Dandora is a community that sprang up as a result of a program initiated by the Kenyan government with assistance from the World Bank. Residents were given a plot of land and the basic elements to start constructing a home. The Estate began as a middle class settlement, but it rapidly turned into a slum. It currently has a population of approximately 400,000. Most of the population is young and poor.
Unemployment is high.
A substantial, though temporary church, was constructed in 1980. A permanent church building was dedicated 1998. Holy Cross parish is the only Catholic parish serving the area. The faith of the people is strong as is their dedication to parish life. But like any urban area anywhere in the world, poverty and social problems abound.