Who We Are

With this campaign, Inuka Cultural Center is delighted to present our organization to the international community through our first online fundraising initiative. We’re grateful for the time you’re taking to learn about our programs and your interest in enriching the lives of youth in Kibera, Kenya! 

Inuka is a Kenya-based youth empowerment NGO. We use movement arts; interactive knowledge-based workshops; entrepreneurship; and professional development training to create expanded life choices for youth ages 8-18 in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. Inuka was founded in response to the post-election violence that had a devastating impact on the Kibera community in 2007. Having experienced the murder and dismemberment of friends and family, founder Victor Odhiambo created a safe space for youth to release their trauma through breakdance. Five years ago, Victor was joined by Co-Director, Salim Rollins, and Inuka’s programming expanded to include its three pillar programs: Slum Dance Africa – breakdance; Capoeira Angola Center Kibera – Afro-Brazilian martial art; and The Empowerment Program for Girls – knowledge sessions and professional development for teen girls.

The Challenges We Address

As the largest urban slum in Africa, there are multiple issues that youth in Kibera face. These include overcrowded homes, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and insufficient funds for school fees among others. According to sociologists Arne Tostensen and Philista Onyango, who have more than 40 years of experience in research and consulting in East Africa:

… youth in slum dwellings in Nairobi and Kibera face numerous challenges as they transition from adolescence into adulthood. They find themselves in a rather hostile slum environment characterized by unemployment, poor housing, large family sizes, violence, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, poor education facilities and lack of recreational activities. 

How We Address These Challenges

The programs at Inuka offer somatic stress release from these social challenges through the movement arts of Breakdance and Capoeira Angola. In The Empowerment Program for Girls, teenage girls participate in a residency unit led by a local business owner, focused on training in salon work. The skills they learn are immediately monetizable. Additionally, the girls participate in a weekly workshop led by Program Director, Nancy Mokera. The curriculum covers a range of topics, some of which include: female physiology; personal finances; goal setting; career exploration and skill development; identifying and decoding sexual abuse; body shaming and bullying; and cultivating self-esteem. 

These offerings take place at key afer-school and weekend hours when youth are most susceptible to anti-social and abusive behavior. Through Inuka’s programs, youth are empowered to make positive life choices and understand themselves as productive participants in Kenyan society. Inuka youth participate in culturally relevant workshops that help them develop to their potential and make a positive impact on their community. 

The Goal of This Campaign

As Inuka approaches its first year as a registered Kenyan NGO (Inuka was formerly a Community Based Organization), We are reaching out to the international community for your support. Your donation will help Inuka continue to serve over 700 youth annually in Kibera over the next two years. The donations received in this campaign will have a direct impact on the lives of youth in Kibera, ensuring that:

• 75 girls access professional development and entrepreneurship training 
• Over 200 youth gain social cohesion skills through the movement based arts of Capoeira Angola and Breakdance
• Youth from Kibera are exposed to the international community in Nairobi through the annual Slum Dance East Africa Regional Seminar; Mandinga Ancestral: Capoeira Angola & African Arts Festival; and numerous off-site Inuka events that occur throughout the city
• Annual school fees are covered for up to 30 youth in the program
• 65 girls receive sanitary pads (lack of pads is one of the major causes of truancy in Kibera)

In spite of the challenges that Kibera residents face, it’s a very special community. The people are vibrant and maintain many positive traditional Kenyan social values. People help each other in Kibera. The schools and community spaces, however, lack the resources to provide quality youth programming that all young people deserve. Inuka has taken this need as our charge and responsibility. We hold this responsibility with care. We hold the children in our program with care and we look forward to amplifying our community work in Kibera with your support.

Once the campaign closes, funds will be deposited to Inuka’s U.S. based fiscal sponsor, Synergy Rising NGO, then transferred to Inuka’s bank in Kenya. 

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand that everyone isn’t in a position to make a financial contribution. If you can’t make a donation but would still like to support this campaign, please help spread the word. You can use the Indiegogo share tool to let friends and family know about the campaign.

In Community ~ The Inuka Team