The Kibera Slum

Chappy is visiting an orphanage on the outskirts of the Kibera Slum today. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is the second largest slum in all of Africa with an estimated 2000 bodies per acre. Kibera accounts for less than 1% of Nairobi, Kenya's size, but holds more than a quarter of its population. The density of people is 30 times New York City; literally, the people are living on top of each other with no schools, running water or restrooms. Probably most shocking: Half the residents are under the age of twelve......and 50,000 of the children are AIDS orphans.

Kibera is heavily polluted by human waste and garbage. Most often the residents defecate in plastic bags and throw the bags either on the rooftops or in ditches surrounding the community. The bags break and tear, as you can imagine, causing a major issue that leads to disease. In the rainy season, the water gathers into large puddles filled with the garbage and feces.....it enters homes and children play in it.

Chappy is on this mission trip with the "Helping Hands Ministry", and they support an orphanage, called The Kibera Kids Center Orphanage, that takes in children whose parents have died from AIDS. They housed 180 children who had been pulled out of the slums, giving the children a bed, food, schooling, medical care, and love, until this year. Due to a shortfall in giving, 80 of those children had to be turned back out into the slums. Can you imagine tasting freedom and then having it yanked away???

This story has a happy ending, however, because Chappy's group is traveling to Kibera today with wonderful, life changing news. Last week, a benefactor from the USA gave $250,000.00 to this region. As a result, the missionaries who run the orphange (The Wombles) will be looking for the 80 children and hoping to bring them back again to be cared for in the orphanage.

I am expecting a phone call from Chappy within the next few hours and will post again when I hear directly from him. I know the sight will be shocking for him today, but he has a heart for the suffering people of Kibera and especially for the orphans who are living in the streets. I expect he will have alot to share.....so be sure to check back later for an update!!!