Using innovative participatory methods to stimulate dialogue on the right to food for the urban poor, Nairobi, Kenya, Right to Food_Wave 1

The right to adequate food is a human right recognized under international legal frameworks. It protects the right of all human beings to feed themselves in dignity through food production or purchases. Although it is provided for in the 2010 Kenyan Constitution, many Kenyans do not enjoy it. In urban informal settlements, about 80% of households are food insecure and the prevalence of chronic malnutrition among children under five years is close to 50%. This underscores the need to promote the right to food. Through a Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is implementing the “Right to Food Project” over two years from January 2018 to December 2019. The core objective of the project is to stimulate dialogue on the nexus between the right to food as stipulated in the international legal framework and the Bill of Rights in the Kenyan Constitution, and the lived experiences with food insecurity among urban poor populations as evidenced by research. The project was undertaken in Nairobi, targeting urban poor communities. The project used innovative, public engagement approaches including photovoice, digital storytelling, cellphilming, community dialogues and focus group discussions among other approaches. The target group included urban communities and change agents including policy/decision/law makers. The results provided a deeper understanding to vulnerability to food insecurity for the urban poor in Nairobi through the eyes of the community, and propose potential solutions. The public engagement is critical in empowering those most affected to voice their health problems in ways most relevant to them and to contribute in shaping solutions to the problems. The results will inform actualization of the right to food for the urban poor as envisaged in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.