The Sodowa garbage and litter collection, river-cleansing project was initiated in 2003 in Soweto slums of Nairobi 's Embakasi division. Its aim is to empower older persons to respond to their environmental situation especially in the slums. Implementation of the project was through a local partner- SODOWA Self Help Group and older persons who are members of the project undertook various activities together with the local leadership and community.

Since the inception of the project, the group has been active in implementation most of its proposed activities in the garbage and litter collection, the areas now enjoying the group's services include Soweto, Kayole, Umoja and Komarock phase 3 estates.

Apart from garbage collection, clean ups have been undertaken which has made the Sodowa Self Help Group for the elderly a household name. They have also been opening up

Drainages and spraying water pools, which have increased with the rains. Also they were involved in cleaning the Ngong River , which passes by Soweto , in an attempt to reduce the waste brought by the river especially during the rainy season.

The impact of this is that a few members of the community have taken the initiative of cleaning their compound themselves and also, the customers of the garbage collection have realized the benefits of disinfecting and treating their pit latrines within bio pit chemicals. They are also taking the initiatives of spraying the pools within their neighborhood.

The Sodowa project is in the process of establishing a recycling plant where they intend to recycle garbage collected from the estates and then covert it into manure, which they will sell to nearby farms and flower gardens. This is an innovative idea the will enable the group to make sustain themselves more and the activities.