Slum {Sluhm}:

noun: a squalid and overcrowded urban street or district inhabited by very poor people

 

 

What is a slum to you?? When you think of their living conditions, what do you envision?? When you think of what they wear, what do you see?? I challenge you to grab a pen and paper and write down what YOU picture when the word slum comes to mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Thursday March 14^th 2013 I visited Kicheko Slum in Mlolongo, which is south east of Nairobi. I had no expectations going in, in fact I didn’t think too much about what it would look like. I can tell you though, it shocked me. This first picture is of new apartments going up about three hundred metres from the entrance to the slum and picture two is the entrance. It was quite ironic to me, because of all the money that goes into these buildings, and yet the slum across the street has no electricity or running water…

 

 

 

LPM -- Living Positive Mlolongo

LPM is an organization seeking to improve the lives of women and families suffering from HIV/AIDs through income generating programs, education, and more.

One of the slums they work closely with is Kicheko; home to anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 people, it is hard to count.

These are two groups of kids in "classrooms" in a makeshift daycare/school.

Most parents in a slum would never even entertain the idea that their child should or could go to school.

LPM is trying to get these kids sponsored so that they can go to grade school.

The sad part is, lots of parents won't let their child be sponsored because they feel like the child should be at home to help with things.

This is something I would ask you to pray for; that the parents would understand the value of education for their children.

This beautiful woman is Penina :)

For the last seven years she has lived with HIV.

She has four children, only one of which was born after she found out she has HIV.

Her husband is an alcoholic, who isn't home all the time.

The six of them live in a room that is about 8' x 10' (pictured below).

They have one bed, a couch, two chairs and a desk.

I think she must cook outside because there was no room for a kitchen.

 

  

 

 

 

 

You could call this the "main street" of the slum I suppose...There are shops and houses down here as well and kids, sheep and chickens. It was crazy to see how these people live. There is garbage everywhere and we went on a day that was very rainy and so the whole place was a mud slop. This was with one day of rain, imagine what it is like in April when it rains every single day!! And yet the floors of the homes that we visited were spotless, because the woman who are involved in the program are proud of their homes and want to be presentable when guests come. I realize now, that this picture doesn't even show how muddy it actually was, but my flip-flops were actually getting stuck in the mud

(not the best choice of footwear, btw).

The picture on the left here is kind of hard to explain. Just past the kitten there is a doorway on the lefthand side; this is a woman's home.

But down the way on the right hand side are three other rooms which she wants to rent out, I think. So I am standing at the gate of the "gated community" as they called it, looking in.

The picture on the right is their garden...LPM has some fundraising to do and they want to use this garden to grow veggies to sell. Their ultimate goal with this fundraising is to bring tourists for day visits to this slum. While at the slum the tourists will learn how to cook, wash, do crafts, make jewlery, that sort of thing. The reason for this is that LPM wants to help these families earn money from the things that they make and sell. I'm still not too sure where I stand on this idea though, honestly, because a part of me feels like it becomes a "gawking" session, but on the other hand, it will definitely help these families earn an income. As you can see, their houses and buildings are made of scraps of tin and wood, which isn't exactly rain proof...I couldn't imagine living there on a sunny day, nevermind a rainy day in April. 

 

 

 I feel like these shoes symbolize their need. If this pair of shoes could tell its story, I bet some of us wouldn't want to stick around to hear it.

 

I was awed at the amount of garbage lying around and in piles. Where I live, Roysambu, there is a lot of garbage and it smells....turns out it is nothing like this.

A mom hard at work. No need to waste any time chasing a child around!! This way you always know where he is :)

Kenyan Slum Facts:

• There are a total of 15 slums regions in Nairobi
• In Kenya over 4 million people live in slums
• 71% of people living in urban areas in Kenya are living in slums
• Average monthly rent in most slums is 700 shillings
• equivalent to $8.35 cdn with today's exchange rate

I hope you have enjoyed seeing into a slum, as much as is possible. I would like you to look back and compare the thoughts you wrote down to the pictures you saw. How do your perceptions differ from my photos and explainations?? I would LOVE to hear your first answers as well as your final thoughts. My goal, when I get back home, is to try and make more people aware of the reality of poverty. If I can have your thoughts and stories, it would help me a lot in the future. Comment them if you would like others to read it or simply email me at rachelbergen_13@hotmail.com. I hope you accept my challange!! :)

 

 I know for me, any previous pictures I had in my head, are now replaced with {reality}. It is a totally different world than the one we live in and I am seeking God with how I can make people aware of this. If you think of it, please pray the I would be confident in knowing what God's plan is for me when I return home. I feel like, now that I have seen this kind of poverty if I don't do something or at least attempt to make people aware I am living in ignorance and I simply cannot do that.

 

Thank you for reading and pondering my photos. Love you all!!

 

Rach :)