Kibera, one of the largest slums in the world, is a place that I had wanted to visit for a while. Although I had read about the slum prior to my trip, nothing compares to the actual sights, smells and sounds of being there in person.

I won't touch on the statistics and history of Kibera, as I am no expert in this field and would rather those who are interested do some research themselves. The reason for this is that the information provided online is incredibly varied- for example, some sources state the number of inhabitants to be around 170,000 and other upwards of a few million. Again, although I cannot confirm the true population of Kibera, I can comment on my own experience visiting the slum and how it impacted me.

We were guided through Kibera by locals, rather than an organized tour run by foreigners and police escorts. Although we were still incredibly visible to the public, I hoped that without security, we would have a more normal experience and be able to speak more openly with locals without an awkward barrier. We spent only a few hours in Kibera but it felt much longer. The slum is large, but very densely populated. There are no real roads or streets, just mud-packed paths- some incredibly steep and slippery- that weave in and out of stick and metal homes. The houses themselves are tiny, most the size of a typical North American bedroom, with no real ventilation, leaving the air thick and heavy inside. There is garbage absolutely everywhere, and the heat creates an indescribable smell that penetrates the entire slum.

There are some shops where locals sell used items or food, and there are also schools for the children. However, after everything I saw, I had many unanswered questions- where do they get the items to sell? Do locals have the funds to purchase these items? How do most of these people make a living? Are the schools government-funded? Is it commonplace to stay in the slum if you were born there? What is the level of infection from contaminated water or from lack of hygiene? How did this slum come to form? Will it always be here?

One thing that was particularly difficult for me to process was the complete disconnect from one area of Nairobi to another. It was only the night before that we were sitting on a modern, heated patio in Westlands, drinking lattes with prices on par to those in North America. Now, we were sitting in a home of a person who can barely afford to pay monthly rent that costs slightly more than that same latte. Growing up in Canada has granted me the ability to experience equality. Although there are definitely income variances in Canada, it is nothing close to the extent of that in countries such as Kenya, amongst many others.

I'm happy that I was able to visit Kibera for a few different reasons. For anyone living in North America who doesn't realize their own privilege, it is certainly a humbling experience. However, it was also important for me to see this area for myself, to either break or reinforce the images that are portrayed by the media and experience the reality of life in Kibera, even for just a few hours. However, our experience in Kibera only scratched the surface of the daily realities faced by those who live there. We were wearing proper shoes, had cameras and wore clean clothes. We knew that we would be getting back onto our bus where our water bottles awaited and where we would be driven to a hotel to change and grab some lunch. Those people who lived in Kibera didn't have that, and maybe never would.

Taking all of this into consideration, it is most important to remember what we have been blessed with. We are no better than anyone living in any slum, but have been lucky to have the chance to pursue our aspirations. We should not pity them, but step back and think about why this divide, or blockage of opportunities and resources is there in the first place. Perhaps, that's what we, as future leaders of tomorrow, need to do. We need to create more opportunities for individuals and whole communities to thrive and succeed.

Photos by Me.