Christophe Blawo, a Comboni Brother, has just obtained a PhD in Social Transformation from Tangaza University. Here, he talks about what this means for him and the community.
The PhD journey is often described as a marathon of the mind, but for me it was also a journey of the heart and a transformative experience. Over the years, my research project, ‘Grassroots Agency in Housing and Urban Transformation: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Government-Resident Dynamics in Kibera, Soweto East’, took me far beyond theories, policies and academic debates. It immersed me in the lived realities of a community whose resilience, creativity and humanity have reshaped my understanding of social transformation.
My research transcended the boundaries of a conventional academic exercise, emerging at the intersection of an urban housing crisis and my engagement with impacted communities. As a Togolese Comboni Missionary and scholar, my identity was inherently hybrid, placing me in both insider and outsider roles within Kibra.
This liminal position facilitated access and trust, and shaped the framing of the study’s central questions. My engagement with Nairobi’s informal settlements dates back to my pastoral work between 2011 and 2014. During this period, I collaborated with grassroots youth groups that had formed in the aftermath of the post-election violence of 2007–08. Initially focused on peacebuilding, these movements gradually evolved into platforms for socio-economic empowerment and environmental justice.
My subsequent mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2014–21) furthered my understanding of urban informality, revealing similar challenges regarding dignity and belonging in the outskirts of Kinshasa. Returning to Kenya in 2021 felt less like relocation and more like resuming an unfinished conversation. While Nairobi’s urban landscape had transformed through new infrastructure and redevelopment initiatives, persistent inequalities remained visible. My renewed involvement with the Kibra Social Justice Centre revealed a vibrant yet contested community, characterised by exclusionary tensions and the energy of civic mobilisation.
These encounters revealed that the concept of a ‘house’ represents dignity, identity and self-determination for residents of informal settlements, rather than merely providing them with a physical building. Although government programmes such as the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP) and the Affordable Housing Initiative have attempted to address housing deficits, they have often been implemented in a partial and exclusionary manner.
These contradictions shaped the central questions of the study: How do residents contribute to the development of the city? Who defines what constitutes an adequate housing solution? Can mobilisation from within informal settlements become a genuine force for urban transformation? I carried with me a burning curiosity: How do ordinary residents in informal settlements influence, negotiate and reshape the processes affecting their homes and lives?
From the outset, I knew that studying Kibera, Soweto and East would require more than just academic rigour. I immersed myself in the extensive literature on urban informality, housing policy and participatory development. However, behind every theory I read, I could sense the presence of real people: families, young people and community leaders whose voices were often missing from policy dialogues.
I was not just studying ‘urban transformation’. I was learning to listen using the pastoral cycle methodology. The data collection phase took me into the heart of Soweto-East. Through interviews, observations and countless conversations, I met residents whose everyday acts of agency challenged conventional narratives about informal settlements. I met mothers who had organised community savings groups to strengthen their bargaining power.
Young people who developed small-scale livelihood projects. Local leaders who navigated complex government structures with courage. I encountered ordinary residents whose understanding of home extended beyond the physical structure to encompass identity, dignity and a sense of belonging. I interacted with a world that is labelled ‘slum’ by neoliberal perspectives, yet which is an expression of the ‘citiness’ of those who are marginalised and excluded in the city. Collecting data meant more than filling notebooks and recording interviews.
It meant being invited into people’s lives, hearing their stories, and learning about their fears and hopes. With each encounter, I realised that the community was not just my research site; it was also my teacher and my inspiration.
As I analysed the data, layers of meaning began to unfold. I noticed patterns emerging: the tensions between government-led upgrading and community-led initiatives; the informal power structures that shape negotiations; and the subtle yet significant ways in which residents push back, adapt or co-create transformation.
However, I also grappled with the complexities of phenomenological research. How can you do justice to people’s lived experiences? How can you honour the authenticity of their voices in academic writing? How can critical analysis be balanced with compassion? Nevertheless, each insight reminded me of my initial motivation: to highlight the agency of individuals who are often perceived as passive recipients of policy.
Beyond theories of urbanization, my experience in Soweto-East taught me life lessons: Agency lives in ordinary people. Transformation does not only come from institutions, but from everyday acts of courage and collaboration; Communities understand their own needs best. Lasting development listens before it leads; Dignity is at the core of housing. A home is more than shelter, it is security, identity, and aspiration. Research is a responsibility. To study people’s lives is to honour their truths with respect and integrity.
Reflecting on this journey, I realise that it was about more than just completing a dissertation. I see a journey that has shaped me intellectually, emotionally and ethically. As a Comboni missionary, I understand the importance of St Daniel Comboni’s call for marginalised and excluded people to become agents of change in their own lives. My PhD was not just about understanding grassroots agency; it was about experiencing it first-hand.
I am carrying with me an even stronger commitment to conducting research that amplifies voices, informs policy and inspires transformation. While this particular study may be coming to a close, the work of contributing to more inclusive, humane and participatory urban futures continues. If this study has taught me anything, it is this: Real transformation begins when we truly listen to the people whose lives we seek to improve. For that insight, I will always be grateful.