The way that much of the world lives

You never know what it's like until you're there. You hear the term "urban slum", but in our comfortable, Western world, they're just two words. Occasionally, you'll hear about problems - uprisings, violence, despair, addiction, sickness, disease, death - but it's just a news item or a report from someone in a faraway land. It's different up close.

Experiencing a small part of the Mathare slum has had a significant impact on many of us on the Kenya team. Even though we spent less than an hour walking through a small portion of Mathare - the second largest slum in Nairobi - it has evoked a variety of emotions in me. Anger, frustration, sadness, and yes, hope.

Exterior of a house in Mathare

Life outside the house

It's hard to think about what it's like to grow up and live in the slum. Your dwelling is made of corrugated metal, stones, wood, mud, and anything else available. You might not have a door - only a piece of cloth separating you and your family from the outside. If you're lucky, you have something like linoleum or a rug to put over the dirt floor. Your dwelling sits side by side with countless others - a mass of humanity living in very small, dense spaces.

Walking along the paths between houses

Outside your door is a path, and in the middle of the path is a trench, sometimes flowing, sometimes stagnant, with raw sewage mixed with garbage. Your children, chickens, dogs all share this space - playing, cooking, washing - living. Down by the nearby river are the distilleries where people brew illegal moonshine - that addicting concotion that can blind and kill. Drunks wander the paths - the one we encountered spoke some english, but was clearly still under the influence.

Children welcoming the mzungus to their world

As you walk along the paths, you hear sounds: crying children, people selling fruit and corn, a dialogue from a movie in Mandarin and Swahili. You hear and see kids - coughing, sniffling - apparently happy at times - running to see the mzungu who have come to experience their world. Some smile, say the only English they know - "How are YOU!" - while others just stare.

A child in Mathare

My frustration builds as I think "No one should have to live like this. We have solutions!" Plumbing, sewage treatment, fresh water, medicine and drugs - these alone are sufficient to make their lives better! But that ignores the political, economic and spiritual issues that need to be addressed.

The Mcedo Beijing School

Luckily, there are pockets of hope. Many organizations provide relief supplies. The school and church we visited, Mcedo Beijing School and Grace Community Church, are committed to providing education, meals and hope to hundreds of children in Mathare. Many of their staff grew up in Mathare and have decided to return to Mathare to build their community and make it a better place. Some choose to continue to live in Mathare and serve at the school.

Pastor Benedict of the Mcedo School


Pastor Benedict and Trenton Yenokida talk with a Mcedo graduate who is now enrolled in a High School

Our contributions to the Mcedo School seem small - we're painting 4 classrooms, reorganizing a library that our church and other churches helped supply with books, and leading a worship service in their church. But as important as the acts of service are - we all see how important it is to see and understand with our own eyes, ears and noses what life is like in Mathare. It's important for us to partner with them - as Christians, as fellow brothers and sisters - to help them change their world for the better.

One of their staff members mentioned to a team member when we departed "Don't forget us". I don't think there's any way any of us can - and we will not forget you.