Kibera residents have of late been making news headlines for their concerted efforts to beat unemployment in their slum residence.
Mothers from the expansive slum have opted to make postcards from recycled paper as a means of earning their daily bread. Kipepeo Designs and workshop is at the edge of the mighty Kibera slum, and provides workplace offices to postcard designer women.
In an interview with Xinhua news agency during the Mother's Day, Lucy Kerubo, who is a postcard designer in Kibera, revealed how she has earned her living from making use of waste paper. She said that they pick waste papers from various city offices, where they then take back to their Kipepeo workshop to work on them. Most of the cards they make are birthday cards, valentines’ cards, and cards for special days like mother's and father's day.
Like any other job, her business also faces some challenges. One of the barriers they encounter is convincing people to buy their cards. Kerubo explained that local people prefer cards from supermarkets yet her creations are of higher quality. She hopes with time her business will pick up very well.