A Qualitative Assessment of Support Mechanisms in Informal Settlements of Nairobi, Kenya

Urban poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is highly concentrated in an increasingly isolated segment of the population living in sprawling slum settlements and shanty towns of most cities. The extreme deprivation in these areas poses serious survival challenges that these people have to grapple with daily. This paper explores informal support mechanisms used by the urban poor in dealing with three main challenges: lack of food, illness and bereavement. It is based on forty focus group discussions conducted in four slum communities in Nairobi, Kenya. The findings show that community members, despite their crippling poverty, extend support to others when faced with serious problems that go beyond what may be considered general or commonplace. The study makes a strong case for development and implementation of public safety nets accessible to the poorer segments of the urban population. (C) 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.