Summary

Flauenrat women group is an environmental youth and women enterprise group registered in the republic of Kenya on 06/2017 under the ministry of East Africa community and labor and social protection under CAP -STA- 6/4/2017 with the view of adhering youth and women who are unemployed and with a goal to change their lives in a positive way by empowering them, creating wealth, managing resources and nurturing their talents

Background and Objective

lack of employment to both women and youth, lack of awareness on environmental management, luck of trained personnel in creating self-employment and also poor infrastructure, drainage and poor housing. Our target area from the beginning was Nairobi but we grew to other environs within the country and outside the country.

Actions and Implementation

The main key activities of Flauenrat women group include collection, recycling of waste products and public awareness on environmental management through campaigns Some of these problems include bureaucracy at Nairobi County that characterized the tendering and procurement process. In addition to this we have faced inadequate human resource in implementation of some of the activities like garbage collection and cleaning of the environment. Financing is also another bigger challenge that we have faced as we all know it is very difficult to mobilize people if there is no source of money that is going to facilitate the project. We have also lacked professionalism in carrying out key activities and setting plans to be achieved, key qualified personel who would see the project to its execution at the initial stage and also the management of the available finance has almost been impossible due to the lack of professionalism not forgetting getting the tenders also requires a qualified staff. In carrying out the projects materials are needed to facilitate in execution of the projects e.g. garbage collection cats, tools among others, this inadequacy has been brought by, by the lack of proper finances. Also a lack of innovative skills in carrying out most of the tasks as most people at the start were not experienced or exposed to such tasks as environmental cleanliness. Another bigger challenge on top of all this was solid waste management. low level awareness by the community regarding registration on waste management in the initial process Most of the above challenges we were able to address within a span of a short period of time while others we are still trying to seek for assistance from both public and private institutions. First, we managed to get volunteers among the community to do environmental cleanliness. Different organizations partnered with us to carry out most of the projects that we had and in the process we managed to in cooperate learners in the group and within no time they were all equipped with adequate know how in most of the activities. We also got assistance from the area development committee who were overseers of most of the projects that we were undertaking. The overseers managed to priorities on the needs within the community and came up with the best decision to benefit the community. Their inputs were well in cooperated that ensured that we were at par with the constitution.

Outcomes and Impacts

Much has to be put into consideration including policies, laws and rules that will govern the community at large. Creating a green environment is most effective at delivering a full range of health, social and environmental benefits when physical improvement of the space is coupled with social engagement. Having multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations in planning, implementation and evaluation is a very important factor in creating a successful green space. We have educated the community on the importance of having a clean environment. We found out that most people dispose wastes like plastic paper bags, bottles anyhow. National governments should strengthen and enact urban laws and regulations that will govern people from dumping and trashing everywhere. In our current regulations, anyone who is found littering on the streets is charged a fine or jailed. Flauenrat women group has tried to play a part in using different tools in upgrading of the slums, bringing in-equality in terms of women being in a position to make a living and not being house wives and also engaging the youth in different social and economical activities. This has created an impact in their financial lives. Flauenrat women group has enabled home-based workers to received basic infrastructure services to improve their homes which are the same as workplaces; and waste pickers have received contracts from the local municipality to collect, sort, and recycle waste. To improve on human resource the group has benefited from capacity building programes from stake holder such as Micro and small enterprise [MSEA] Uwezo funds [women development] and the National environmental management authority [NEMA] United Nation programmes like SEED AFRICA[switch Africa green. We have managed to curb crime and violence in these slum areas by creating social groups among the slum dwellers who engage in different activities improving morals of community members.

Gender and Social Inclusivity

Flauenrat women group has employed different initiatives in mobilization of resources to achieve its goals and objectives. It has employed a strategic tactical and corporate plan to enhance in resource mobilization. To improve on its human resource the group has benefited from capacity building programs from stakeholders such as Micro and small enterprise [MSEA], Uwezo funds, [women development], the National environmental management authority [NEMA] and United Nation programmes like SEED AFRICA[switch Africa green] We have raised funds through different entrepreneurial activities such as designing company logos, government logos, and different types of home decoration. We have also invited different institutions who are well off in different homemade decorations to come and train our women and youths e.g. making door Mats, table mats among others for sale, Collection and resell of used waste products has also seen to a financial up rise of our women and youth. The trainings we have conducted to all the beneficiaries have benefited in resource utilization and growth. We have also managed to train some of the youths in Uganda Kampala and currently using the skills learned from us to earn money. Our achievements can be transferred to others through training, holding exhibitions and peer education.

Innovative Initiative

Some of the lessons we have learned include; Most people of the urban work-force is informal. Yet informal workers - and their livelihoods - tend to be ignored or excluded in city planning and local economic development. Developing principles to create cities that are good clean for everyone is not that easy. Much has to be put into consideration including policies, laws and rules that will govern the community at large. Creating a green environment is most effective at delivering a full range of health, social and environmental benefits when physical improvement of the space is coupled with social engagement. In Planning for the future of our cities, we can no longer disregard growing economic, social and environmental matter. All these are worsening by income and wealth inequalities. The exercise of restructuring governance across bureaucracy, civil and business society must know the irregular resources across the city, and try to reconcile all the interests among other people. Implementation plans include Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Prosperity and Opportunities for All, Environmentally Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development, slum upgrading, energy efficiency and the social and ecological function of land are some of major concern. Effective Implementation of the agenda is by enabling policy framework at both national, sub-national and local levels. Integrated and complimentary processes and actors, such as participatory planning, regional development banks, coordination of urban and rural development strategies, and international cooperation will assist the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The group has tried to play a part in using different tools in upgrading of the slums, bringing in-equality in terms of women being in a position to make a leaving and not being house wives and also engaging the youth in different social and economical activities. This has created an impact in their financial lives and uplifted them.

Resources devoted to delivery

No. Title Source Author Publication Title Volume Number Date Page Number 1 TALE OFF PEOPLE DAILY NEWS PAPER KENYA EVELYNE MAKENA GREEN AGENDA 1 PAGE 31/05/2016 24

Conclusion

Flauenrat women group goals and objectives have been supported by different policies that have been enacted by both the local government and also policies that have been formulated by private sectors. Some of this include; Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) is a joint effort of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, the European Commission (EC) and UN-Habitat. This was launched in the year 2008. The Government, through the Ministry of Housing, initiated the process of developing a National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Policy in the year 2012 held under the auspices of the Multi-Stakeholder Support Group Forum (MSSG) in November 2011. The Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Programme (KISIP) was introduced through a partnership between the Kenyan Government and the World Bank. Flauenrat women group has played a role in different campaigns in mobilizing financial resources that have gone towards the implementation of tangible initiatives such as waste management, access to water and sanitation, access roads and public spaces, lighting for community spaces and neighborhoods and creation of job opportunities, which improve the living conditions of people living in slums. Currently the government has enacted laws that burn reckless littering of trash and also use of paper bags.