Rising above the floods, one toilet at a time
“I believe deeply in cultivating local leadership and equipping individuals with the tools to champion their own needs.”
December 24, 2024
Using data and partnerships to drive progress and inform policies
From monitoring for infectious disease outbreaks to improving education quality through evidence-based best practices, we lead actionable research to identify pressing issues, improve programming, and inform effective policies. But gaps in data hamper progress.
Informal settlements are not stationary. These frequently changing environments require organizations to constantly adapt to emerging and evolving needs. Challenges to conducting research in informal settlements include:
Though many residents of informal settlements have participated in research projects over the years, few have experienced or witnessed tangible benefits from that research. At CFK Africa, we take a different approach.
CFK Africa has established an equitable research platform built on a participatory development approach and 20+ years of experience working in informal settlements. By investing in implementation research and community collaborations, we identify pressing issues, improve our programming, inform policies, and provide tangible benefits for community members.
Through our long-standing partnership with the CDC and KEMRI, we have contributed to the production of nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Our research team leads both clinical trials and community-focused research in health and social development. We engage in a continuous cycle of collaborating, learning, and adapting, implementing assessments at baseline, mid-term, and end-term that continually inform our programming. Additionally, we consistently reflect on our interventions to ensure they are producing actionable data.
Our current focus areas for research include:
We co-host and operate one of the CDC’s largest overseas population-based infectious disease surveillance (PBIDS) platforms. This initiative measures and responds to infectious diseases among around 30,000 residents in Kibera to inform programs, public health response, and national policy. This PBIDS platform has produced nearly 100 research publications that can inform public health globally.
We monitor and work to prevent the spread of the following infectious diseases in informal settlements:
• COVID-19
• Diarrheal illnesses
• HIV/AIDS
• Pneumonia
• Febrile illnesses
• Jaundice
We have facilitated a pilot project focused on using stove barriers to prevent household burns among children under-5, and we are currently conducting a baseline assessment for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) to inform our programming and expansion efforts.
We prioritize research in the following areas:
• Family planning
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• STIs/STDs
• Intimate partner violence
• Youth-friendly health services
We are currently working with faculty members and students at UNC-Chapel Hill to conduct implementation research on nutrition-related factors among adolescent girls and young women living in informal settlements. Findings will inform future nutritional programming.
We prioritize research in the following areas:
• Anemia
• Dietary diversity
• Malnutrition
• Sustainable food systems
Through our Best Schools Initiative (BSI), we partner with informal schools to address structural challenges through data-driven interventions.
Findings through the BSI will:
• Improve educational outcomes for underserved children.
• Improve the quality of informal schools.
• Provide guidance for the educational research community on how to lead equitable education development in informal settlements.
We partner with research institutions to implement, evaluate, and improve WaSH interventions in informal settlements. We have led a hand-washing cost-comparison study and a participatory child-friendly mural design engagement to support behavior change communication in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Washington State University.
We prioritize research in the following areas:
• Cost comparison of container-based vs. permanent hand-washing stations
• WaSH behaviors
• Wastewater surveillance
• Water quality monitoring
Though we operate many initiatives independently, we also partner with universities, research institutions, and government entities to deliver services and generate actionable knowledge to share with the global development community. Rooted in informal settlements for over 20 years, we help provide unique connections and access to contextualized knowledge and practices.
Featured Partnership
In partnership with Kenyatta University, we published an article titled “The Impact of Covid-19 on the Wellbeing of School-Going Children in Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya” in the internationally peer-reviewed Msingi Journal.
“I believe deeply in cultivating local leadership and equipping individuals with the tools to champion their own needs.”
“As CFK Africa’s sports for development program continues to evolve, it holds great potential to further empower young girls and contribute to their holistic development.”
“Adolescent girls in Kibera are knowledgeable, resourceful, and solutions-focused.”
CFK Africa is a registered NGO in Kenya and 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S. that improves public health and economic prosperity in informal settlements through participatory research, primary health care, and education.
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