On the other side of town �

In Kenya, one of the government�s priorities is to improve the lives of people that live in poor districts of towns and cities. In Nairobi, 60% of people live in poverty in places like Mathare valley, but it is a side of the city that most never see.

Many young people living in Mathare have a better life thanks to the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA). They run Africa�s biggest youth football league with more than a thousand teams. In return for joining the MYSA, teenage boys and girls have a better chance of staying clear of crime, drugs and alcohol, and they are encouraged to go to school instead.

As part of the Shootback project, teenage members of MYSA were given cameras to record what life is like in Mathare:

Click on the images to view a larger version.

Take a close look at the pictures of Mathare. In a group, imagine you are either a:

Nairobi businessman
Nomadic farmer in northern Kenya
Health worker
Government official
Tourist

Click here to add captions for each of the photos. Print out your page and share it with the rest of your group. How do your captions compare?

Now click here to download a PDF of what the teenagers in Mathare wrote about their photographs. How do they compare with your captions?

Do you think you might see similar scenes in towns and cities near you? In what way does Mathare seem different from city neighbourhoods you know?

Visit SOS Childrens Villages to find out more about how MYSA is helping to improve lives in Mathare.

Visit Global Eye Autumn 2000 to find out more about Nairobi�s poorer housing areas.

Visit People and Planet to read a 2004 article about the demolition of houses in some of Nairobi�s slums.