Organic Farming in Kibera -Africas largest slum.
We’ve all heard of Kibera, but how many of us have actually been there? Kibera for those that don’t know, some say is the second largest slum in Africa, home to over 1,000,000 Kenyans. Others say it has now surpassed Soweto in South Africa making it the largest. As a Kenyan living on the outskirts of Nairobi, my impression of Kibera has developed over the years through the media. Flying toilets, burning tyres, muggings, rape, pilfering, disease, polluted water and simply just squallor. Recent pictures of rowdy stone throwing youth and rumours of Mungiki (rasta militia) killings would have one presume only the mad or those with a death wish would venture into ‘Kibera’.
Kibera was started in 1912 by the British colonial Government, as an informal settlement for the ‘Nubians’, people of Sudanese origin who had fought in the King’s African Rifles. At that time, the area was a bushy 4000ha peice of land with 600 Nubian inhabitants. Through the years the population increased by 17% and by 1998 there were half a million inhabitants. Today, 2008, only ten years later, estimates put Kibera at 1,000,000 inhabitants. The real truth is, no one knows the real figure.
It sounds like a really scary place with really scary scavenging people who would rob, rape and kill you in the blink of an eye. And sadly for many it will remain in their minds as such a place largely because no one writes about the good stuff in Kibera.
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of visiting this ‘hell hole’. To begin with I was a little apprehensive. I had been asked by one of my Green Dreams Box Scheme customers, if I would assist a group of youth in developing an urban organic farm,…………….wait for it……….. on a reclaimed garbage site!!. My first impression was GROSS!!! How could this be possible? What about the toxins, security, water………isn’t all the water in Kibera contaminated and full of sewage ??
Claire has been assisting the group in various ventures and didn’t take too long (over a rushed salad and introduction of puppy to her beautiful daughter) to convince me to at least have a peek and give some advice………….So, a date was arranged to go into Kibera. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it, however Wakio my good friend went along with Erick (the project co-ordinator) and came back with the following pictures
My first reaction was ‘Where is the soil?
It took me a week to wrap my head around the reality of the project I now felt
committed to doing.
Technorati : Kibera, organic farming, slum
May 5th, 2008 at 2:23 am
[...] Here they are creating a worm farm to generate organic fertilizer. I encouraged Su to start a blog because it is so fascinating and her discoveries are so useful - everything she is doing can be replicated elsewhere in Africa. I’m so pleased that she followed my advice, you can now follow the story of this unconventional organic farmer and the conversion of a garbage dump in Kibera to a productive garden here. [...]
May 5th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Hi
Thank you for the comment, we have just come back from Kibera and have some amazing photos to post, the land has all been prepared and we are now ready to put in the piping and fences. It’s hugely exciting.
On the photos of the worm farm, this picture is from Gilgil, where we trained the Kigogo Organic farmers. We will be putting up the worm farm in Kibera within the next two weeks.
Hopefully I will post the latest on Kibera today
May 6th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Yes, I have heard of this not only being attempted, but with success by a women in South America, she was featured on CNN’S Planet Heroes. She turned a huge plot of land, filled with trash into an area where crops are now grown. Really an amazing story. Looking forward to hearing more about this innovative project. One big question, where did all the trash go?
May 6th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Hi Theresa, Thank you so much for visiting our blog!! Paula has spoken about you often…….and yes, to answer that little question in your mind……she has said all good stuff!
I’m sure many folk are wondering about where the garabage went and although I had mentioned it in a later posting, it may have gotten lost in all the other interesting stuff.So I’ll blog it .
Regards Su
May 7th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Hi Su, thanks for your reply! Paula is a gem…not sure how she does it all, but we are very, very lucky, to have her at the helm. Please, when you can, let me know how you dealt with this garbage. Willcheck back often, to follow your progress. BTW, sorry to hear, you lost your farm…not sure I could over come such adversity and turn it around, theway you did, good for you!