with a little piece of my heart,
Julia
P.S. I'm trying to learn Swahili! Napapenda hapa!!! ( I love it here!!!)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Mathare Valley Slum
Wow. Poverty is an understatement. The Mathare Valley is the second largest slum in East Africa and is home to more than 500,000 people living in the worst conditions humanly possible. I could not take my camera out while inside the slum for my own protection. I've never seen such a dire situation. Open sewers, trash overtakes walkways, the smells are like nothing you could imagine, dogs and cat roam with puppies everywhere. I spoke for a long time with a man who grew up there and has now (which is very rare) gotten out of it. He joined the youth program of Maji Mazuri when he was 12 years old and now works for them, reaching out to teens and youth. He told me when there is a riot you can not walk it is too easy to die, people kill without remorse, and he says you will walk and see a dead body every couple of steps. He also told me one of the communities biggest challenge is fire. A fire will break out from cooking and spread like a wildfire. The police are corrupt and violent towards the people. It is a vicious cycle. Maji Mazuri is doing such amazing things there, like their headstart program and teen and youth groups. I am so lucky to be working along side with some of the most unselfish people I've ever met. Below is a picture of Mathare from the top, again I could not take my camera out while inside.
with a little piece of my heart,
Julia
P.S. I'm trying to learn Swahili! Napapenda hapa!!! ( I love it here!!!)
with a little piece of my heart,
Julia
P.S. I'm trying to learn Swahili! Napapenda hapa!!! ( I love it here!!!)
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Julia, what are you talking about...it looks just like your room at home. No wonder you feel so comfortable there! Your doing amazing things to change a little spot on earth. Words can't describe what you are seeing and doing. loe you lots, lisa
ReplyDeleteEvery great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
ReplyDeleteHarriet Tubman
Julia - these pictures are life changing! I am so thrilled you are wokring for Maji. What an AMAZING program!!! LOVE U!
ReplyDeleteRabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, the 12th century physician,scholar and philosopher - (often called by the acronym,"RaMBaM"- wrote a code of Jewish Law, the "Mishnah Torah," based on rabbinic oral tradition. He described the giving of Tzedakah, (charity), from the least to the most honorable, in eight stages:
ReplyDelete8. When a donation is made but done so begrudgingly.
7. When one gives less than what is affordable, but does so cheerfully.
6. When one gives when asked.
5. When one gives without being asked.
4. When the recipient knows the donor, but the donor does not know the recipient.
3. When the donor knows the recipient, but the recipient is unaware of the donor.
2. When the donor and recipient are unknown to each other.
1. The highest form of tzedakah (which literally means "justice"), is to give to the recipient in a dignified manner, BEFORE the recipient becomes poor,and/or to assist the poor in a way that would help them sustain their own selves -- thus preserving the human dignity of the recipient.
It looks like you and the other MM volunteers are at the top, er, bottom of the list. God bless all of you.
Julia, The slum.. one of the craziest things that ive read about so many times but never seen... You describe it exactly like the book i read. Incredible. I want you to sneak a pic next time!! much love be safe.
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