In the heart of Nairobi’s second largest slum, St. Lazarus School rises from the rubbish strewn streets. We begin our steep and bumpy ascent into Kibera. It’s rush hour and people by the hundreds stream toward downtown Nairobi on foot. Vendors along the road set out their wares, mostly fried bean cakes and vegetables, to sell to the commuters.
MODERN MEETS MALNOURISHED
A woman and child sleeping alongside the road wake and begin to stir. Behind them an advertisement asks, “How are your stocks doing?” It’s the contrast that strikes you, the juxtaposition of Wall Street, the Ying-Yang Twins, cell phone companies, churches, mortuaries and malnourishment. The air is muggy and thick. Heavy clouds loom with the promise of much-needed rain. As we crest the hill, you can see the vastness of the slum. It’s overwhelming.
The total area of Kibera comprises less than one percent of Nairobi, but it holds 25 percent of Nairobi’s population or about 1 million people. Row after row of ten-by-ten-foot corrugated steel, dung and wood houses are crammed together. It’s not uncommon for a family of eight to ten to share the 100 square foot space.
The streets are lined with goats, dogs and unidentifiable refuse. Narrow and slick, the road would not be considered passable by American standards. At times, it seems we’re certain to slide into one of the irrigation ditches on either side of us. They appear uniquely designed to swallow our tires. I close my eyes, putting my faith in Daniel, our driver from Gamewatchers. His nerves never falter.
GRATITUDE IS PLENTIFUL
Madame Rachel meets us at the entrance of the school, an alley way and corrugated steel building indistinguishable from its neighbors, save the sounds of children reciting their lessons in unison. Our group of nine crowds into Madame Rachel’s five-by-ten foot office where she explains how the school works. Each morning begins in prayer, the children express their gratitude for another day and another opportunity to learn.
Gratitude is everywhere at St. Lazarus. The children, some as young as 2, know how lucky they are to be in school. St. Lazarus is able to provide the kids with a glass of juice to start their day and a high-protein lunch. It’s often the only thing the kids eat. In the kitchen, the chef counts out the day’s lunch one bean at a time. She’s going to cook lunch for 150 children in one pot over a fire in a barrel.
The children take great pride in learning, proudly singing us songs in Swahili and English. The classrooms are tiny, approximately 300 square feet each, and hold about 50 kids. The children don’t have their own desks. They barely have enough space to put their own elbows down on the tables in front of them. They embrace the closeness, wrapping their arms around each other or jostling each other playfully.
Yes, Madame Rachel wants the kids to learn, but she also loves that school keeps them off the streets. That’s why she starts school at 8am and ends it at 4pm. Homework is important, too, she says. Keep them busy and out of trouble is her philosophy. Her great hope is that her students will go to college and return to Kibera with the skills, ideas and motivation to improve conditions for everyone.
LIVING WITH DEATH
Many of these children are being raised by grandparents or extended family as they lost their mothers and fathers to AIDS. While HIV educational materials are everywhere, shockingly frank educational materials, the disease continues to devastate an entire generation.
The children of St. Lazarus live with death each day. It’s at their doorstep. Literally. The slum is surrounded by funeral superstores, the likes of which I’ve never seen. Think Costco for caskets. Additionally, there are many small shops selling coffins, many in children’s sizes, throughout Kibera. It appears to me that coffins are more plentiful than food.
St. Lazarus School is aptly named as it turns death into life each day, devastation into hope and children into the future of Kenya. It’s a testament to the courage and dedication of Madame Rachel and her staff that gratitude grows in a place where nothing else will.
Guests on our Sweet Kenya Safari delivered school supplies, clothing and hygiene supplies to the school, in addition to donating $300 to help complete a general assembly room for the school. A traveler on our Sweet Caribbean Cruise and mortgage broker Crista Luedtke has pledged $500 to the St. Lazarus School for each Sweet referred mortgage or refinance that closes. Learn more about how you can get a great rate on a home loan and help the kids at St. Lazarus.
Tags: Shannon Wentworth, Sweet Somethings
