Self-awareness in Mathare – A realistic evaluation of the programs from Vizazi foundation

Abstract

Mathare is an informal settlement full of contradicting elements. Inequality and hope are everywhere. While a tremendous amount of organisations are active to provide people with basic needs and more, there is a huge gap in research conducted there. The Vizazi foundation is one of those organisations trying to enhance self-awareness through trainings for the youth in this area. Little is known how the programs EQUIP and Sekete influence the participants and trainer’s self-awareness. To fill this gap, this research was conducted. The methodology used is the realist evaluation. To this effect, the methods implemented to answer the research questions were: semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation. The research shows which mechanisms that enhance self-awareness were found in the literature, in the program theory and in the field itself. Some new mechanisms were also found in the field. In both training programs, the most used mechanisms were the ones where interactions are needed. The results show that the trainers and the participants have the feeling that their self-awareness improved. Additionally, it was shown that the participants and trainers gained or improved some abilities for which self-awareness is needed. The findings also showed that the trainers and participants experienced a change in their self-awareness.