Monday - The Work Begins...

Jambo! I think that what we experienced today can be best described in pictures. We took over 3000 pictures today so there will definitely be more to show once we are home. Many of us had expectations about today but I think for those who had never been to a slum before, what we literally saw was devastating and unimaginable.

Kibera is the second largest slum in Africa. There are almost 1 million people living in an area that is roughly 300 acres. When we pulled up to Kibera, what we saw caused everyone on the bus to be silent. We parked on a hill and we could look down into the slum areas and see nothing but dirt, trash, and rows of tin and mud buildings for as far as anyone could see.

As we began to make our 300 yard descent into the area, we were passed quickly by some of the people who live there. Many were carrying large items on their heads and walking through the sewage much faster than we were, showing how this is just their way of life. The group took much longer to make it into the slum area and we had to cross a couple unsteady bridges and hold hands often. We all were fairly silent as we made the trip in as everything we saw around us from the random animals everywhere and the trash piles and the smell of sewage.

Our goal for today was to help out one of the many schools existing in the slums. We had 800 new pairs of shoes and new socks to hand out. We walked into the open area where the school was and peeked into the classrooms. There were a lot of kids packed into one room with just one teacher! The kids were so excited to see us and were all yelling “How are you?” It is one of the only things the little ones know how to say in English.

After visiting in the classrooms, we started the shoe passing out process. It was hectic at first but once we got the hang of things, we were able to make lots of kids very happy. The look on their faces when we put on their new shoes and socks was priceless. It was such an amazing feeling to do something so small and see how happy it made the children. They desperately needed the new shoes and socks and it was an honor to be able to help make that possible for them.

Later, we helped with the feeding program. FTC provides hot meals to 122,000 kids a day and sometimes, this is the only meal they receive. They were so grateful for their lunches and we had fun helping to serve them.

Our trip out of the slum was much harder than the trip in but in a different way. We walked out through the rows of little rooms where sometimes 8 to 10 people live. The trash that was there was overwhelming. It is certainly a whole other way of life here. It was incredibly sad to experience even a fraction of what these people go through everyday.

After getting on the bus, we drove through the rest of the slums which was home to small businesses selling so many random things. It is the way people try to make a living. There were meat shops, hair dressers, grocery stores, etc. But, it was nothing like I had ever seen before.

We spent the rest of the afternoon traveling to a smaller slum and visiting another school. We passed out lollipops and Devin Brown wristbands. The kids were so happy! At one time during this visit, there was a classroom that had 92 children in it, quite different than any other kindergarten class one would see in the states. What an eye opener.

The pictures really do speak for themselves. Today was not a day that is easily described or talked about. I think many of us were touched in so many different ways and our hearts indeed go out to the people we saw today who are facing such hardships.

Until tomorrow, Asanti (Thank You) and be encouraged.

-The FTC Team (Written by: Meghan Marburger)