Kibera Sack Gardens
Nairobi, Kenya · Operator: Community residents with NGO/government support (e.g. Solidarités International)
Overview
Sack gardening that spread in Nairobi's Kibera slum after the 2008 post-election violence, providing food security and livelihoods where there is no land
Citizen participation
Slum residents plant vegetables into the sides and tops of large soil-filled sacks, growing food in tiny spaces
Operating model
Mainly self-consumption with surplus sold locally; spread with NGO and research support
Impact
Practiced by ~5,000 households, diversifying diets and adding income; pests, water scarcity and theft remain challenges
Land tenure
Free use of informal settlement land (vulnerable to eviction)
Crops
- kale
- spinach
- amaranth
- vegetables
Scale
約5,000世帯が実践 / practiced by ~5,000 households
In the media(2)
Sources(3)
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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