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Hustling the mtaa way: the Brain Work of the Garbage Business in Nairobi’s Slums

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2019

Magdalena Chułek Open the ORCID record for Magdalena Chułek [Opens in a new window]
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Abstract:

The inhabitants of slums have developed creative ways of addressing the inherent instability of their lives. Chułek analyzes two approaches to self-organizing work on the basis of data gathered in two slum areas of Nairobi, Kibera and Korogocho, arguing that the key element of slum inhabitants’ actions is the reproduction of structures which enable their survival by making their lives predictable. These structures are evident in the work of trash pickers and orodha people, who have developed a finely-tuned infrastructure that governs their actions while allowing room for as many as possible to participate. They can also be seen in the work of hustlers, whose “brain work” is dependent on their network of relationships and on their constant improvisation. These are two examples of the way that inhabitants of Nairobi’s slums manage to maintain a sense of autonomy and agency in the face of constant economic challenge.

Résumé:

Résumé:

Les habitants des bidonvilles ont développé des moyens créatifs de faire face à l’instabilité inhérente de leur vie. Chułek analyse deux approches du travail auto-organisé sur la base de données recueillies dans deux bidonvilles de Nairobi, Kibera et Korogocho, faisant valoir que l’élément clé des actions des habitants des bidonvilles est la reproduction de structures qui leur permettent de survivre en rendant leur vie prévisible. Ces structures sont évidentes dans le travail des ramasseurs de déchets et du peuple orodha, qui ont développé une infrastructure parfaitement adaptée à leurs actions tout en laissant des possibilités à un plus grand nombre de participant. On peut également les voir dans le travail des arnaqueurs dont le travail « intellectuel » dépend de leur réseau de relations et de leur improvisation constante. C’est là deux exemples de la manière dont les habitants des bidonvilles de Nairobi parviennent à conserver un sentiment d’autonomie et d’actions individuelles face à un défi économique constant.

Resumo:

Resumo:

Os habitantes das favelas desenvolveram formas criativas de lidar com a instabilidade inerente às suas vidas. Partindo de dados recolhidos em dois bairros favelados de Nairobi – Kibera and Korogocho – Chułek analisa as duas abordagens através das quais as populações se auto-organizam, defendendo que o elemento comum a todas as atividades de auto-organização dos moradores é a reprodução de estruturas que tornam previsíveis as suas vidas, assim promovendo a sobrevivência. Tais estruturas são notórias no trabalho dos apanhadores de lixo e dos indivíduos orodha, os quais desenvolveram uma infraestrutura bem otimizada que enquadra as suas atividades e ao mesmo tempo permite a participação do maior número possível de pessoas. São também identificáveis no exercício de trabalhos ilícitos, cujo “planeamento cerebral” depende da rede de relações e do improviso constante. Trata-se de dois exemplos que ilustram o modo como a população das favelas de Nairobi consegue manter um sentido de autonomia e de agencialidade perante desafios económicos constantes.

Keywords

NairobislumsmtaaKenyainformal economyhustling
Type
Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 331 - 352
Copyright
© African Studies Association 2019

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