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About SDI-Kenya and Muungano Wa Wanavijiji

Our Story

SDI-Kenya is a non-profit organization that supports the urban poor to advocate for inclusive cities, through Movement building, Agenda setting and Precedent setting in community urban development. Our advocacy goal is Making slums visible. SDI-Kenya is dedicated to providing technical support to Muungano wa Wanavijiji, the National Movement of the urban poor in Kenya. Founded in 1996, Muungano wa Wanavijiji is a powerful movement that unites local groups from Cities and towns to advocate for policy changes and engage in dialogue. Their aim is to improve the quality of life for slum dwellers and urban poor in Kenya throughpolicy advocacy and communication with the federal, state, and municipal governments, as well as civil society and private sector groups. SDI Kenya shares Muungano wa Wanavijiji’s vision of creating inclusive cities, where low-income communities have access to adequate housing and services and can live with dignity. Building on our expertise and experience, we work towards this vision through movement building, agenda setting, and precedent setting in community urban development. Our slogan, "Building inclusive cities for the urban poor," reflects our commitment to creating equitable and sustainable urban environments for all. As an affiliate of SDI, which operates in over 35 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, SDI-Kenya is part of a global network of organizations working to empower slum dwellers and improve the quality of life in informal settlements. Muungano wa Wanavijiji, actively encourages its members to join savings organizations in order to address the unique challenges faced by informal settlement-based groups. Groups operate as a catalyst for people's collective activity in this way, rather than acting in place of their communities. Muungano supports and organizes these groups to advocate for community-wide issues such as securing land rights and improving housing, water, sewage, and electricity services. The federation also supports youth groups focused on climate change action by building networks and strengthening their capacity to catalyze collective activity in their communities. Muungano serves as a catalyst for collective action, helping communities communicate and advocate for their rights. To address the issues faced by informal settlements, Muungano follows a community-led data collection model, which helps deepen the understanding of settlement-related challenges, overstretched services, and infrastructure. This model helps identify the type and level of services needed to improve the settlement's functioning. SDI-Kenya aims to transform slums into resilient neighborhoods and inclusive cities through a women-led, bottom-up change agenda. This involves securing tenure and increasing access to basic services, housing, and livelihoods
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