Kibera Part 3

Deep in the heart of the Kibera Jungle, we can hear the street kids rumble… How are you, How are you How are you?

Alex enters the jungle.
Every time we enter Kibera we get a more in-depth experience, this time we felt like juakalis (under the sun workers) because walked all throughout Kibera, coverd over 80% of the whole city in about 7 hours time.
Exhausted, tired and a lil too crispy for my likings, if it wasn’t for Fanta, we’d all be dead by now… bring only 1 water bottle he says... sheeesh

So the idea hits me today. Sweden sends High School students to Kibera to work on small projects like microcredit and project planning, university students then come to document all the findings. Why cant Canada run the same program? Would it be too much of a risk for our students??? HA! Risk… the only ones at risk are the idiots that enter somewhere without knowing where that is, or what the environment is like…
Kibera has to be the safest place, even more so than downtown. Why do I say this? Because if anyone tries ANYthing funny, like steal or harass anyone, then right away, right there that person will be burnt or lynched. It tends to keep order fairly well if you ask me. Maybe Canada should bring that policy back, It would be cheaper on our justice system, and I think it would steer many people away from a life of crime and corruption.
Bones could be re-used to make necklaces for export, so many reasons to consider the policy… I guess there could be a decent counter argument, but im sure you can come up with that one on your own.

Salaam

Enter the Crew: Owiti (Kurt)

Logistics, External Relations, Backup Camera Guy and anything else Kamau (Ahmed) could think of

Happy Birthday to me! In Dutch, Chinese and English! Plus a nice little pool party that I graciously started by being thrown into... im so glad I had my money belt still on, my shillings needed a wash anyway…
Final Banquet night, everyone looks so fine. Other than long drawn out speeches the night was filled with great music, beautiful people, and great stories with friends. It truly was a great way to turn 23.

“I came to Africa looking for Africans, but all I found were people.”

March 19, 2005
Day 2

Expectation setting and bonding sessions are best for the start of any major project, and so much better when not planned. This morning we spent a good 3 hours with Dan preparing for the 3 weeks ahead. Afterwards we journeyed on to Kibera. With Dan’s approval we filmed a lot of the district, but not the slums. It was quite the experience, I suggest going through the culture shock first before actually filming from the beginning. I thought they were going to come after me! But we made it through alive! Mashallah.
Our first real interview was with Dan’s brothers Steven and Peter, and we dug deep. It was amazing hearing from their perspectives. The kicker was when we told them certain truths about Canadian lifestyle, like in Canada hardly anyone knows their neighbors, and everyone s really in it first and foremost for themselves. They were shocked that Canada could be like that. I was too. You don’t find people in Canada like Steven or Peter, such strong dreams and determination to achieve them. They care so much for their community, and they haven’t even lived their long. They don’t have to, people like Peter and Steven are models for us all, that no matter how bad you have you, you have the potential to overcome it.

Classical African Dance. Besides getting on stage and getting jiggy with it, I actually hung out with a lot of the kids while we watched a traditional dance that was completely organized in our honour. It was amazing to see the spirit and skill these youths had. Such potential, they’d make it far in our western world that is for sure. I wonder if they’ll ever get their big break? Hope. It’s a constant theme among so many of them.

Is it changing mindsets that we must change? Or must we change the people in power, those keeping so many thousands, millions suppressed? It too easy to say it is both, its always both, its always a combo of so much. We can’t fix anything, but now that I finally know what DAMU means, like what it REALLY means. The connection. The roots. The bond. The passion. Its all in our DAMU (blood).

Its funny, so many dreams are made, but when you see them coming true right before your eyes, it is a truly exceptional experience. Today started out as a shock, but ended a very inspirational and productive day.
Tomorrow, I suspect will be a rather downer day – we’re going back to Kibera, this time… we’re going to the slums…

March 18th 2005 also known as – Day 1

“You’re walking into a burning bush” Neha says… ‘great, we think ‘what have we got ourselves into now?’
So there we are, no expectation, and honestly a little scared. We had no idea what we were doing, but we knew we were going to do it, and do it great!

Good thing we had lots to keep us occupied on the 20 hour journey, like watching two Hindi movies, eating “muslim and lactose free” meals, spending $30 on 2 sandwiches and two waters at schiphol Airport. The fun begins on our way to Kenya from Amsterdam.
After almost boarding a flight to Houston, we find our proper gate, board, sit. Ahmed and I are split up, he’s stuck beside some weird old frat boy, and me? Well I have Mr. IT guy. Besides the severe abrasions on this face and hands, (looked like bad sun blisters) he was actually pretty good company, I ended up doing a full marketing call for AIESEC with him, and he is excited to get in touch with AIESEC in the UK, it was a blast. In front of us, little did I know - Was one of 7 AIESECers from Netherlands. Needless to say, we had a little AIESEC reunion party. Gotta love AIESEC for that, instant friends, from complete strangers.

So we land, Nairobi airport looks just like any other airport, not too big, the VISA line up was… well there was no line, more like a mob of confused tourists looking to gain entrance to a theme park. Sylvia was there to pick us up, oddly enough I totally missed her at IC 2004 in Germany. We then say our good bys to all our new AIESEC friends and walk through the gates to see about 200 Kenya’s each holding a different sign up for someone, (although there were no immediate flights after us, I guess they’re patient)
Ahh that smile, it was Dan and his crew for Community Support Group and Helping Hands Travel & Safari’s.

I do not know if anyone has experienced meeting a long lost relative, but the reception I got, it seemed like I was already family. Dan’s story is so great, I swear no one could understand unless you heard it from him. I know we all know people who say we know people who tell stories about how they walked 30KM each way to school, barefoot. But, when you hear it from the source, it changes something.
There we were, enjoying Tusker beer, and I was filling my face with Ogobi (sp) and meat stew, very delicious, and he starts tell me everything about his past like we had been friends for a life time, and I listened, and couldn’t help but think that wow. The measurement of a man is not his pride or not his power, but how much he has sacrificed for another. This world needs more Dan Ogola’s. I knew from that moment on that this experience was going to transform me forever; all I kept thinking was, bring it on.Tomorrow, we walk through Kibera.