• MEET OUR VISIONARIES
  • SOMO POP UP SHOP
  • Team
  • Apply
  • Become An Advisor
  • Donate
  • Blog

The Somo Project

  • MEET OUR VISIONARIES
  • SOMO POP UP SHOP
  • Team
  • Apply
  • Become An Advisor
  • Donate
  • Blog
Susan and Meshack

Susan and Meshack

AfriKnit Dolls designs and manufactures dolls out of recycled fabrics. Susan and Meshack saw a lack of African dolls for Sale in Nairobi and wanted to create dolls with African hairstyles and Kitenge fabrics that Kenyan children can identify with. The AfriKnit dolls are softer, more affordable, and more durable than plastic dolls.

Abraham

Abraham

Abraham has seen how smoke from burning of charcoal briquettes in homes can have serious health implications for residents in his community. He has found an alternative source of energy for heating and cooking in homes, producing a briquette from waste materials that is both smokeless and odorless. Along with the positive impact of these briquettes on individual families, Abraham is contributing to the movement to reduce deforestation by creating this renewable source of energy. 

Michelle and Thomas

Michelle and Thomas

Michelle and Thomas' Habari Kibra is a platform that allows youth to engage their passion for journalism. The training first teaches youtha wide range of skills, from writing to photography to TV/media production, so that they will be able to reach their ambitions in an ever challenging and diversifying industry. Once graduated these youth either  will be set-up with income producing journalism jobs or join the Habari Kibra team to sell content to local media hubs in Nairobi.

Rose

Rose

Rose has witnessed dangers Kibera women experience when they journey to the marketplace early in the morning or late at night. Rose runs a farm where she grows fresh fruits and vegetables locally that are both affordable and accessible. Rose has now built a greenhouse and created sack gardens, allowing her to farm in any season.  As well, Rose is creating a fish farm to help create organic fertilizer for her produce.

Seth and Purity

Seth and Purity

Seth and Purity grew up watching their family produce honey and as adults were inspired to carry on the family business. Honey is an important staple as it can be used as a natural Sweetener. As well it can be used to treat a variety of conditions, from dandruff and allergies to Coughs and burns to blood pressure reduction.

Rose

Rose

Rose started Bounty Nut to produce peanut butter in Mathare. Her mission is to provide an affordable and delicious protein Source for low-income households while creating jobs for her community.

Josephine

Josephine

Mwangaza candles makes candles from recycled materials in Mathare and sells them at affordable prices. Josephine uses recycled materials such as yogurt containers and wine bottle tops to shape the candles. She is building her business to enable women from her community to become financially independent.

Lillian

Lillian

Lillian's Yo-Toto is a working mother of three who has witnessed the nutritional choices and sacrifices that many parents in Kibera are forced to make. She produces a low-sugar, full-fat, nutritional yogurt that helps improve the health and learning of Kibera’s children. Lillian’s yogurt provides families and schools with a healthy alternative to fast and often poor-nutrition foods. She is looking to partner with schools and daycares to provide her yogurt. 

Bernard

Bernard

Bernard discovered his passion for singing and creating music as ateenager in Kibera. He is starting Vessels Music School to teach voice, piano, guitar and other instruments, but also to use the "universal language of music" to bridge divides in his community, create employment, and empower youth to embrace their creativity.

Allan

Allan

Allan, is the founder of Portable Voices podcasts, which produces interactive weekly podcasts focused on Nairobi's informal settlements, enabling community residents to express themselves creatively. They are now also piloting the production of African literature audio books.

Steven

Steven

Steven is working to provide a clean water delivery in Kibera, eliminating the burden of water collection and reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases. Along with the delivery of water his customers will receive public health and sanitation information through a mobile application. 

Joseph

Joseph

Joseph teaches computer skills to Kibera community members, providing scholarships to orphaned girls.  As well, he has opened both a physical and e-learning library to provide a place for kids to study after school.

Carolyne

Carolyne

Carol founded WeeCare to teach early childhood education and educate young mothers on the importance speaking and reading to their kids early.  Carol works with multiple women’s groups to help them implement educational activities with their kids into their hectic schedules.

Joshua

Joshua

Joshua started his cafe and catering service to serve nutritious food and educate the population of Kibera on healthy eating. As well, the cafe provides a safe, clean place for holding meetings, bringing business into Kibera that would not otherwise not be there.

Antony

Antony

Antony started Chicbanda to both sell chickens and teach poultry farming in his community, providing both a source of income and protein.  He works with schools to teach them how to chicken farm, creating a avenue of sustainability for low-income schools.

Stanley

Stanley

Stanley is working to teach youth in Kibera high-level computer programming languages in their own community. His graduates have had the opportunity to find freelancing jobs through platforms such as Elance, Upwork, and iWriter and be hired by large companies like Samasource.

Magda

Magda

Magda bakes organic and healthy pastries including breads, cakes, cookies and scones. She makes her products with assorted fruits, nuts and sorghum and uses few preservatives. She felt the need to build a healthy society, mainly by reducing malnutrition in children living in Kibera slums. She also share her talent in baking through training to young mothers who have dropped out from school due to early pregnancies. She then hires these women onto her team, giving them an avenue of revenue generation to sustain their families.


Leo

Leo

After Leo almost lost her first born child at 7 months to rickets due to poor care and unhygienic conditions, she become a stay-at-home mum for 2 years to look after her second child.

She is now offering a “love the baby” day care for mothers in Githurai who fear returning to workplace after childbirth. This way the mothers can go back to work after having children and maintain a way to sustain their families.


Faith

Faith

Faith provides unique bags made from recycled jeans and sacks in Githurai. She allows low-income school going children to be able to own a bag to carry their books. Recently, Kenya banned the use of plastic bags, which was used by pupils as an alternative to expensive bags in the store. Faith’s bags give an affordable alternative to low-income households.


Boniface

Boniface

Boniface performs educational literature acts in Secondary schools within Kibera and Lang’ata. Boniface was inspired to start acting after he went through a challenge accessing finance to go watch performances while in high school. Because set books play a vital role in the Kenyan Secondary school system Boniface was left behind in school. He is giving students a chance to watch the books acted in the comfort of their school halls at an affordable price.


David,

David,

David was born and raised in the slums of Kibera and was inspired by the art he saw everyday in his community. David’s line of clothing is inspired by the streets of Kibera, and his desire to share his home fashions with people around the world. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Susan and Meshack
Abraham
Michelle and Thomas
Rose
Seth and Purity
Rose
Josephine
Lillian
Bernard
Allan
Steven
Joseph
Carolyne
Joshua
Antony
Stanley
Magda
Leo
Faith
Boniface
David,
Top

Contact The Somo Project

 

92 Morningside Avenue #7E
New York, New York 10027 

0798985151-00100, Nairobi Kenya

team@thesomoproject.org

+254798985151