Sunday morning, streets of Kibera are filling up with mummies and daughters dressed with their most beautiful dresses to go to church. Today, the vibe in the streets is a bit different. Less movement, less screaming, less activity. You can hear the chanting and prayers through the alleys. Kids are playing together along the tracks, pushing wood wheels, making fire with sticks, running along the open sewage watching the parents selling veggies or washing clothes. Everybody is more relax.
(Pictures to come)
We walked aroung Kibera with our VR camera trying to capture the atmosphere of the streets. Some people could be very aggressive with the camera. You have to be discret if you can. We met Chrispin from Red Rose on the way and visited his mom at his house. This lady is alone to take care of 9 children. She washes the clothes of neighbors to earn some money to provide food to the whole family. Her daughter in 12th grade had another baby last year and she has to take care of this baby when her daughter is at school. She delivered the baby herself from her daughter on the sofa where we sat. Jeff told us that so many babies are born like this at home. The mom used scissors to cut the ombilical cord and sew the wound with string. 50% of babies who are delivered at home don’t make it. We stepped out and walk along the sewage and pile of garbage where few kids are trying to fing something to eat.
We walked to the Toy Market to try to find spices for Malo’s mom. Toy market is like a souk with piles of clothes everywhere and few booths of veggies. We bought turmeric, curry, pili pili, cumin…
We stopped by David Avido’s house to check on the new clothes he has been creating. Avido is a fashion designer in Kibera. He participates to fashion show and designes clothes for music bands. Malo and I decided to buy a bomber jacket.
We finished our day to Uweza Center where we could admire the mural and painting renovation we did with the help of Uweza artists. We attended to empowerment session of the Golden Girls, which is a program for young girls from the age of 8 to 16. After a lesson of Tae Kwan Do where they learn how to defend themselves, Agripina and Betty asked them to draw “their own river of life”, with the river representing their goal in life, the lower part of the river the things which could become a barrier to reach their goals, and on the top of the river the people or organizations who can help them reach their goal like trees along the river.
Project Kenya Trip Diary 