Kenyan Diaries Part 1: Our People Shouldn't Be Living Like This

I have been itching to write...here are my thoughts from a few days ago.
So its day 3 and I have finally had my first blog worthy experience. My eyes swelled heavily as I held back the tears beneath my sunglasses as our mini van descended through the Kibera slums of Kenya. The second biggest slum in Africa. This slum is home to 1.5 million people and I looked over it. Breath. These 1.5m live below the poverty line. No fresh water, electricity supply, education, technology, food...the list goes on. Looking over the sea of tin roofs was deeply sad.

We visited a school and despite it being a Sunday there were children from the slums taking extra classes. The school could only accommodate 400-500 people. Think of this in consideration of the amount of people there are in the slum and there are only about 5 schools in the whole slum.

The little children were of course full of joy and excitement as they ran beside our bus shouting and waving. Smiling and posing for us as we took pictures. The look of elation on their faces as we showed them the pics we took was priceless.

My emotions didn't allow me to interact with them as I would have loved as I was so overwhelmed. I had no words. It was interesting however seeing the other volunteers interact with them though. I noticed the children seemed slightly more excited to see the white volunteers. Though today's experience was completely different I definitely felt that on that day but I didn't mind. I am a sister after all. Today a head teacher said seeing us creates hope for them and I like to think that me being black as well means its even more hope that they will feel as I mirror them so they will come to believe black people can and do prosper.

Part of me does wish that there were a lot more ethnics on this trip though the 7 of us are holding it down and we have all (all volunteers) bonded so well!!

I felt my heart was connected the the people a bit more than the others. This is my home land after all and Kenya is so unbelievably beautiful. Every aspect of it. The slums even reflect beauty. Its amazing and I am so blessed.

So when we got back on the minibus after talking to the amazing headmaster who told us all about the school and the talented children who finish but end up back in the slum; I began to bawl quietly on the way back. I was caught though. It was just so overwhelming I cant even explain it. Sometimes I resent my sensitivity!

Anywho, so much more to say but so little time! I just feel so blessed. Thank God EVERYDAY!!!

In the ghetto now though. It's hard core our here but I'll save those details for my next entry.

Peace and Love to you all!!!