Shanty Towns

Old Fadama was established in the 1980s by northern migrants fleeing tribal violence. It has grown steadily, with spikes from intense domestic conflict in 1994 and drought conditions in 2015. Since 2009 the population has grown from 80,000 to over 150,000. These include long-term settlers, multi-generational families, and seasonal sellers at the city’s largest green market. Migrants seek health care, education, and work

This series continues to look at how people are adapting to modern city life in the 21st century by exploring the slums and ghettos of Lagos, Nigeria. More than 50 per cent of the world's population now live in cities, and that figure is expected to rise to over 70 per cent by 2050. The answer to where humanity could be heading might be found in the lives of the inhabitants of Lagos, one of the world's fastest-growing megacities. or over six years,

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In Cape Town, the slums of Flamingo Crescent and Santini are just 20 kms apart but the gap in the standard of living in these two settlements is being hailed as an example of how residents can actively upgrade their own lives.

[19 December 2011] -- The Philippine government launched today the formulation of the country’s National Slum Upgrading Strategy (NSUS) that will guide the efforts of national and local government units in upgrading the slum communities and improving the living conditions of informal settlers in the cities.

This programme evaluates the different strategies used in this megacity to improve the lives of its slum dwellers.