Published on 9 February 2026

In the informal settlement of Dagoretti in Nairobi, many parents wake each morning knowing they must earn money that day.

If they do not, their children may not eat that night.

For Fridah Moraa, this pressure is constant. She is a recently widowed grandmother and the sole provider for her family. Rent, school costs, water and food all depend on what she can earn.

When I wake up, I have a lot of worries. Sometimes I don’t have food. Now I’m responsible for everything.

- Fridah.
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Fridah takes Quillan to school, before she sets off to the market. Credit: Christian Aid/David Macharia
Fridah takes Quillan to school, before she sets off to the market.
Fridah takes Quillan to school, before she sets off to the market.

Life in Dagoretti

Fridah lives with her children and grandson in a rented corrugated metal shelter. There is no running water and space is extremely limited. Many families in Dagoretti manage just two meals a day. Some manage only one.

To support her family, Fridah sells vegetables at a market stall. With no refrigeration or storage, she travels long distances to buy produce, six days a week. Some days she earns enough. Some days she does not.

‘Sometimes I don’t know how I’ll buy food. I don’t know how I’ll feed my family.’

A small plot with big impact

Fridah’s situation began to change when she joined Imarisha Kilimo, an urban farming project run by Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope.

At first, the idea felt impossible. ‘I was wondering, where can someone farm here in Nairobi?', she said.

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Fridah’s turned a tiny unused space into a source of nutrition and income for her family. Credit: Christian Aid/David Macharia
Fridah’s turned a tiny unused space into a source of nutrition and income for her family.

Through training, tools and seeds, Fridah learned how to grow food in small city spaces. She learned how to use cone gardens, make compost and conserve water.

‘I discovered I could sow here. Right where I stand.’

Belinda outside her home in Dagoretti, Nairobi, Kenya

From worry to independence

Belinda is using urban farming to feed her family, earn an income and plan for the future.
Read her story

At the end of a narrow alley near her home, Fridah now tends her own urban farm. She grows kale, tomatoes and indigenous vegetables. Some feed her family. Some she sells.

For Fridah, this means more than food. It means stability and choice.

‘Now I can plan. I can buy this; I can buy that. I can help my family.’

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With no running water available for her plants, Fridah must carefully conserve every drop Credit: Christian Aid/David Macharia
With no running water available for her plants, Fridah must carefully conserve every drop
With no running water available for her plants, Fridah must carefully conserve every drop

Faith and determination

Fridah’s faith sustains her through difficult days. It strengthens her resolve to keep going and to provide for her children.

It’s hard, but in God I trust, for the strength to keep going every day.

Her urban farm is small, but it carries big hopes. Hopes for education, independence and a future beyond daily uncertainty.

Sign up and help hope grow

This Christian Aid Week, there’s seven days to make a difference for families like Fridah’s. Help them grow food, protect their children from hunger, and nurture hope.

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