by Daniel “Skiff” Skiffington
Welcome to the Kibera Slum. It’s a place most people avoid. We are walking the streets to capture stories of people who live here. From outside, Kibera seems to be a pretty normal neighborhood. A well-constructed road circles the slum, allowing cars and vans to pass freely (when traffic is moving). Small businesses and street vendors dot the landscape. But take one of the small dirt pathways into the slum and everything changes. I see poorly-constructed homes made of scrap wood and sheet metal—most no bigger than a college dorm room. Sewage pours down hill through shallow dirt trenches. Kids without shoes play in food scraps.
Almost a million people live here, making it the second-largest slum on the continent of Africa. Our tour guide is a woman named Jenny. She takes us along old railroad tracks where garbage is piled in every direction.
Jenny is extremely articulate and speaks better English than many Americans. She is incredibly gracious and seems to be friends with almost everyone we meet. But behind her contagious laugh (cackle, maybe?) is a life of abandonment. Jenny was diagnosed with HIV ten years ago. Since then, her husband left and her sister died. Just recently, she lost her home in a fire. Now she takes care of her children, plus the children of her late sister. Jenny has every reason to be discouraged. But she is optimistic thanks to Mocha Club and its support of the HEKO project.
HEKO provides support groups to Jenny and hundreds of others who have HIV/AIDS. She meets once a week with about 50 women. The women provide encouragement and acceptance. She is given counseling and food rations to support her family. Mocha Club has also provided her with a micro-loan. She used the money to start a business which continues to do well three years later. Jenny has so many things to say to those who have helped her. But the simplest message is one of thanks. She knows without the support of Mocha Club, she would not have strength to carry on. We will hear more about Jenny’s story on this week’s Mocha Club Experience Webisode. Stay tuned!
Char & Skiff outside Emmanuel Technical College
In addition to HEKO, Mocha Club sponsors three other projects in Kibera—a free medical clinic for students, Calvary Youth Hostel for street children and Emanuel Technical College for post-Secondary School education. Your support provides much-needed services for those who call Kibera home.
The Mocha Club Experience: Starting November 1, 2009, Seattle Pacific University recent graduates Daniel “Skiff” Skiffington and Charlie “Char” Beck visit all of Mocha Club’s current projects in 7 countries and take Mocha Club supporters and friends on a three-month virtual adventure to experience real life in Africa. Stay tuned for regular updates!
