Harakati Comics

Husisha Initiative

Harakati Comics

Youth-created digital comics in Nairobi's informal settlements driving climate action, gender equality, and biodiversity awareness.

Nairobi, Kenya

KEN

Nonprofit

The core problem is the critical lack of accessible, engaging, and locally relevant educational resources empowering youth in Nairobi's informal settlements to understand and actively address the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and gender inequality. Within these settlements, home to over 3 million residents (approximately 60% of Nairobi's population), climate change manifests as intensified flooding, water scarcity, and extreme heat, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities. The erosion of local biodiversity diminishes essential resources. Prevailing gender norms often marginalize young women in environmental solutions. Globally, climate change affects billions, with marginalized populations most vulnerable. Youth (over 1.2 billion aged 15-24) are frequently excluded from meaningful engagement and lack readily available tools. Our solution directly confronts the lack of accessible information, limited youth engagement, and the absence of culturally appropriate educational tools. Traditional environmental education often falls short due to language barriers, abstract concepts, and a lack of participatory methodologies. Harakati Comics directly addresses this critical gap by providing a relatable and highly engaging medium – co-created comics in local languages – to bridge this divide, ultimately empowering youth to become informed and active agents of positive change within their communities.

Our solution, Harakati Comics, is a youth-led initiative that utilizes participatory comic storytelling and digital learning to empower young people in Nairobi's informal settlements to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and gender inequality. It works by first training 100 youth in foundational storytelling, digital illustration software, and environmental communication. These newly skilled youth then collaboratively co-create 10 locally relevant digital comic series focusing on specific themes like climate resilience (linking to local impacts), urban biodiversity (highlighting local species), and gender equality (addressing local dynamics in environmental action). The comics are created using accessible digital illustration software and are written in culturally relevant languages (Sheng' and Kiswahili). These comics are then disseminated widely through digital platforms (social media, messaging apps), community exhibitions in schools and public spaces, and facilitated community discussions. Furthermore, the comics are transformed into engaging, mobile-friendly interactive e-learning modules to enhance understanding and accessibility, even with limited internet connectivity. The technology used includes digital illustration software, online content management systems, and mobile learning platforms for dissemination.

Our solution directly serves youth aged 15-30 in Nairobi's informal settlements, prioritizing young women (at least 60%). They are underserved by inaccessible, irrelevant climate information and lack skills in digital media and environmental advocacy. Their voices are often excluded from environmental decisions, exacerbating their vulnerability to climate impacts and gender inequality. Harakati Comics directly impacts their lives by: • Boosting environmental literacy through engaging, culturally relevant stories. • Providing digital storytelling and communication skills, enhancing future opportunities. • Empowering them as change agents with a platform to voice concerns and solutions. • Fostering environmental ownership and responsibility. • Promoting gender equality by empowering young women as climate leaders. • Facilitating community dialogue and peer learning. Ultimately, Harakati Comics equips these underserved youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build more resilient and equitable futures.