The Worm Ladies of Kibera

This page celebrates a group of friends who have launched a remarkable composting experiment in or adjacent to the informal settlement of Kibera, Nairobi. Almost all are single mothers, and ten have children with albinism. The women met in 2019 during embroidery training supported by The Advocacy Project and formed an association, Shield of Faith, to combat pollution and food insecurity in the settlements. This began in 2022 with a start-up to compost food waste at home using worms, as shown in the photos below. They recovered 3.89 tons of food waste in 2023 and sold leachate and worm castings under the brand name of Lishe-Grow (“Nutrition Grow”). Twelve composters have also assembled kitchen gardens from recycled material where they grow organic nutritious vegetables. In 2024 they plan to take their model into neighborhoods and schools. Our thanks to The Foundation for Systemic Change for supporting this important program. Read more here.