The Kibera Slums, an area 5 Kilometers Southwest of City Centre Nairobi,
is the most populated informal settlement in East Africa, housing more than
one quarter of Naitobi’s population. The name ‘Kibera’
is a Nubian word for ‘forest.’ The original settlers were Sudanese
soldiers who settled there after fighting for the British in World War One.
Kibera is divided into ten official villages, each with its own Village
Elder. They are: Kianda, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba,
Siranga/ Undugu, Makina, Mashimoni and Raila. These villages, excluding
Raila, rest on the northern half of the valley east of the Nairobi Dam.
Kibera is roughly 2 Kilometres squared with an estimated population of
1 million people. There are no residential buildings over a single storey.
The average home size in Kibera is 3 meters by 3 meters, with an average
of five persons per dwelling. Urban services such as water or sanitation
are minimal. There is an average of one pit latrine for every 50 to 500
people.
Drinking water is pumped through plastic pipes, alongside sewage trenches,
to standpipes. These trenches carry refuse and human waste to the river
at the base of the valley. The river then runs into Nairobi Dam. Both the
river and the dam are used for recreation (e.g. swimming) and resource (e.g.
bathing; clothes washing). The plastic pipes are brittle and exposed, often
breaking, to be repaired with little care for sanitation. That is, these
pipes are jammed or taped back together often without being cleaned, creating
suitable habitat for water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid.
Health Services and Sexual Education are minimal. Fifty-Four percent of
people living in urban areas in Kenya are either HIV positive or have AIDS.
However, despite the demanding lifestyles we face in Kibera, we have created
our own community – that is sound and functioning. Businesses of all
sorts and driven entrepreneurs are found in all areas. Indeed, we are not
unlike much of Sub-Saharan Africa, which receives 75% of its services through
the ‘informal sector.’ In Kenya, we call this part of our economy
the ‘Jua Kali’ sector (Or ‘Fierce Sun’ sector).
We are one of the many community groups active in Kibera, working on issues
such as: environment and sanitation; waste management; HIV/AIDS awareness,
counselling and testing; domestic violence; education; and unemployment.
Many youths are committed and passionate about making an impact in their
community. CSG encourages and fosters this volunteerism. Get Involved By
Contacting Us. Visit our Wikipedia page here.
For more info on Kibera, visit the Kibera Wikipedia page here.
CSG's Primary Partners are:
The Matibabu Foundation - runs a medical
clinic in Nyanza Province with CSG
Helping Hands Tours and Safaris
- profits go toward CSG projects
CSG Staff services:
CSG Email
Access
csgkibera.org website
statistics and information
PARTNER
NEWS. The Matibabu
Foundation's draft annual report is available for download here.
PARTNER
NEWS. CSG participated in TakingItGlobal's survey of problems faced by
Indigenous Youth. Download the full report here.