emc~journey: Mind the Gap

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Mind the Gap

I made it to London. It was a good flight. I had a little difficulty recognizing my bags and took the wrong one. It sure is difficult to return a bag back through security. But . . all is well and the guy whose bag I had will need to get over it. I am settled into a little hotel in Earls Court. Simon, the British Airways pilot, may try to catch up with me tonight. I fly out tomorrow night for Nairobi. I just keep smiling - I mean it! I just find myself smiling, sometime tearing up, sometime staring into the distance - Some of it is fatigue. Some is time change and lag but mostly, I am just loving this whole trip.

Thanks to all - my mom, kids, Chris for the ride, Mark for the ticket, teachers and staff, parents and students - everybody. I would not be sitting in this Internet Cafe today without you. Picture me grinning. More from Kenya.

CONTACTING E.M.C.

COOL SITE

The best way to contact me beginning in September is via email. I'll get it when I can. I am not sure how often I will be able to get into Nairobi from the Village - whether monthly or less frequently. ecolina@aol.com Pics should be posted here.

Donations can be made via the school. 859 689-4303 They will be forwarded to me by my daughter. It is all appreciated and will be well-used!

Packages to Kenya are discouraged because of the customs costs upon arrival. Snail mail can be sent to the address listed here and I'll get mail when in Nairobi. Email is probably best.

Beginning August 14th my U.S. cell phone is no longer in operation.

Some Background on Kibera Slum

The slum originated in 1920 as a Nubian soldiers' settlement. The British colonial government of the time allowed them to squat on a hillside outside Nairobi, primarily because the British felt the Nubian population could be trusted during the Kikuyu-dominated Mau Mau movement of the 1950s. After Kenyan independence in 1963, however, various forms of housing were made illegal by the government, rendering Kibera unauthorised on the basis of land tenure. Essentially, since the early 1970s landlords have rented out their property to a significantly greater number of tenants than legality permits. Since the tenants, who are extremely poor, are unable to obtain or rent land that is "legal" according to the Kenyan government, the slum-dwellers find the rates offered to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorised nature. This process has been exacerbated because, over time, other tribes have moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords. Since then, the Kikuyu have come to predominate the population and by 1974 had effectively gained control over administrative positions. This demographic change subsequently determined which of the dwellings, all of which are technically illegal, are demolished or permitted by the government. This occurs primarily through political patronage, as certain owners are protected by local government officers largely based on their Kikuyu ethnicity, and changes in administrative personnel may have drastic impacts on a landlord's security. Kibera has residents coming from all the major ethnic backgrounds with some areas being specifically dominated by one tribe (eg. Kisumu Ndogo that is predominantly Luo). Many are coming from rural areas due to the problems of rural underdevelopment. This multi-ethnic nature coupled with the tribalism of Kenyan politics has led Kibera to be the site of small ethnic conflicts throughout its near 100 year history (most recently in 2002 in which many resident's homes were attacked by arson). Kibera is located southwest of Nairobi city centre and is the same size as Manhattan's Central Park (approximately 2.5 square kilometres (600 acres)). Nairobi Dam is to the south. It is sited approximately 5 km south east of the city centre of Nairobi. It holds more than a quarter of Nairobi's population. The estimated population density is 300,000/km². There are a number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni. A railway line passes through Kibera, thus passengers heading for Kisumu can view the slum. Kibera has a railway station, but due to absence of effective commuter train system in Nairobi, most Kibera residents use buses and Matatus to reach city centre. However, riding the Matatus proves to be considerably dangerous, due to the occasional carjacking that goes on in Nairobi especially in the evenings and at the end of the month. Irresponsible driving in the area and poor traffic law enforcement also makes travel perilous. Kibera is heavily polluted by soot, dust, and other wastes. Open sewage routes, in addition to the common use of Flying toilets, also contribute to contamination of the slum with human and animal faeces. The combination of poor nutrition and lack of sanitation accounts for many illnesses. Not only are death by disease and conflict common inside this slum, but it is estimated that 1/5 of the 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.

AIDS in Africa

Presently there are 40 million people infected with HIV/AIDS globally, with more being infected every day. HIV/AIDS is 100% lethal if left untreated. The UN estimates that 68 million people will die in sub-Saharan Africa because of AIDS in the next twenty years. That is:1.7 times more than the 40 million deaths in World War II, the most destructive war in human history. 5 times more than the 13 million deaths in the previous two decades of the AIDS epidemic. 307 times more than the 221,000 deaths in the Asian tsunami disaster of 2004. Other Statistics:In 1990 there were 7 million people infected with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2000 there were 25.3 million infected.96 percent of HIV infected persons live in developing nations where drug therapies are largely unaffordable. Presently there are approximately 15 million children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. That number is expected to grow to 40 million in the next two decades. 3 million people died of AIDS in 2000. 12.1 million children were orphaned. Every 5 minutes 3 people die of HIV/AIDS. That is over 850 deaths every day or 315,000 a year. With each death, at least one more orphan is usually left. Every minute 10 people are infected with HIV/AIDS, which equates to 600 new infections an hour, 15,000 a day.

New Year's Eve Prayer

God of the seasons, Lover of the ages, Master of every moment: You who are beyond time yet within all time. We return to you what you have given to us — the moments, the minutes, the hours, the days, the weeks, the months, and the year of 2006. Time has been gracious to us again, and we thank you for freely giving us these human bodies, these events, and these relationships. We have lived another year and we have died another year, and now you are granting us the beginnings of another. We now hand over to you the blessed year, 2006, with all that it gave us and all that it took from us, knowing that both are necessary, just like our breath. We trust you in both the givings and the takings, the inhalings and the exhalings. May every breath of 2007 be a breath of the Holy Spirit, joyfully received and joyfully returned, beginning with this one right now. Amen

Merton Speaks

"MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

emc~journey

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Mind the Gap

Twitter Updates

THE MASAI WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

DONATE

LOOK AT SOME PICS OF THE VILLAGE - Some other good VILLAGE BLOGS

CONTACTING E.M.C.

Family Celebration

By Mahatma Gandhi

"Feed the Children" Video Clips

Some Background on Kibera Slum

Winnie - 2 Years Old

NYUMBANI INFORMATION

Kibera Podcast - Mature Viewing

Radio Interview with Fr. D'Agostino

KIMANZI AND A GRANDFATHER

AIDS in Africa

Friends

EMC in ASSISI

Enquirer Article

Fun . . .

Ash Barker - Make Poverty Personal

Henri Nouwen

Merton Gets It Right

Books

My 3 Loves

Zermatt Summer 2006

For Times Like These

New Year's Eve Prayer

God Alone-New Year's Eve

Merton Speaks

New Years - New Mexico

Perfect Joy

Blog Archive

Interlaken Summer 2006