The Charge for Change PAR Report Kenya is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) report published in December 2025, commissioned by Badili Africa and funded by the Ford Foundation.
It documents human rights realities in Mathare, Kangemi, and Kawangware informal settlements in Nairobi, with Chama women positioned not as research subjects but as the researchers themselves.
Why the Charge for Change PAR Report Kenya Matters
The Charge for Change PAR Report Kenya challenges the long-standing framing of Chamas as only savings groups. It provides evidence that they function as:
- Political incubators
- Community safety networks
- Early warning systems against state violence
- Grassroots governance structures
Chamas as Political Infrastructure
Findings from the Charge for Change PAR Report Kenya argue that Chamas operate as de facto “grassroots parliaments” of marginalized communities. They represent organized civic power in informal settlements.
Recognition as Human Rights Defenders
The report calls for formal recognition of Chamas as community-based human rights defenders within Kenya’s civic and civic space governance frameworks.
Evidence from Mathare, Kangemi, and Kawangware
The Charge for Change PAR Report Kenya draws from lived experiences and participatory data collected directly by Chama women researchers in:
- Mathare
- Kangemi
- Kawangware
Their work reframes knowledge production as community-led rather than externally extracted.
Read the full report in the link below:
