DOUGLAS MWANGI
Bringing quality education to children living in slum communities
Mathare, Kenya
Douglas is making education accessible to Kenyan children living in Nairobi’s slums. Douglas grew up in Mathare slum himself. The youngest of eight siblings, his family couldn’t afford to put him through school, but Douglas was determined to get educated. Not only did he manage to get a diploma, he used it to serve his community - and was even recognised by Queen Elizabeth! Here’s how he did it.
At 14 Douglas learnt how to do buzzcuts, and got a job at a local barber earning $10 a month. He saved all his wages and put himself through school by using his mobile phone. He signed up for online classes and earned a diploma in web development.
Once educated, Douglas decided to transform his community. He wanted to provide the children of Mathare with learning opportunities that he had never had. So he set up a safe community centre for kids to learn and play in, run by dedicated volunteers who look after and educate the children.
“Growing up in the Mathare Slum gave me first-hand experience with the challenges youth face here. My solution was to create a true oasis that provides a safe, supportive space for youth to learn and grow”
— DOUGLAS
The local community came to value Douglas’s centre so much they provided a rent-free piece of land, and built a bigger, more stable building for Douglas to host his programmes in. This lively hub became the first of three community centres established by Douglas in the Mathare slums so far. The centres provide education, skills training, a community library, an early childhood development centre, and a safe community space for unemployed youth and vulnerable children.
Douglas has now started working with the single mothers of the children he supports to help them to start their own small businesses. He provides training, mentoring and start up capital to enable them to gain financial stability and support themselves and their children.
Douglas and his team have helped more than 2,500 youth and children in Mathare, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2018 Douglas was the only Kenyan recipient of the prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award. He travelled all the way to Buckhingham Palace to meet Her Majesty, then got straight back to work in Nairobi.
Make a donation for Douglas to put where it’s needed most or check out his current projects below.
Contact jo@justpeoples.org to learn more about how you can support Douglas’ work.