Tens of billions of dollars are lost yearly due to ineffective research in poor areas. The growth of informal settlements and the increasing urban population in East Asia and Africa have heightened interest in research among low-income urban communities. In Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, there are over 100 informal settlements, which leads to an increase in inadequate research that does not promote social transformation. There is another way. Community researchers from Mathare, Kenya, and researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam share their experiences to enhance social benefits.
Since the 1960’s scientists from Erasmus University have been conducting community-based research in Kenya. Over the last five years, they have closely collaborated with community researchers—individuals who are part of the community being studied. They talk to community members, identify key challenges, and seek practical solutions. Jan Fransen, a researcher from the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies and Vital Cities and Citizens, says: "So much knowledge has already been gained in Kenya about working with community researchers; we can learn a lot from this in the Netherlands."
Nairobi Urban Hub Promotes Resilience in Informal Settlements
Jan is involved with the Nairobi Urban Hub, together with local researchers in Nairobi and researchers from the International Centre for Frugal Innovation. They conduct impact-driven research on how residents in urban informal settlements can better anticipate, cope with, adapt to, and transform through changes and setbacks. In these areas, they study how (frugal) innovation processes can be optimised to find creative solutions. The aim is to stimulate the resilience of the community of poor urban dwellers.
Experiences in Mathare, Kenya
Ghetto Foundation is a local organization that trains residents of Mathare, an informal settlement of Nairobi, to become community researchers. They ensure that the partnership between researchers from a university and community researchers is equitable. Julia Wachera, one of the community researchers in Nairobi, was born and raised in of Mathare, where she has lived for over 30 years. Together with other community researchers, she ensures that the research by the Nairobi Urban Hub has a meaningful social and economic impact on Mathare.
Bosibori Barake, a local researcher from Nuvoni Center for Innovation Research who is also involved with the Nairobi Hub, states: "Community researchers like Julia provide a link for academic researchers to the community and involve community members in the research process. This is beneficial as it fosters exchange of knowledge to all parties involved. Additionally, community researchers become empowered and informed in various activities, such as advocating for the rights of poor people, activism, and rallying for the provision of basic services like waste management."
Inclusive Methodologies
Community researchers use inclusive methodologies, such as dialogues, focus groups, community workshops, and storytelling, to fully capture the real problems in the neighborhood. Inclusive methodologies foster a sense of ownership and collective action in addressing challenges faced by the communities. It is important to use inclusive methods so that all residents can share their experiences and ideas in various ways.
Community empowerment
Community researchers use the knowledge they gain to engage a broader audience in their mission. They also leverage this knowledge to advocate for action from development actors, such as policy changes by the government. Additionally, they retain knowledge within the community and apply this new knowledge in their daily activities, be it programs for drug addicts or youth employment programs. Research thus turns communities of practice into learning communities. By coming up with new research questions, they also guide future research and learning agendas.
Resilience During Filming
The Nairobi Urban Hub created the video below about the importance of working with community researchers. They conducted this video with filmmakers from Mathare and scriptwriters from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. During the filming in April 2024, Nairobi was hit by massive floods that caused significant disruption and dangerous situations in the informal settlements. The film is a testament to the resilience of the filmmakers and all participants who worked hard to produce this video.
Community researcher's video
Partners of Nairobi Urban Hub
Nairobi Urban Hub is an initiative of Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens, ISS, IHS, ICFI, Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research, Ghetto Foundation and DAIDA Foundation.
View the Nairobi Urban Hub webpage here!
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Vital Cities and Citizens
With the Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens (VCC) Erasmus University Rotterdam wants to help improve the quality of life in cities. In vital cities, the population can achieve their life goals through education, useful work and participation in public life. The vital city is a platform for creativity and diversity, a safe meeting place for different social groups. The researchers involved focus on one of the four sub-themes:- Inclusive Cities and Diversity
- Resilient Cities and People
- Smart Cities and Communities
- Sustainable and Just Cities
VCC is a collaboration between Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) and International Institute of Social Studies (ISS).
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