{"id":4216,"date":"2016-12-11T23:01:14","date_gmt":"2016-12-11T19:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/?p=4216"},"modified":"2025-11-07T20:31:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:31:55","slug":"kibera-slums-visiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/kibera-slums-visiting\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting the Kibera slums in Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As soon as you start wandering around the slums of Kibera, and suddenly find yourself surrounded by dozens of children who can speak a perfect English, you realize that Kibera is different from the rest of the slums found in Africa, Asia and even Latin America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though this Nairobi district happens to be one of the poorest and dirtiest in Africa, a high and rigorous investment in education makes Kibera one of the slums with the highest level of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the Kibera slums?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Kibera is an extremely poor suburb of Nairobi composed of over 1 million inhabitants spread across an area of only 2.5 square kilometers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s classified as the second largest shanty-town in the world (after Johannesburg’s slums in South Africa), but this is often disputed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its origin dates back to 1900, when British colonists decided that Africans should live segregated from Europeans in the city outskirts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Brits also decided to separate Africans by ethnicity, and Kibera was the settlement where N<\/strong>ubian<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> soldiers were assigned to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kibera<\/picture>
Kibera Google map<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the following decades, Kibera evolved into a slum, and what started as a tiny settlement of only 600 inhabitants, became a suburb one million people. Today, Kibera is a suburb where poverty is a reality and can be seen at every corner. The unemployment rate is around 80%, only 20% of the population has access to electricity, and proper toilet facilities are practically non-existent. There are drug problems, especially with glue sniffing, issues with alcohol and HIV affects about 20% of the population<\/strong>. Endless piles of trash and garbage are all over the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high investment in education provides this place with hope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’m going to tell you the story of a man called Richard who I met when I was living and working in Dubai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were working in the same company and he was the director of an important department. Actually, he was Kenyan and was born and raised in the Kibera slums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How could a man who was raised in the most extreme African poverty become the director of a European international company? The poor people in Kenya believe that there are two elements which are essential for having a better life: God and education<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a good education becomes one of the basics pillars for any Kenyan, and Kibera is no exception. Here, all kids speak perfect English and go to school until they become adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Little<\/picture>
All children receive a proper education<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But education is not only limited to school and learning English, History and Mathematics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even at home, parents don’t allow their children to come back home from school until they finish their homework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They value education over everything else and that’s why they are willing to pay anything from the few resources they have, in order to provide their children with a better education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many Kenyans like Richard, and these people are a clear example of how the power of a good education<\/strong> can uplift someone even from the most extreme poverty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kibera is different and you realize this as soon as you start talking with its people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is life in the shanty-town of Kibera?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The suburb has an extension of 2.5 square kilometers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a main road which runs through the middle of it and is the center of social life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On each site of the road, you’ll find the residential area, which consists of thousands of shacks built with no apparent order and compose a  labyrinth of streets and lanes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a stream which passes through the main road perpendicularly and a train track that runs through the northern section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The train tracks of Kibera<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The<\/picture>
The river of Kibera<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are shit loads of garbage everywhere and the hygienic conditions are awful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can feel that most of the people are unemployed, since no matter which day of the week you go, you find thousands of people doing nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food stalls serve basically French fries fried in black oil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main business over there is selling coal, which confirms that people have no electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Carbon,<\/picture>
Carbon, one of the most precious elements in Kibera<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The life in this suburb couldn’t be worse but still, Kenyans greet you, smile at you and you can feel some sort of festive atmosphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

African music can be heard from almost everywhere and you see people dancing to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The girls still wanna look pretty, and salons are packed with women who come to perfect their African braids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the reason why I love Africa so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it safe to visit the slums of Kibera on your own?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For years, there have been reports of people getting kidnapped and violent crimes. However, this is something of the past, and today the neighborhood is completely safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before going there, I just tried to make sure of it with my Kenyan friend, Denis, who I used to work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told me that in <\/em>the worse case, someone would steal your phone or your wallet, and the only advice he gave me was that I should never accept anyone’s invitation to his house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"njoying<\/picture>
Me and some Kibera children<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There were two types of locals. Those ones who kindly welcomed you and those hostile to you. All kids were pretty nice and real curious about the country where I came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I had already walked through the whole main road, had seen the river and the train tracks. Now I was curious to explore the residential area. I left the road, crossed the bridge and walked into the l<\/span>abyrinth of streets. At the entrance, there was a woman:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Woman:<\/strong> Where are you going?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Yo:<\/strong> Just going for a walk<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Woman<\/strong>:<\/strong> Please, don’t get lost<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Yo:<\/strong> Why are you saying that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Woman<\/strong>:<\/strong> Just don’t get lost. It could be dangerous<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Yo:<\/strong> And what’s the danger exactly?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Woman<\/strong>:<\/strong> Just don’t get lost<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/picture>
The streets of Kibera<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why did she have to talk in that creepy and mysterious way? OK, I’ll try not to get lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went in, started walking and I quickly realized how easy it was to become disorientated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were multiple routes leading into different places. It was a tremendous labyrinth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to walk very slowly and carefully. Suddenly, I met loads and dozens of children who were playing at different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Children:<\/strong> Photo, photo!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I<\/picture>
I swear this kid was extremely cheerful except when I took a picture of him<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"More<\/picture>
Two kids from the slums<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I spent quite a long time taking pictures of them because they were asking for it all the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I kept on walking and they decided to follow my steps. It made me feel uncomfortable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are they just being friendly, or do they plan to fuck me up? The most grown-up ones of the group didn’t say anything and were too serious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stopped and after another photo session, an adult showed up and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Adult:<\/strong> Hey, would you like to come over to our home?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– A kid:<\/strong> Yes, yes, come to our home!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Me:<\/strong> No thanks, I am actually leaving <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d gone too far, so I thought that the best would be to go<\/span> back. The children were still following me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– A kid:<\/strong> Hey, what do you have in your bag?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Me: <\/strong>Nothing, dirty clothes and books <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had my phone inside my bag and of course my Nikon hanging from my neck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kid then tried to touch my bag. I moved aside and started to walk faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In less than 5 minutes I was at the entrance. What a coincidence, those kids didn’t want to be my friend anymore. Most of them stayed back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For photography, sociological and altruistic reasons, the Kibera slums is an excellent place where to get lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can communicate in English with practically any resident. Most of them are kind, but be careful with the ones who are not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always ask before taking a picture, and if you get into the residential area, try not to go too far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s no violent crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they had wanted to take my bag with violence, they would have done it straight from the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just try not to bring valuable objects except for the essential ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I only brought my camera and my cell phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: How to spend 24 hours in Nairobi<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read More Travel Stories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n