Nairobi: Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, is often associated with overcrowding, poverty, poor sanitation, drugs and crime. Yet behind these difficult conditions are families, young people, artists and community workers who continue to build their lives, protect their culture and hold on to their hopes for the future.
A visit to the neighborhood reveals a community marked not only by hardship but also by warmth, pride and a strong sense of identity. Residents welcome visitors into their homes, share their experiences and speak about the dreams they still hope to achieve.
United Nations estimates place Kibera’s population between 200,000 and 250,000 people across 2.56 square kilometres. Earlier World Bank estimates put the population at about 500,000. The figures vary, but the pressure on the area is clear. Hundreds of thousands of people live with only about a thousand public toilets, while raw sewage can still flow openly near homes.
Waste management remains another serious challenge. UN Habitat surveys found that fewer than 10 percent of waste collection or disposal points were in good condition. Nairobi’s sewerage system also reaches only about 51 percent of the city’s population, leaving informal settlements heavily dependent on latrines and septic tanks.
For Grace, however, Kibera is more than these statistics.
When she saw visitors arriving with Jack Matika, a worker with the Koinonia Community, she greeted them with a dance and invited them into her home. Her house is about 10 square metres, with a small living area and a smaller room containing two beds. Seven people live there, with five children sharing one bed.
Grace has eight children and 15 grandchildren. She says all her children are educated, but some of her grandchildren have had to remain at home because she cannot afford their school fees.
She once ran a small food shop, but it was demolished. Unable to reopen it, she now sells chang'aa, an illicit alcoholic drink, to provide food for the children.
Inside the same home, a young girl faces another barrier to her education. She was sent home from school because of unpaid fees and needs about 8,500 Kenyan shillings to return. Despite her circumstances, she speaks about her hopes of becoming a dancer and singer.
Her story reflects a wider reality in Kibera, where education, employment and basic needs can determine whether young people are able to pursue their ambitions.
Yet the community also carries a strong cultural history. Ahmed Nasour, a young Nubian man from Kibera, speaks with pride about his family's connection to the area. His ancestors came from the Nuba Mountains in Sudan during British colonial rule. Some served as soldiers while others worked on railway construction, leading many Nubian settlements in Kenya to develop along railway lines.
The name Kibera comes from the Nuba language and means forest. The area began taking its present form in the early twentieth century. In 1912, the British colonial administration gave former Nubian soldiers temporary rights to settle there. Their claims to the land remained uncertain for decades.
In 2017, after years of claims, the Kenyan government granted the Nubian community collective ownership of 116 acres. Ahmed says the land remains an important part of Nubian identity and culture, even as increasing population and overcrowding place pressure on the community.
Kibera is also a place where art has become a way of helping young people develop. At Hof Art Space, part of the Kibera Art District, artists work to use art for education and community development.
Patrick Otheono, known as Patu, says the aim is not to turn everyone into an artist but to help young people develop communication, cooperation, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Artist, curator and writer Santana Sino explores themes including identity, love, rejection and acceptance.
These creative efforts challenge the image of Kibera as a place defined only by poverty. The community also produces art, develops ideas and creates opportunities for its young people.
Local residents are also working directly on environmental and employment challenges. Victorious Kenya, founded by Jack Nyawanga eight years ago, focuses on unemployment and environmental pollution.
Jack Matika, who lives in Kibera and works with the Koinonia Community, says the residents themselves are among those creating solutions to the neighborhood’s problems. He points to the strength of the community and the way people support one another despite poverty.
Young people form a significant part of the population, with nearly 45 percent of Kibera’s residents estimated to be young. Many face unemployment and are vulnerable to drugs and idleness.
The Koinonia Community has responded through programs for vulnerable children. Its Ndugu Mdogo centre, established in 2005, supports homeless children living on the streets and also welcomes children with disabilities.
For children who have been using drugs, the centre provides a rehabilitation programme involving social workers and psychologists. Many children also arrive carrying deep emotional wounds from violence and other traumatic experiences.
Some children have experienced sexual violence while living on the streets, including children as young as four. Counselors therefore form an important part of the rehabilitation process, helping children deal with the trauma they have experienced.
When rehabilitation is complete, the Koinonia Community helps children return to their families when it is safe and possible. Those who have nowhere to return to, or whose families remain unable to care for them because of extreme poverty or serious addiction problems, can receive continued protection and care at centres including Kivuli Centre, Tone la Maji and Anita House.
Among the children at Ndugu Mdogo are Rovine, Charles and Deric, who have lived on the streets and used drugs. Charles lost both his parents only a few months ago. They are preparing to move to Tone la Maji, where they will join other children and begin another stage of their lives.
In Kibera, difficult living conditions remain a reality for many residents. But alongside poverty and overcrowding are stories of cultural pride, community action, creativity and young people who continue to imagine a different future.
For the people living there, the ability to dream remains an important part of that future. Pasted markdown