The Smell of Poverty

It was the smell that hit me first. A mix of raw sewage, human sweat and various other odours of waste and rubbish carried on the wind. That and the dust, dust everywhere, blown across the bare, red earth by the unrelenting wind that had sprung up today, causing me to shield my eyes with my hand lest I be blinded. It was a change from the usual still day in Thika, with barely a breathe of air and the sun baring down overhead, that was more common. I wasn't sure what was worse, no wind and the unrelenting sun, or this strong breeze that cooled the day somewhat but blew dust everywhere. In Kiandutu both seemed equally unbearable.

Kiandutu is an area just outside Thika town. The most common term used to describe the area is "slum". I have been told that it is the second largest slum area in Kenya. Having not yet been into another I can not qualify this claim, however with around 50,000 people inhabiting the area (of a population of around just 300,000 within the Thika area as a whole) it was certainly of a size that posed more than enough challenges to my newly humanitarian-focused sensibilities.

As with the bare earth, the predominant colour was red. An orange red to be more accurate. The earth, the dust carried on the wind, the walls of the houses and structures - built themselves from hard packed earth mixed, I'm guessing, with some ingredient that kept the walls together. Could it be manure used for that purpose? Not sure at all, but seem to recall some distant memory of a documentary describing earth, manure and water being used to build walls in some part of the world.

Not that water was especially plentiful in Kiandutu. Most of Kenya has been suffering a terrible drought for the past three years. In Kiandutu, there were a limited number of water taps, and each was "owned" by a person who charged others for its use (exactly how one person "owns" a tap and another does not, I am not yet aware of). Two Kenyan shillings (about 4c Australian) a bucket/container, which doesn't seem much, until you consider that many of the Kiandutu inhabitants might be making less than 20 shillings a day. So those with the taps in effect possessed hard currency, able to be traded with others for items of value, whether it was cash or items of food.

This was not the only sign of commerce within Kiandutu. A clothing store greeted my arrival to the edge of town. Small grocery and general stores dotted the streets. I came across one guy collecting manure (from the goats roaming the streets I'm guessing?), forming a huge mound for the purposes I'm presuming of selling (perhaps for making houses?). Along one particular street I counted a half dozen or so video "cinemas", small sheds with sound blasting from within, showing anything from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to classic kung fu or Chuck Norris movies, all for 20 shillings (40c) admission charge. Hence the inverted commas around my first use of the term "slum". A slum would seem to me a place where the inhabitants have neither hope nor opportunity, however it seemed that those around me here were trying as much as possible to make what they could of their situation.

And the kids. Playing in the dirt, clothes falling apart, and yet always so quick to smile. Try and tell me that they wouldn't make the most of the opportunities available to us in more developed countries.

I had come to Kiandutu to meet with a Community Based Organisation (CBO), one of a number that existed both here and in other "slum" areas closer to Nairobi. These organisations are formed by community members, who then try to help themselves and others within their community in a variety of ways. Some are based around a particular vocation or trade, others work with the local children on a recreational level and try to give them some other distraction than the streets with which to fill their time, and often integrate health education into their activities.

One particular CBO, in Mathare, the second largest slum area in the Nairobi area, has been such a success they have a football team in the country's top professional league, and I have been told are in the running for a Nobel prize. I am also due to visit a CBO in Kibera, said to be the largest slum in Africa (and where part of the recent movie, "The Constant Gardener" was filmed), who have had great success with a model built around recreation, health education, and sharing and teaching of vocational skills.

Apart from the fund raising and sponsorship I am seeking for our street children programs and centres, I am very much trying to learn what has gone into a successful CBO, and if at all possible facilitate the replication of similar models within other communities. Long term improvement within the urban areas of Kenya is really only going to happen by a combination of two things: improved level of public services from a government level, and a desire for the community to help themselves as much as they can. I have seen hints of both developing, so hold hope for the future.