Kibera

I was working in Kibera which is the largest slum in Africa - it's 2.5 square kilometers in size and is home to an estimated 1 MILLION people of all ages. The majority of the people who live there have lived and will live there their entire lives. Some never actually leaving the village their entire lives. Kibera and its population is visible from many parts of Nairobi yet invisible to most as it's hard to know where to begin.

There is very little electricity and access to running water is extremely limited. Raw sewage and rotting garbage cover almost many surfaces. Dwellings measure about 10ft square and are home to 3-6 people. They are clustered together and 3 ft alleys snake between the tin covered mud huts. It is like a complicated maze that has no real beginning or end. Although there has been no formal assessment, it is estimated that 20% of the population is HIV+. It is for lack of a better word, chaotic. Yet amongst the chaos there is order and even a strong sense of community. It is a complete paradox - everywhere you go there are tangible feelings of desperation and sadness yet an even stronger sense of hope. All of the people I worked with in Kibera were dealing with the latter stages of AIDS and many also had TB and Hep. They were in deplorable circumstances yet they were hopeful and full of faith. I was part of a team that delivered food (beans, flour and fat) to HIV+ clients and their families and assessed their conditions. It was extremely trying because most of these people needed emergency medical care which was WAY beyond our abilities. They are in desperate need of medically trained volunteers - I can't even begin to describe some of the issues these people are living with invisible to the Kenyan government.

Although the Kenyan gov't provides ARV and TB meds free, it is a great challenge to actually locate a clinic that has them in stock. On top of that, the clinics will only dispense them to the actual patient. Getting to the clinic is almost impossible as most of the patients are bed ridden. You can imagine the situation for someone who is able to get themselves to the clinic only to be told that there are not enough meds in stock to give them. It truly is at best a trying (more like desperate) situation, yet these amazing people persist. If I ever doubted the abilities of faith and the resilience of the human spirit, I do not now. I loved the work I was doing and feel sad that I had to leave but know that there are many others who will continue advocating and fighting the good fight. I think I may have to get Bill Gates and Bono on the phone - Kibera desperately needs some of that money you are so successfully raising!!

African Animals!

One of things I was most looking forward to about Kenya was the wildlife. Here are a few pictures of the wildlife I was lucky enough to see while I was there. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to see any giraffe or elephants - my two most favourite animals. I am pretty sure they will wait for my next visit! The lions are, understandably, quite far away as Rylee pointed out!!

Life in the compound!

During the short time I was in Kenya, I lived in a compound with an amazing family: Virginia, Francis, Ida, Elsie and Vietta. Life inside the compound was strangely surreal - calm and very sheltered! Both parents, Virginia and Francis, worked extremely long hours to support their family and as such are very successful. I was also lucky enough to live with two other volunteers, Jolene (pictured here) and Sofie.

The two girls in the house, Ida and Elsie, are full of goodness and light. They both attend a private day school and are extremely bright and dedicated to their studies. They loved to learn about Canada and what we do there for fun! I was amazed at the lack of toys the girls possessed, and in contrast, the abundance of happiness they exhibited. I took them each a package of bubble tape and was amazed when they made it last well over a week! While I was there, I taught them to play Go Fish and Old Maid and it quickly became a nightly ritual before bed! Our housegirl, Vietta, was an amazing young woman whose laughter and big heart are only surpassed by her amazing cooking! Vietta made the most incredible fresh mango and pineapple juice I have ever tasted in my life. Vietta also taught me how to do my laundry by hand in buckets in the back yard! My clothes have never been so clean and my hands so sore! Vietta has been with the family for many years and the girls adore her as I quickly did too.

For safety reasons, the compound is surrounded by high concrete walls topped with barbed wire and is manned by armedwatchmen posted every 10 houses. Each of the houses also has padlocked gates surrounding the house for security reasons. For safety reasons, we were not allowed to leave the compound before sunrise or after sundown. I think the thing that surprised me most about living in Kenya was the lack of personal safety and space. I found it exhausting to be constantly planning where I was going and how I was going to get there safely! I realize just how much I take my personal safety and freedom for granted living in Canada. Those late night Starbucks runs are such a privilege!

One of the other big realizations I had while I was in Kenya was about the amount of water I waste! I was very lucky to be living in a home with running water that was actually luke warm at times! Although we had bucket showers, it was still a huge privilege to have running water at all. I can't believe that North Americans, myself included, waste so much water! I don't think I will be washing my clothes by hand or taking bucket showers but I will certainly make an effort to conserve more water!

Be aware ~ J.