Joseph Kariaga and his friends, once involved in crime in Nairobi’s Mathare slum, turned their lives around after Kariaga’s brother was killed by police. In 2017, they founded Vision Bearerz, a community-based organization that uses urban farming to combat youth crime and food insecurity.
Operating in one of Africa’s most densely populated slums, Vision Bearerz grows vegetables, raises pigs, and farms tilapia using hydroponics, with support from NGOs like Growth4Change. The group also runs a car wash and public toilet, using the income to provide weekly meals for over 150 children and run outreach programs on crime and drug prevention, as well as girls’ health education.
Challenges persist, including funding shortages, police harassment, and recidivism. Yet their impact is meaningful, and some see them as role models. Experts like Jeffrey Okoro of CFK Africa say locally led initiatives like Vision Bearerz may represent the future of sustainable development.
