The Face of Kibera

Mud walls and paths, rusty, perforated metal roofs, open sewers, mounds of garbage, and smoke from cooking fires, we could confuse these things for the face of Kibera. But for me, this little girl is the true face of Kibera – her people. On this blog site, I hope to introduce you to the many faces of Kibera. There are drunkards and loafers and many many industrious men and women, shop keepers, from countless ethnic, language, racial and national groups. But mostly there are 1000's of children. Some well cared for and others desperately neglected. We all need to look intently into the face of Kibera.

In my next blog update, I hope to feature some of the many occupations of Kibera’s residents.

On the Edge of the Slums

Looking past “Kianda,” (one of 13 villages in Kibera) we see green fields and forests. This is government land. The slums are also on “government land.” Very little, perhaps none of the land in this picture is permanently titled to any individual. Even the land lords lease from the government and charge rent to residents. Issues of land ownership and utilization of land is one of the major factors that led up to the recent political crisis in Kenya. There are literally 100,000’s of children in these slums who have no green space near their home where they can play. People live on top of each other surrounded by open sewers while only a few hundred meters away are many acres of good unused land. Why? This is the pressing question in Kenya today.

Outdoor worship in Kibera

Perhaps the largest church denomination in Kibera is “Church of Israel.” Most other Christians in the slums consider them a cult. Yet they make use of the Bible. I have much to learn about this old testament church. Do they have a witness of Jesus Christ in their community? What is their vision for ministry? What is their mission? They dress in white and worship outdoors. They are mostly one tribe – Luo. I am suspicious that they are widely misunderstood by mainline denominations, but they have a huge following in Kibera – many churches, thousands of worshippers gathering in various locations around the slum every Sunday.

Islam in Kibera

Over 50 years ago, Sudanese Nubians were imported by British colonizers to strengthen their military and labor pool. This colonial labor camp was the beginning of Kibera. More recently many Muslims from other tribes and nations have immigrated to Kenya and live in Kibera. Most Mosques in Nairobi, like this one, have been built in the last 10 years. Generally, Muslims and Christians live at peace in Kibera, but separately -- and because of this segregation they tend to be distrustful of one another. After 60 years, Kibera remains a labor camp of sorts. Tens of thousands of laborers working all over the city make Kibera their home since the cost of living is so low, saving most of their hard earned money to send home to their families in rural areas.

Worship the African Way

Sunday morning, these boys were outside their church playing what appeared to be a call to worship along one of the major pathways of Kibera. They played together very well, smiling and dancing and having a good time. They invited me to join them, but I had to hurry on to another meeting I had promised to attend (Kibera is over 3 miles East to West).

The Train Track Freeway

The major pathway across Kibera is the rail road line. You can walk from one end of the slum to the other in about an hour by just following the tracks. People sweep their compounds, the pathways, their business, and homes, keeping them very neat and tidy. Kibera is not a dirty place because of neglect and laziness -- there is no garbage collection. What amazed me is how nearly a million people can live viturally on top of each other -- schools, clinics, churches, shops, bars, restaurants, and homes and not collect more garbage than they do.

Every Inch Counts

To the residents of Kibera, every inch matters. This shop keeper is selling pottery, cookers, cups, and a used baby walker along side Kibera’s super highway. Unfortunately, occassionally the train uses it too. In Nairobi and all over Kenya, one must be careful in crowded areas not to kick peddler’s goods along the sidewalks and byways. These informal businesses provide financial support for countless people who would otherwise be hungry and jobless.