Rooftops Canada’s Partners in Action
As the world marks Urban October, we reflect on how Rooftops Canada’s partners are working at the frontlines of urbanization, ensuring that as communities grow, they become more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable places for all. From Kampala to Nairobi, Johannesburg to Huambo, our partners are shaping urban futures through rights-based advocacy, community empowerment, and innovative local action.
Uganda: Shelter and Settlements Alternatives- Strengthening Land Rights for Urban Resilience
Over the past few months SSA has run many activities aimed at strengthening land rights and access to justice across communities. Key actions included: refresher trainings for paralegals, participation in radio talk shows and community dialogues during Land Awareness Week, distribution of animated posters on land rights, legal aid clinics, and the production of subtitled videos shared widely on social media.
During the refresher trainings paralegals reflected on lessons learned and concrete changes they plan to make in their day-to-day work. Mityana Community Paralegal Victoria Nakitende shared:
“What I’ve noted most in this refresher training is, first, ownership of land—that it is not good to delay making agreements. It is better for it to be done there and then. I’ve also learned about conflicts: conflicts are sometimes good, bringing new developments into society. And I’ve also learned that we, as paralegals, mediate, and after mediating, we don’t judge. It is all about mediation, negotiation, and reconciliation.”
These combined activities, awareness raising, media engagement, legal clinics and strengthened paralegal capacity — are helping communities understand, claim, and protect land rights, which is foundational for equitable urban development.
Lilian Kanana with her new garden.
South Africa: Socio-Economic Rights Institute- Women Claiming Their Rights in the City
Cities cannot be sustainable without gender justice. In Johannesburg and beyond, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) marked National Women’s Month by hosting workshops to empower women with knowledge on inheritance, succession, and property rights.
By using Community Advice Guides, SERI is helping women navigate complex legal frameworks and protect their homes from eviction or dispossession. These sessions ensure that women’s voices are heard and their rights respected, paving the way for cities where equality and justice are lived realities.
Kenya: Mazingira Institute- Growing Food Systems in Nairobi’s Urban Landscape
In Nairobi, Mazingira Institute is proving that cities can feed themselves. By training farmers, hosting the NEFSALF Assembly, supporting youth and women’s hubs, and running vibrant market days, Mazingira is strengthening urban agriculture and food systems.
Training Sessions: They held two trainings on Gender, Urban Agriculture, and Food Systems. Through the training sessions they reached 76 farmers (35 women and 41 men).
NEFSALF Assembly: On August 22, the annual NEFSALF meeting brought together 132 participants (69 women and 63 men) for knowledge exchange and collective planning.
Montreal Study Visit: Participants from Montreal spent two weeks in Nairobi learning, sharing, and engaging with Mazingira and the community.
UAFS Demonstration Unit: On August 29, a vibrant market day was held at Waithaka, where participants sold a variety of vegetables (kales, beetroot, Chinese cabbage, indigenous greens), herbs (rosemary, lemon verbena, stevia), and eggs.
Youth and Women’s Hubs: Regular monthly meetings continued, offering spaces for networking, knowledge sharing, and engagement.
One exciting achievement from the trainings came from Lilian Kanana, who was inspired by lessons on tyre gardens and innovative rabbitry. She has since established her own project at home, showing how knowledge from Mazingira’s training is being put into practice in real and sustainable ways.
Angola: Development Workshop- Women’s Cooperatives Building Community Resilience
Under the Women’s Space project, an exchange of experiences brought together women’s cooperative leaders to showcase how the initiative strengthens cooperative life. The Mulheres Batalhadoras Cooperative hosted leaders from eight other cooperatives across Huambo, Cachiungo, and Chicala Cholohanga. Highlights included:
Building group cohesion and leadership skills
Protecting land through knowledge gained from land law training
Sharing agricultural techniques, with a focus on rena potato cultivation
In addition, the Ondaka Bulletin was published and distributed, providing local news and updates from the surrounding communities.
These exchanges demonstrate how cooperative structures, technical knowledge, and local communications strengthen economic resilience, food production and women’s leadership in urban and peri-urban areas.