Dear reader,
We hope you have been well. We left it at installing our very first baby changing station in Gikomba market-Nairobi.
Gikomba markets hosts 1000 vendors daily with over 80% being low income women. These women must engage in both paid and unpaid (caregiving) work to sustain their families. This prompted them to bring their babies to work daily. While the market offers employment opportunities, the facilities fail to provide quality childcare services to support women in undertaking their business while taking care of their children.
Fortunately, the market has a baby center which is typically a small empty room (3.3m by 1.8m) on every floor where mothers use to change their babies, sleep or even feed them. While the space is available, the basic facilities that will promote proper growth and development are not provided for.
After successful installation of the baby changing station, the children continued to sleep on the cold floors and we felt compelled to improve the baby center into a modern crèche that is clean, comfortable and promotes play and learning for the young children.
Figure 1: Photos showing a baby sleeping on the floor in Quarry market (top). Photo showing the installed baby changing station with diaper disposal in Quarry market (bottom).
Figure 2: Photo showing a caregiver changing her baby on the baby changing station (Left). Photos depicting the need for provision of sleeping areas within the market. Despite having a baby changing station, babies continued to sleep on the floor. (Right).
Figure 3: Photo showing the baby changing station in the improved baby center (top). A woman changing her baby on the baby changing station in Gikomba Market (bottom)
Figure 4: Photo showing the improvements of the baby center. This includes paint works to stimulate the babies, cabinets for storage, baby cot for the babies to sleep and baby changing station (top). A photo showing a baby sleeping on the implemented crèche in Quarry Market in Gikomba (bottom)
We know the photos are fascinating but we want you to understand the whole story better. That’s why we are working on a documentary to understand the impact the baby center has on the mothers and children in Gikomba Market. We will share it soon but in the meantime, here is a sneak preview! (While there, subscribe to our Youtube channel.) Big shout out and thanks to Joyce Kyengo-Director of Markets, Nairobi City County and Mercy Wanjohi- Gender Affairs, Nairobi City County.
Be part of the change!
We have done a lot, we are happy and proud, BUT, it’s not enough. Be part of this great movement of #childrenfriendlycities. We have more rooms that we would like to improve to meet the demand of the mothers and children and that is why we are asking for your support by donating to the initiative. You can also donate a baby changing station to a public toilet/market of your choice or Brand any baby changing station that we have installed. Just drop an email to peninah.ndegwa@wowmom.co.ke for more!
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING UP NEXT WEEK! Stay tuned.
In other news!
We have been gracing your TV screens and newspapers lately.
We were featured in the largest newspaper in East Africa Daily Nation
We joined the Women in Real Estate (WIRE) in celebrating the achievements of women who are breaking bias in cities and the real estate Industry. Our founder Peninah Ndegwa was awarded as a Leader in Social Impact category and also got a chance to be featured on the Property Focus, a TV program that highlights trends on Urban Planning, Architecture and Real Estate. Have a look!
We want to thank you for being part of the journey! We are glad to have you. See you next week.
3 Responses