Slummin Around...

Today we visited Kangemi, part of Kibera slum, the second largest slum in Africa. We started the morning at St. Joseph Church, which happened to be the church that Pope Francis visited last November. As a result of the visit, the main road had street lights installed and the gravel road was improved. Next, we went to St. Josepth dispensery and maternity ward. The maternity ward was built in 2014, and included a nursing room for childrens' vaccinations, four postpartum beds, and a delivery room with two beds. The delivery room does not accommate C-sections or any premature/complicated births. They don't have an ambulance, so if a mother needs to go to the nearest hospital and the mother can't afford one, they have to take the ward's truck, and traffic can cause real issues.

We also got a quick tour of Dolly's Center, where women and men made dolls, bead accessories, and priest vestments. Then we headed to Upendo, a prep school for kids aged 6-12 before they're accepted to the nearby primary school. There were 13 kids in the class, and 7 had already tested into the primary school. The kids were from Small Christian Communities around the slums, that St. Jospeh's had helped create. They could stay at the school for up to two years, at which point they had to pass a test and interview to get into the primary school. Upendo then helped pay for their tuition at the primary school, since most of the time, the families could not pay it. At the end of the visit, we brought some toys and candy for the kids, and they could not have been happier.

After, we made a quick stop to the primary school, where the kids were out at recess and had a great time giving us high fives and handshakes. We visited a classroom for special education children, and all left with beautiful necklaces that they had made.

We had a delicious meal at St. Joseph's, then drove around Kangemi a little more, seeing the other church associated with St. Joseph's. Before heading to dinner with Fr. Francis and the Jesuit priests, we drove through downtown Nairobi to get a feel for the city. At dinner, we met priests from all over the world, and had great conversation. It was our longest day yet, but full of great experiences!

Pictures to come when the wifi is working better!