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Mombasa is Kenya's second largest city. An island located in the Indian Ocean, it is home to East Africa's largest port, making Mombasa a hub of international commerce. Still, unemployment is high and incomes are low.
Likoni sits on the mainland, south of the city's center, accessible from town only by ferry. It is mostly residential, with a population of 160,000 people, and growing rapidly. The Mijikenda are indigenous to the area and make up about half the population. Migrants from other parts of the country, and other ethnic groups, including Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba, and others, make up the second half.
Likoni is the poorest area of Mombasa. The largest sectors of employment are informal street vending, stone quarrying, and day labor at the port. Most incomes are between 2 and 4 dollars per day, enough to afford food and pay rent for one room but not enough to pay medical bills and school fees. As a result, Likoni residents are under-educated and under-represented in Kenyan Universities.
