Poverty: Where to Begin

I get excited when i read stories of how people are working hard to eliminate poverty in their community. More so in Kibera slums. I have a passion for this place, though i've never been in there. Do i blame the American media for bringing it to my attention, heck ya! I do. Kibera has an international attention as being the biggest slum in Africa. Problem is, there are people who live here. These are women, children and men in this community of about 1 million. According to the website that's home to one of the organizations based in Kibera, these slum dwellers reside on a piece of land that was used for military purposes, and since it wasn't a part of Nairobi, the government does not provide help at all. Whether that's true or not, i don't know.

All i know is that every citizen has a right to education, and health care from the government. If that's not possible, then people like me with the little that i know and have would like to be of help to the these families. But how does one even imagine they can help a whole million people? Ok...wait, let's begin with one at time. Where do i even begin? A lot of people have ideas, others have acted on their ideas and have succeeded on these ideas. I have my ideas too. My husband and I do, but we've gotta sit down and pen them. Like i had said before, i don't have money, I'm not even in Kenya, and neither I'm I going there tomorrow. But i would like to help. I would like to meet or hear from groups that work closely with individuals from Kibera. People who have succeeded in identifying families to support in any way. I would love to see a progress report, of how they've helped, what has changed in these people's lives, and what else is needed to be done. Kibera is alive on Youtube.com, and I'm excited that the Western brought all these things to my attention.

First, i want to start with young girls. When you educate a girl, she always remembers. She uses every fiber in her to come back and help the community. Boys should be educated the same too, but girls have a lesser chance of achieving higher and a bigger chance of falling victim to domestic work, early marriages and prostitution. When you give a girl a chance, she embraces it all, and the result is a changed mindset that changes the community.

Libraries, health clinics, wellness centers and counseling services are needed to cater for the needs of women in slum areas. Books should be a companion to every girl. Books open up a world of imagination, hope, inspiration and desire to receive more. If libraries were erected in every street of the Kibera slums, many kids would have a chance at life. Books would replace prostitution, confinement and illiteracy.

Health clinics are vital to women. Of all species of the human kind, women have the most issues when it comes to health, body, wellness and sound mind. From when one is a young girl, to puberty and adolescent- and to being a grown up, there are a million things that occur in the mind, body and soul of a woman. If all these things are not handled with care, nurturing and feeding, the body, soul and mind fall apart. When a woman falls apart, the community falls too.

Wellness centers and counseling services encourage women to look at the brighter side. Believing in yourself as a woman, carrying yourself with dignity as a woman and reacting with grace and integrity are a part of being a woman of substance. It's vital that every woman has a right to express, live fearlessly and succeed in life.

With these three things in place, a woman can achieve a lot, and the community will thrive. God help me to become one that is able to help my sistas, the women and girls in Kibera who didn't have a chance, to find themselves, to succeed and be proud of who they are.