Kibera Slum

We got up on Thursday & headed to the 2^nd largest slum in Africa.  It’s called Kibera & is located pretty centrally in Nairobi.  It’s approximately 2.5 sq km, & houses around 1.5-2.5 million people. They pay 700ksh per month for rent (around $84) & the average home is around 12x12, but in many cases sleeps upwards of 10 people.  The land was set aside by the government in the early 1900’s to provide some low cost housing & was intended to be a short term solution.  Since that time it has grown dramatically & become a permanent fixture in the city.  They are working to provide ways for people to get out of the slums, but have had little significant change thus far.  Regarding their facilities, one pit toilet is shared by up to 50 homes….so they are often full and people have to go wherever they can.  The result is a stream of water, sewage & garbage that runs throughout the slum which you can see in the photos below.  They told us to take as many photos as we wanted....but it just felt wrong.  At the same time, it's something I wanted to share as it's a pretty incredible thing to see.  So, I tried to sneak a few inconspicuously.  

We packaged food (flour & beans or lentils & rice) to be delivered for a few families.  It’s enough to give them a decent base of the family’s diet which they can hopefully supplement with other more nutrient rich foods, if they can afford it.  The program supports 8 families with the goal of helping lift the burden of feeding the family so they can get a job and get their feet under them.  At that time they are released from the program & the assistance is provided to someone else in need.  It also provides medical care for the families, several of which were affected by HIV & are currently at various stages of the disease.  They have all seen great improvements in their health since getting on the proper medications & improving their nutrition. I know this all seems like a small amount of impact considering the vast need in Kibera…..but that is one important lesson that I’ve learned while I’m here.  Every single thing we do makes an impact, no matter how small.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the grand needs that are all around us & at times to feel like there is nothing you can do to even make a mark.  But the fact of the matter is, even if what you do only helps one person or one family it’s a start.  These small wins are what we need to stay focused on.  The food we delivered meant a great deal to the families that received it.  It keeps them going during a time where they may not have otherwise been able to do so.  Hopefully as families “graduate” the program, it will continue to touch others as well.

From on top of this hill you can get a good view of the slum.  This doesn't show it entirely, but gives you a pretty good idea of it's size.  It seems endless.

A group of kids came up to take pictures with us in front of their school (which you can see behind).  Every kid in Kibera chants/sings "How are you? How are you? How are you?" repeatedly to any muzungos they see until you respond.  It's pretty cute.

There is a sewing school in the slum to help teach women this skill to help support themselves.  This program is sponsored by the same group as the food program we were helping with.

Just a shot of an open area as we were walking.  You can get an idea of the structures, and also see the pile of garbage in back.  

You can see the "stream" flowing through at this spot.   

A few kids saw us walk into one home to deliver the food so they decided to peek in the door & say hi.  Also, this sort of shows how close the houses are.  They are all connected & typically the rows of homes are separated by just a few feet (which you can see behind the kids).  I wanted to show it, but couldn't get a shot in the aisles with so many people were around.  It just felt rude.