Enhancing hygiene promotion through access to WASH in informal settlements in Nairobi: the case of wise ladies

Income poverty is not only the deprivation the urban poor face; inhabitants in informal settlements have extremely very little or absolutely no access to basic services such as health, water and sanitation- deprivations that severely erode human capital. Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO), in partnership with WaterCan Canada, has undertaken WASH initiatives in informal settlements as an entry point to rally the inhabitants to address wider community poverty issues through the use of community organization methodology to break this culture of apathy in informal settlements. Technical implementation of WASH in form of construction of water points and toilets is both a capacity transfer means and support mechanism. However, Hygiene promotion is core in the initiatives as a means of encouraging local communities to effectively use water and sanitation infrastructure developed as demonstrated by Wise ladies, a group of women in Kianda village, Kibera, whose case study is presented herein.