A two way street. Empowerment defined through the Perspective of Youth at Uweza Foundation.

Abstract

Empowerment has become a buzzword in the international development community, but has yet to be universally defined. This research aims to shed light on how participants at a non-governmental organization in the Kibera district in Nairobi, Kenya define empowerment and what they perceive as its critical elements to be empowered. In seven focus groups, the definition of empowerment and drawings about empowerment were discussed among 54 participants. Results show that participants mostly define empowerment as a process of development, actualisation of goals and not as a process of becoming critical. In the focus group discussions about the drawings, several aspects of empowerment were discussed, participants mainly highlighted their gains in resources, connection to the NGO, talent development, community impact, change in occupation and mental impact. These findings shed new insight to the meaning of empowerment in the Kibera district in Kenya. Furthermore, it offers a critical view on defining empowerment. This research offers insights from those experiencing “empowerment”. It can inform researchers, policy makers, and anyone concerned with empowerment on inclusive ways to understand how to approach development.