Welcome to Museke !

The MUSEKE Association promotes sustainable development of cities of the Global South supporting and initiating projects which bridge the social urban divide, build on ecological technologies and renewable energies, strengthen participatory and democratic processes, and promote best practices and exchange between different stakeholders and decision-makers.

The MUSEKE Association strongly believes that urban dwellings can be upgraded and made livable by applying participatory concepts alongside innovative, ecological, and sustainable urban planning solutions. The aim of the MUSEKE Association is to initiate and support projects that develop and improve existing informal urban structure to boost the local economy and thereby significantly reduce structures of poverty and inequality by implementing sustainable innovative solutions.

Vision

The MUSEKE Association aims to unleash the hidden economic and social potential of informal settlements in Africa and the cities of the south by applying principles of participation, eco-innovation, and sustainability.

Engaging in innovative and sustainable projects, the MUSEKE association wants to counteract the urban divide and prepare cities of the south to face the immense challenges due to climate change and urban growth and turn their challenges into drivers for social and economic improvement.

GLOBAL URBAN CONTEXT

In an increasingly urbanized world in which, since 2008, over 50% of the world population live in cities, cities of the south show the fastest growth pace. By 2050 African cities will double, and 70% of the global population will live in cities.

However, the cities of the global south are not prepared for this rapid growth, mostly lacking infrastructure and having scarce financial and personal resources. This rapid growth and need for shelter generate informal settlements where the country’s most impoverished population live, the urban poor. Despite several governments’ efforts, African cities consist of 60% of informal settlements on average, with little or no access to infrastructure.

INFORMAL POTENTIAL

Despite the high proportion of informal settlements, the cities do not collapse thanks to informal self-organization, informal markets, and informal mobility, in short: informal infrastructure.

Exploiting this informal potential of self-organization, economic activity, and creativity is the basic concept of the MUSEKE methodology, which uses a participatory approach to propose sustainable solutions for integral and resource-saving urban development.

Values

The work of the MUSEKE Association is based on the fundamental values of service, collaboration, and solidarity. This means that processes and solutions applied in urban planning must actively involve local communities and help them create the best possible future for themselves. Working towards empowerment and resilience is just as central. By boosting and securing human, social, and financial capital available at the local level, we want to bring about changes on a national and global level.

APProach

The MUSEKE Association strongly believes that urban dwellings can be upgraded and made livable by applying participatory concepts alongside innovative, ecological, and sustainable urban planning solutions. The aim is to develop and improve existing informal urban structures and thereby significantly reduce structures of poverty and inequality . Furthermore, the positive long-term effects are multiplied by sharing best practices, know-how transfer, and improved communication, both within and beyond urban settlements.