When you speak with most Kiberans, you discover that they really love their home. It may seem strange that many people don’t want to leave the slum, but they will explain that the sense of community here is second to none. Everyone knows everyone, and families help other families in need. What people want is simply the opportunity to work, to have enough to eat, and the chance to improve the standard of living within Kibera.

The people of Kibera have hopes and fears and dreams just like anyone else in any location around the world. There are actors, artists, dancers, craftsmen, and thousands of other talented and passionate residents. Kibera is a real community with some of the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet. Surely they deserve the same dignity and opportunity as those of us lucky enough to be born outside the slum. Yet most of these people will never leave Kibera and will continue to face, head-on, the challenges that life in this community provides.

The average life expectancy in Kibera is just 30 years of age. However, this does not mean there are no elderly people living here. Sadly, the statistics are skewed by high infant and youth mortality.

There are many diseases endemic within Kibera. Many of them are killers and others permanently disabling. Infectious diseases spread easily when people are living in such close proximity to one another. Open sewers and lack of easy access to hand washing facilities exacerbate the problem. If those aren’t challenges enough, factor in the difficulties encountered when trying to access appropriate healthcare.

Common diseases include malaria, tuberculosis, ringworm, cholera, typhoid, dysentery, meningitis, measles, intestinal worms, and HIV/AIDS (13 /14/ 15).

19% of those born in Kibera will not live to see their 5th birthday, with 40% of these tragic deaths due to diarrheal diseases (13).

With clean water expensive and difficult to access, illegal tapping of water pipes is not uncommon. Whilst this gives people access to water, these tapping points are typically poorly constructed and allow sewage to seep into the pipes. Obviously, this then also contaminates the water available at the official distribution locations (13).

Over 50% of Kibera’s eligible workforce is unemployed(10). Many of those with formal employment work in the city, mainly performing unskilled manual tasks. The average wage for these workers is just 1 USD per day(12).

Other Kiberans use their fantastic entrepreneurial instincts to set up their own businesses within the slum. These ventures range from small shops (dukani), where you can buy a packet of biscuits or a ‘top-up’ for your mobile phone, to hair salons, music stores, repair shops, eateries, and pharmacies. Others wash the cars of the middle-classes on the outskirts of Kibera.

Many women can be seen each day sitting on the ground selling food items. Some spend the entire day cooking chapati, which sell for 5 shillings each (around 4p/5 cents). Others sell smoked and salted fish – earning an average of 10 USD per month(12).

For the majority of Kiberans, employment is informal, irregular, and extremely low paid. This creates a population living hand-to-mouth and vulnerable to any unexpected difficulties such as ill health, bad weather, and food price increases.

The average home in Kibera measures just 12ft x 12ft. The walls are built of mud supported by rough wooden poles, often no more than sticks. The floor will usually be dirt, although some residents are able to add a layer of concrete. The building will be roofed with corrugated iron sheets. 10 These quickly rust and turn brown, giving Kibera its nickname of Chocolate City.

In one of these small homes, you regularly find 8 or more people living, cooking, and sleeping. The average rent for one of these structures is 1,500 shillings/month (about £8) and has no water supply or electricity.

The population density (bearing in mind the difficulties measuring the population) is easily 80 times greater than in the City of London.

Of course, in addition to homes, there are many other similarly constructed ‘buildings’. Almost everything can be found in Kibera, from shops, hair salons, and shoe cleaning enterprises, to schools, clinics, repair shops, and banking points. There are also a huge number of churches, mosques, and other places of worship.

Despite the limitations of their home, the people of Kibera continue to create a diverse and comprehensive range of community services.