Friends of City Park teamed up with Aarzoo to educate children at schools in Kibera and Kasarani. The school in Kibera was called Star of the Land Education Centre and the school in Kasarani was called Benslove School. Our main goal was to educate these children about the importance of public spaces and give them knowledge of the public spaces that are already in Nairobi. We first asked the children to name public spaces that they know of, and they named things such as schools, churches, parks and toilets. We also asked the children why they do not go to public spaces and if they do what issues they face? We received answers such as security was an issue.

After speaking to the children we gave them a big manila piece of paper and told them to draw a picture of anything pertaining to their current situation with public spaces and things in their everyday lives, then asked them to draw how they wish it could be. After this, we asked them to explain their picture. Some of the feedback we got was very moving. These kids lack things such as a simple clean bathroom. I will share a few pictures of the kids and some of the drawings as pictures are worth a thousand words. These drawings are going to be exhibited on Banda Street on 16^th and 17^th November, as a part of Nairobi Place Making Week.

By Tanvi Shah