Angelina, who was herself a single mother, founded SMAK in 1991. Then, the government extended a 30-year tenure land permission in a rectangular plot of approximately 3,200m2. The site is situated in a consolidated area of the neighbourhood surrounded by school facilities, the Kariokor historic market and the Commonwealth World War II Cemetery. After the COVID, the centre has suffered the cease of some of its usual income and some infrastructures have collapsed generating a detrimental impact on its functioning. Also, the rapid urbanisation processes happening in the city have put the association in danger of eviction. In order to support a 50-year extension of their land tenure, the association must ensure its full functioning. The SMAK’s historic placement provides the site with proper transport connections, access to piped water and electricity. But the lack of planning makes the site subject to recurrent floods that have caused the deterioration of its facilities. This proposal recognises SMAK local socio-spatial connections and focuses on the design of a more resilient master plan, enabling its ongoing activities within robust structures. First, it will avoid flooding and allow good sanitation. Second, it will draw on an easily-assembled constructive system, allowing its organic expansion and adapting to SMAK needs and possibilities. Third, the implementation process will count on a continuous engagement between the users, the staff members and the technical team. 

The impacts of the proposal are two fold. On the one hand, it will allow the normal functioning of the SMAK that focuses on three main goals. G1, to provide support for vulnerable young-mothers and their children; G2, to promote social justice, access to affordable decent housing and universal health-care; and G3, to foster economy, community life, and the protection of heritage in the area. This is done through 5 main programmes that encompasses P1, vocational training activities such as catering, tailoring and fashion designing, making handicraft, bead-work and knitting, and metalwork; P2, socio-economic support, including guiding and counselling, monthly meetings, and a day-care centre; P3, extracurricular activities such as sports and theatre; P4, educational activities and spaces for community meetings; and P5, the mothers shelter scheme for 2-years of accommodation, food, training, counselling and baby-care support. 

In addition, the proposed architecture project will (1) ensure WASH in the site; (2) maintain the existing access points, connecting the street and the WWII Cemetery; (3) organise spaces according to levels of privacy and spatial needs; (4) preserve the existing relevant vegetation; (5) improve the spatial and visual connection 'WWII Cemetery-SMAK’ and ‘SMAK-street’. Aligned to on-going SMAK goals and activities, this proposal will avoid SMAK eviction and consolidate Kariokor as a thriving community (SDG 11), promoting good health and well-being (SDG3), gender equality (SDG 5), as well as decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).

Among the different initiatives in which Daniel and Angelica are involved in, there is currently a government initiative promoted by the Commonwealth War Commission and the National Museums of Kenya to consolidate the WWII Cemetery next to the SMAK plot as a heritage site for the remembrance of those who died serving in the Carrier Corps regiment. This initiative, unknowingly, brought the current proposal to life. On the one hand, Jaime Velasco is an Spanish architect based in Nairobi and working in the firm who is in charge of the renovation of the Cemetery. He is deeply interested in the processes of urbanisation happening nowadays in the east of the city and as such, the heritage project raised his attention even if he was not directly involved in it. On the other hand, Monica Martin is a PhD student at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning of the University of Sheffield carrying out a participatory research on informal water governance in Nairobi. Monica was referred to talk to Daniel and Angelina as part of Nairobi's active communities that could engage with her research project. From this chain of connections, Monica and Jaime got to understand the precary situation the SMAK is going through and they shared with Daniel and Angelina the Global Challenge 2022 initiative. SMAK members were excited about the proposition. They saw this as an opportunity to get the funding they were already looking for to avoid an unwilling eviction and put back in full the SMAK programme.

SMAK web page
SKEF
Historical value of the area