Map Kibera was a project started in 2009, producing a detailed map of Kibera that is current and updated by trained local people on the ground. The mapping project has highlighted the very existence of Kibera itself as prior to 2009 it was just a blank space on maps and was not recognised by government since it was classed as an illegal settlement. The project has collected information on railway tracks, roads, paths, location of medical facilities, location of schools, location of water points, and locations of pit latrines & sewers. The second map on our maps page links directly to ‘Map Kibera‘.
A side benefit of collecting data on more than 350 ‘informal’ schools serving Kibera is that government is now taking notice. It has become obvious that many children are missing out on the government commitment to provide FREE primary school education. The result – plans are now under way for new public schools. Additionally organisations like UNESCO use the information to target their resources in a more focussed way.
So, what a tremendous project this is is and with unexpected influence on both private and public organisations.
The worlds most advanced malaria vaccine, MosquirixTM, produced by Glaxo Smith Kline plc (GSK) could start to be rolled out in Africa within 12 months. You can see the full press release from GSK on their website
The vaccine is aimed at young children and has received a positive response from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use last week. But the eventual roll-out of the vaccine in sub-Saharan Africa is dependent on a number of factors, not least decisions from the World Health Organization, individual governments and the Vaccines Alliance (GAVI), which is expected to subsidise the immunization programs.
Regardless of the obstacles to yet be overcome, this breakthrough in research is fantastic news and may save many lives in Kenya. So we welcome this development from GSK and look forward to both government and funding approval as soon as possible.
We are happy that peace has been restored in Kibera and again the peoples of Kibera and all of Kenya can live in friendship and harmony as they have done in the past.
