This is Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa! Its approximately 6 kms from the capital city of Kenya (Nairobi). It's sandwiched between affluent neighbourhoods of Nairobi and it's necessary for it to be there because most of the people who work in these affluent neighbourhoods leave there - it's a walking distance from home work.
Almost 90% of it's dwellers live below minimum wage, which is kes 10000 per month this is approximately 100 dollars, translating to about $3 a day! The living conditions are deplorable and inhumane. However, Kibera residents have taken adaptable measures to cope with these conditions. One of the measures they have taken is to buy consumables in very minute quantities - it's called kadogo (very small) economy. Examples include 1. Flour is measured for a particular use like 1 or 2 cups. 2. You'll get a spoon of cooking oil. 3. You'll buy a few slices of bread.... You get the drift, don't you?
The space is poorly planned and any available space that was meant for a school, a place of worship or a play ground is immediately grabbed to pave way for iron shacks that are rented to families, other basic necessities like bathrooms and toilets are left out of that equation! Kibera was once famous for flying toilets - people would defecate in polythene bags and throw it out of the window!! People pay to use a communal bathroom located a few hundred metres from the house.
Many a time fire has broken out to cause immeasurable damages including loss of life! This is because all spaces are grabbed leaving none for fire machines and ambulances to manoeuvre through when tragedy strikes..
Water is very scarce and the cartels make sure there is none not even a drop at the taps - they collide with council workers to interrupt supply inorder to sell.
Life is very harsh, children play in open sewers, girls as young as 12 turn into prostitution and young boys of 11 are inducted into armed crime. Many of them have been beaten to death by mobs or have been shot by police.
Kibera is became a tourist destination and many international celebrities have visited.
Including 50 cent, Madonna, Mark zuckerberg and many more others.
There is a positive side to all this - we have had people come out of it on top and famous. Many famous musicians, footballers, politicians, human rights activists, TV personalities and many many more.
We only appeal to politicians to stop using the youth to cause chaos.
