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Paper short abstract:

We examine the experiences of young environmentalists in an informal settlement in Nairobi, drawing on qualitative data collected over a three-year period. Young people in Korogocho employed diverse strategies to navigate everyday crises. We critically discuss the concept of “chronic crisis”.

Paper long abstract:

Recent literature has questioned the notion of crisis as a temporary rupture, showing that, for many, conflict, violence and suffering are part of the social fabric. This paper draws from qualitative data collected between 2020 and 2023 in Korogocho, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. We particularly examine the experiences, over this three-year research period, of members of a local group of young environmentalists.

Engaging with arguments around the slow violence, we explore their experiences of climate change activism, livelihoods, struggles for survival and inequality in an area that was previously regarded with fear and disdain. In the context of huge everyday challenges such as hunger, health, housing and schooling, which were compounded during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as environmental changes such as flooding, we show that young people in Korogocho employed diverse strategies to navigate and cope with everyday crises. These strategies were often supported by strong community ties and solidarity that have been strengthened during the transformation from high levels of crime and insecurities to what some residents have described as ’paradise’. The greening of Korogocho in particular has impacted on group members’ senses of place attachment and belonging. Based on these findings, we conclude by critically discussing the notion of chronic crisis and its applicability to the lived experiences of young people in Korogocho.