Participatory Message Development for Poverty Alleviation: A Case Study of Women in a Nairobi Slum

Abstract

Nair and White (1987) suggest a participatory message development model wherein the receivers (or the target group) and the source contribute their knowl- edge, creativity, and energies as co-equal partners. They propose a transactional process of dialogue wherein source and receiver of messages interact over a period of time to arrive at shared meanings. In this study women from Mukuru Kwa Njenga, "Pipeline", Kware villages in Nairobi interacted with a researcher over a period of time to isolate salient commu- nication and information gaps that exist in the community using the Nair and White model as well as various other participatory development models. The study used participatory research tools such as social profiles, transect walk, area mapping and institutional analysis. Issues raised included unequal power relations within the communities brought about by social constructs; cul- tural inhibitions that tend to dis-empower women, and absence of policy frame- works for communication in informal settlements. It emerged from the dialogues that providing information and applying resources at certain points that matter in community could break the cycle of poverty. At the end of the dialogues for this study, the group had solidified into development units and is working on designing a community-based Primary Health Care project.