South – South Cooperation Between Colombia And Kenya Seeks To Improve The Lives Of Youth

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15 January 2023, Nairobi.UN-Habitat is partnering with Governor Luis Carlos Velásquez, (Caldas, Colombia) and Maji Mazuri, a local NGO operating in Mathare informal settlement, Nairobi, Kenya to contribution to urban, territorial and sustainable development through the donation of a ‘Bicibloqueras’, an innovative tool that was developed in Caldas and seeks to transforms the lives of young people in the informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bicibloqueras is an initiative currently underway that is designed to provide a locally crafted and serviced materials for construction of new or expansion of existing houses. It is meant to become an incentive for the local families of the dispersed rural areas of Africa. With the support of UN-Habitat, the Bicibloqueras initiative aspires to encourage the youth of continent to transform the lives of the communities residing in the settings like Mathare’s.

We are happy to partner up with the government of Caldas in being able to help the communities in the slums of Nairobi. This machine will certainly be of added value for them,’, says Roi Chiti, Regional Coordinator for the Andean Countries, UN-Habitat.

The event marking the hand-over of the innovative machine was graced by the presence of UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Sergio Salazar, Permanent Representative for the Embassy of Colombia, UN-Habitat officials and representatives from youth organizations in Mathare.

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