WHERE WE WORK

Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in the eastern continent of Africa surrounded by Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. Its population of almost 38 million (CIA World Factbook 2008) is divided into 42 ethnic groups or what they call “tribes”. Of the 42 tribes, there are three major groups: the bantus, nilotes, cushites. The following statistics show the population percentage of each ethnic group: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%. Around 25% of Kenyans live in the major urban centers of Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu. Nairobi, the capital, is the largest city in the country with a population of nearly 3 million. (Country Watch, Inc 2007). While in rural areas of Kenya, populations tend to be more homogenized, in the major urban centers people from many different tribes live and work in close proximity to each other.

Kenya is divided into five basic geographic regions: the coast, the eastern plateau, the Rift Valley and surrounding highlands, the Lake Victoria basin, and the dry lands of the north and south (Encyclopedia Britannica 2007). There are many highlands, hills, and extinct volcanoes across the country, as well as large wildlife reserves and the savannahs hosting the diversity of exotic flora and fauna. Lush mountain ranges turn into green fertile valleys in central regions, whereas arid and semiarid grasslands make up much of the north and west. The coastal region hosts tropical, sandy beaches against the Indian Ocean. Lake Victoria lies in the south east, Lake Turkana, Lake Naivasha, as well as a few other lakes, rivers, waterfalls and other landmarks beautify the natural landscape. Mt. Kenya is the country's highest peak at 17,058 feet. (Country Watch, Inc 2007)

Kenya’s economy has suffered for a long time due to climate interruptions damaging crops, government failure to maintain peace and excess in loans, as well as corruption. Almost 1.955 million are in the labor force where 75% is agricultural work generating money from tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef and pork and the other 25% is both production and services which include clothing, soap, oil refining; aluminum, steel, lead, cement and tourism. Still the unemployment rate is as high as almost 47% of the population, increasing the amount of poverty. Besides exporting their agriculture products, they import machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products and other needed recourses that are hard to find in the region from countries as U.S., China, India and U.A.E.

Kenyan culture is comprised of a syncretism of many different cultures and tribal influences. Remnants of British colonialism still play a part in the structure of the country. English is one of the official languages and is the more formal language used predominately in politics, education, and business. Swahili is Kenya’s other official language, and is spoken by a majority of the population. It is predominately used in more informal interactions and is the lingua franca of Kenya‘s diverse population which encompasses 122 ethno-linguistic groups with 61 languages spoken (Johnstone Opertation World, 2001:380). Most tribes have their own customs, language, traditional foods, and home area which marks them as a distinct cultural group.

Religiously, much of the country falls under the Protestant category (38%) or Roman Catholicism (28%). In addition, there are those who still follow indigenous beliefs (26%) as well as a substantial Muslim population (7%). (Country Watch, Inc 2007). While there is a large population that professes to be Christian, there is a huge lack of discipleship and a need for instruction in a deeper knowledge of the Word of God and what it means to have a relationship with Christ.

Kibera:

While in 2007, the country’s economy registered a 6.4 percent growth, a very encouraging statistic, that wealth does not trickle down to the majority of the country where 58 percent of the population lives on less than two U.S. dollars a day (Human Rights Watch 2008).

“In Nairobi, an estimated 60 percent of the population survives in slums built on just 5 percent of the city’s land area” (Middle East News Online 2001). Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi and is usually considered one of the largest in Africa. The population ranges between 600,000 and 1.2 million depending on who you ask and the time of year (The Economist 2007). The sprawling mass of dirt houses, maze-like paths, and sewage streams is technically illegal. Most of the land belongs to the government and urban migrants have constructed squatter settlements and a unique squatter culture. “In the slum, the environment almost creates a morality of its own,” said one resident of Nairobi.

Despite the economic growth, the economic situation in the slum has actually deteriorated. Rising costs, lessened employment, and population growth all contribute to deteriorating conditions for residents. Unemployment and underemployment in Kibera is between 35-40% and “the living conditions in these slums…have for many years remained below acceptable thresholds and have been steadily worsening,” stated Mrs. Lucy Kibaki, the First Lady of Kenya, in a speech in 2004.

The area has no running water¸ no sewage system, no formal infrastructure. Trash is scattered all over around homes and dirt pathways. Raw sewage runs past dirt houses and schools. There is a sense of apathy and no hope among people and a kind of desperation. The slum creates a kind of morality of its own where the one rule is survival. AIDS is rampant, along with drugs, thievery and prostitution. People do what they have to do to survive. Most make less than a dollar a day and struggle to feed their families and send their children to school. A tiny 8’x8’ one room home can be home to 8-10 people. It is a challenging environment for children to grow up in and children from the slum face many obstacles that their counterparts in suburbs do not face.

In the midst of all this, it is still a beautiful place in the people that live there. The smiles of the children, the hope and enthusiasm of the youth, all bring beauty to the area. There are people who believe the area can be changed. There are people who believe that God can make a difference and change things and He is at work transforming the area. He brings beauty out of all situations, including poverty. As one resident of Kibera said, “Africa is a land of hope and so is Kibera…We should approach and live in Kibera with hands of hope and passion. Most of the people in Kibera are hospitable and are always welcoming. Africa and Kibera as a whole are not lands of darkness and we should illuminate the slum by making it a better place to live. We should be agents of change in the midst of our difficult circumstances."