It is a brisk Thursday morning in Nairobi’s South B and everyone is up and running trying to make ends meet.
The estate bustles with activity, handcart pullers with bulging muscles weave through narrow lanes delivering goods.
In the middle of this morning rush, artisans are quietly minting money.
They are helping turn the government’s housing plan into a reality.
At Stephen Odhiambo’s metal workshop, work has started in earnest.
Sparks fly and hammers clang as he and his team of welders bend metal into window frames, the kind that will soon find a home in the government’s affordable housing projects.
His association, South B Mariguine Welders, is among dozens of small-scale enterprises contracted by the government to fabricate doors and windows for the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP).
Inside his modest workshop, a rhythm of grinding and welding plays out, metal rods being cut into shape and length for sturdy windows and gates.
For Odhiambo, the opportunity is more than just another contract, it is a lifeline for his once-struggling workshop.
He believes the affordable housing project will improve the livelihoods of the 38 members of the association.
Before landing on the affordable housing contract, Odhiambo says they used to work on small projects.
