In Kenya, children and youth in both urban slums and rural villages face significant barriers to education and healthcare: two essential foundations for development and dignity.

In urban areas like Nairobi, over 60% of the population resides in informal settlements like Kibera, Mathare, and Korogocho, which occupy just about 5% of the city's land. These areas are characterized by limited Access to Education, with many families living in extreme poverty and unable to afford school fees, medical care, or even daily meals. Inadequate Healthcare due to overcrowding and poor sanitation contributing to the spread of diseases, with healthcare facilities often under-resourced, and finally, Socioeconomic Challenges with high unemployment rates, especially among youth, leading to increased vulnerability to crime and substance abuse.

With around 70% of Kenyans still living in rural areas, many families face extreme poverty hence unable to send their children to school, children endure long journeys to access schools and clinics (if available at all), and cultural barriers like early marriage remain widespread. Without adequate support, these challenges often drive families to migrate to cities, lured by the hope of a better life, only to settle in overcrowded slums, adding strain to already fragile urban systems and making these conditions seem entrenched and nearly impossible to eliminate.

By responding to existing crises in urban slums and preventing future ones in rural areas, Root Cause Kwanza tackles poverty at critical levels, creating a stronger, more balanced future for Kenya’s children.