Our Impact

As the only Community Centre, and “one stop shop” in Kwa Ruben our diversity of projects enables choice and change for people who are caught in the "poverty penalty”, and, whose vulnerability is more pronounced because of the lack of government/donor funded investment in this particular slum. In fact, over the past two years, the slums of Mukuru have been highlighted in a number of international studies, and these indicated the negative impacts experienced by this community, because of the minimal attention or support received from the Kenya National and County Governments.

Participatory development and community engagement has seen the Ruben Centre exploit all available opportunities and, to take deliberate action to mitigate and redress the constraints of living within the informal settlement of Mukuru. The Ruben Centre’s growth from a small school in a few tin shed classrooms in 2000 has progressed community development, towards the Vision of a Just and empowered Mukuru Community. Improved access for the community has resulted in 29 established projects being developed, and Ruben becoming a primary provider of health programs; school based innovative responses; human development training; community empowerment, and the only Government based school in the Mukuru Kwa Ruben slum area. The implementation of funded projects has seen incredible growth in the sector areas and there is an estimated 3000 persons using the Centre facilities on each and every working day