girls scavenging for food on stinking tips was a spur to action for some of Hawkers Market's customers. As Shariffa Keshavjee remembers, "The girls were pulling at our skirts, saying 'teach me, teach me'. And then we realised that we have to educate these girls."

Shariffa and other customers set up the Hawkers Market Girls Centre to give at least some slum children the chance of a better life. The Centre offers vocational training in professions such as hair dressing and tailoring, as well as classes in life skills such as computer literacy and basic healthcare. Each year up to forty girls are either employed or set up in business with assistance from the project.

The Centre also offers valuable lessons in how to make small incomes go further. The girls grow their own vegetables, harvest rainwater and earn some extra cash by selling homemade charcoal briquettes. "Giving the girls an income generating skill is very important," says Shariffa. "We can't ask them to contribute to the project, but by selling what they make they feel like they are giving something back."

2008 finalist 2008 finalist 2008 finalist
«
»

2010

The Only Way is Up - Philippines A Class Apart - Guatemala Pass it on - Peru Burn After Eating - India Charge of the Light Brigade - Rwanda Cyber Capital - Denmark Double Boiled - Kenya Growth Cycle - Zambia In a Nutshell - Malawi Ok Coral - Tanzania One Reef at a Time - Madagascar Saving From a Rainy Day - Mexico

2009

Safe Bottle Lamp Project - Sri Lanka Danamon Go Green - Indonesia Fungi Town - United States Afghan Hands - Afghanistan Andaman Discoveries - Thailand Barefoot Women Solar Engineers of Africa - India Biogas as an alternative source of energy - Kenya Cheetah Conservation Fund Bush Project - Namibia Comet-ME - Israel - Palestine Mootral - Uk Stoves for Survival - the Democratic Republic of Congo

2008

Plan Bee - Pakistan A Chance to Grow - Nepal Homegrown Heroes - Paraguay Change is Brewing - South Africa Cliffhanger - India Comunidade Film - Brazil Green Gold - Colombia Independence Day - India Maasai Production - Kenya Market economy - Kenya Sole Traders - Kenya Yurt Kindergartens - Kyrgyzstan

2007

Potato Goldmine - Peru Cooking Without Gas - Nepal School for Success - Haiti Half Price Hygiene - Uganda Herbal Healing - Vietnam High Sweet Fashion - Mexico Limbs From Leftovers - Nepal Out of the Forest - Brasil Peace Woods - Colombia S.O.S: Save our Seaweed - Brazil Steaming Ahead - Indonesia Top of the Crops - Afghanistan

2006

Elephant Paper - Sri-Lanka Card Aid - Rwanda Well Water - Bangladesh Blooming Business - Mauritius/Madagascar Fireproof Juice - Sweden Grass Roots - Swaziland Making a Buzz - Rodrigues/Mauritius Powering Up - Ethiopia Shark Park - Fiji Silicon Salvage - UK Sunny Side Up - Laos Wild Child - Botswana

2005

Coconets - Phillipines Fat Chance - Malta Reef Rehab - Vanuatu A Chilli Reception - Zambia Basket Case - Kenya Bugs Money - Kenya Dye-ing For Change - UK & Slovenia Lucky Birds - Spain Men Not At Work - South Africa My Big Fat Ethical Wedding - USA Rooftop Revolution - Ukraine Snakes Alive - India

Follow us

linkedin facebook