In the heart of Nairobi’s Mathare slums, a quiet but powerful revolution is growing – one plant at a time. Teenage mothers, often marginalized and overlooked, are transforming their lives and their community through urban farming and organizing. Their efforts are not just making their community safer; they’re fighting climate change from the ground up.
Turning Struggles Into Solutions
Teenage motherhood in informal settlements like Mathare often comes with immense challenges: lack of education, unemployment, stigma and poor access to healthcare. Then there’s climate change. Mathare, which lies at the confluence of two rivers, experienced devastating floods in 2024. After weeks of rain overwhelmed upstream areas hundreds of people and homes were lost as the waters swept through the dense neighborhood. Government bulldozers later demolished anything still standing within 30 meters (98 feet) of the rivers.
But within these challenges lies an opportunity. With little land available, young women have adopted creative techniques such as sack gardening, vertical farming and rooftop planting to grow vegetables like kales (in Swahili, “sukuma wiki”), spinach and tomatoes.
What was once unused, polluted or destroyed land is now green with life, helping to strengthen and restore the riverbanks. More importantly, it’s giving teenage mothers and others in our community a new sense of purpose and pride.
Climate Action From the Ground Up
Urban farming helps fight climate change in several key ways. First, it helps reduce erosion and improve flood resilience. Maintaining greenways along the banks of the Mathare and Gitathuru rivers can reduce the damage from future extreme events and help reduce development in high-risk areas.
Second, in a densely populated area like Mathare 4B, green spaces are rare. These micro-farms help clean the air, improve biodiversity and offer a small buffer against extreme heat – another growing concern due to climate change.
Finally, if both water and soil quality improve, particularly along the cleaner Gitathuru River, urban farming could one day produce safe, local food. This would reduce the need for long-distance food transportation, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, and promote organic farming practices, reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
These are visible changes that the whole community can appreciate, contribute to and young women can take pride in.
Youth As Climate Leaders
By stepping into agriculture and sustainability, teenage mothers in Mathare 4B are becoming unexpected leaders in climate action. Through peer groups, training programs and local initiatives, they are spreading awareness about environmental stewardship and sustainable living.
Their lived experience gives them a unique voice in conversations about food security, urban resilience and climate justice – issues that directly affect their daily lives.
Unlocking the Full Potential
Despite their efforts, teenage mothers in Mathare 4B still face hurdles. Limited access to water and health supplies, soil and water contamination, lack of financial support and social stigma can make it difficult to sustain their projects. Many lack formal training or mentorship, and their work often goes unrecognized.
However, with support from local NGOs, community groups and government initiatives, we are making positive changes in our communities – and we believe our potential impact is much larger.
Teenage mothers in Mathare 4B are proving that they are not victims of circumstance but powerful agents of change. Through urban farming, they are tackling food insecurity, earning livelihoods and leading grassroots climate action in one of Nairobi’s most underserved communities.
Their green patches may be small, but their message is loud and clear: climate solutions can grow anywhere.
Balvine Adhiambo is a life skills coach; Naurine Kathan is a program coordinator; Joan Akello is a skills officer; and Winnie Otieno is a mentor with the NGO, Swift Actors (swiftactors.org@gmail.com). All are residents of Mathare 4B and lead a community group for teenage mothers. They work closely with the Federation of Slum Dwellers (in Swahili, “Muungano wa Wanavijiji”) and Slum Dwellers International Kenya.
