Coping with Food Insecurity in Math are Valley Slum in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The right to food is recognized in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as part of the right to an adequate standard of living. The study while it aimed at establishing the nature of food insecurity in Math are Valley, it also sought to find out the coping strategies residents of the informal settlement employ to cope with food insecurity. This was a cross-sectional study that employed quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect and analyse data. The study established that food insecurity was prevalent as most people were engaged in casual jobs that pay less than Ksh. 5000/= per month, much less than official minimum wage. The residents use various coping mechanisms such as relying on cheap food, skipping of meals, borrowing and depending of food aids. The study recommends that community economic empowerment be undertaken as that is at the core of food insecurity.