Nairobi Slums
Over 70% of Nairobi's population lives in slum areas.Mathare valley slum is the second largest slum in Kenya. It is located on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
Structure
of houses
Houses in the slum areas are made of mud and scrap metal. Each
house is about 10ft by 10ft, or 10ft by 8ft. There is one room inside that
is divided into sections by sheets that are pinned up. A small kerosine stove
is all there is for a kitchen. Most cooking is done outside to make more space
inside.There is no toilet and there are no chairs.
The people in the slums are going to the toilet in black polethene bags, they then throw them as far as they can into another area where people live. To use one of the few clean toilets that they do have, it costs 5shs for a short call and 10shs for a long call.
WATER
Desperately few people in the slums have access to clean water.
The few taps that do exist are owned by the landowners who charge people to
use them. For water to be clean it has to be boiled to get rid of the bacteria
it contains, but very few people in the slums boils the water.
GARBAGE
In the slums
there is rubbish lying dumped in heaps on the ground everywhere. Despite the
fact that there are aid organisations, the government and Nairobi City Council,
very little is being done to clean up the streets. Rubbish needs to be cleaned
up because it can cause disease and it attracts rats and other rodents all
of which spread bacteria and disease. Amazingly though, some people get their
money from the rubbish, they collect all the materials that can be recycled
and sell them at a very low price back to the factories. It is also a source
of food
.
Many different communities live in the Mathare Valley slum; Kenyans from all over Kenya, as well as Sudanese, Congolese, Rwandese, Ethiopians, Somali etc etc.
Although the Mathare slum area look dreadful, the people are not! They are happy and hopeful. They have dreams just like everyone and try to make the best out of what they have.
Created by Aislinn Killian