Zipcare is a community-based non-governmental organization (NGO) founded and run by women since April of 2020. It's founder, Zipporah Mwangangi, works to improve the lives of women living in informal settlements and the slums of Korogocho, Mathare and Kiambiu in Nairobi, Kenya. The group currently consists of 30 members including HIV+ women, disabled women, and women who are considered members of the Key Vulnerable (affected) population.
Zipporah began the group with two women she had met who were also working as house maids, often abused by their bosses. The three decided to begin table banking - a system in which members of a group periodically donate to a pool of funds which are then available to be loaned out to members of the group. The bank was small at first, each contributing what little they had to offer but always in equal amounts. Over time, the bank grew. The value of table banking was that it provided a safety net for the three women, a form of financial support and stability they would otherwise never be able to build alone. One woman approached the group recently homeless and a single mother of three young children. She had been advised to seek out Zipporah, a known advocate and supporter of women. Zipporah helped her find informal housing and offered her money from the bank to buy a banana cart. Now, that woman has expanded to selling other fruits such as mangos and papayas and has repaid her loan from the table bank. She is now able to financially support her children and can afford to send them to school.
As the group grew, so did Zipporah’s vision. Now, the group meets once a week and begins each gathering with a check-in and table banking followed by a talk on either physical health (often HIV treatment and prevention), mental health, literacy, or finances. The meeting ends with skills training during which a trade skill is taught to the women to grow their ability to sell goods and vary their modes of income.
The goal of Zipcare is to empower women living in the slums of Nairobi. To gift them with the skills and knowledge they need to survive and support their families. Many members were formerly abused then abandoned by their husbands and left with their children in poverty. Speaking with the members of Zipcare, I realized that the women in Nairobi live one step away from calamity. One day’s events could result in a desperate living situation that is near impossible to escape. Once these women enter the slums, they enter a life of constant threat of rape or mugging. It’s a cycle that entraps its residents.
Zipcare approached me with a clear goal: they wanted to create an online presence. Zipporah had realized that receiving grants is near impossible due to the fact that Zipcare does not show up on a Google search, and therefore, seemed to not exist. This project required photo and video content to be created then published on a website and social media for Zipcare. The following images were created at a Zipcare meeting or are portraits taken at the Flora Hostel following a video testimonial interview. Below is a link to the completed website.
https://www.zipcarewomeninitiative.com/
