Zachary Keegan: Employment Success in Kibera

Employment Success in Kibera by Zach Keegan

Making a living is a huge challenge for the people who live in slums. Kibera, located outside of Nairobi, has been Kenya’s largest and one of the world’s largest slums for some time and there is a reason for it: the economy. The current unemployment rate is 40% ("World Factbook: Kenya"), which means only a slim majority are employed. A lot of people in Kibera who are underemployed (employed with not much work or pay) are still living in poverty. There is help being given financially and in many other ways by organizations from around the world. Unfortunately, there might not enough help to salvage Kibera (Mitchell).
One thing that could for sure help Kibera, or even Kenya, is a well-rounded economy. In 1979, the census in Kenya showed that it had one of the largest population growths in the world (3.8%) (McCormick, Alila, and Omosa 362). Good news, right? Wrong, the spike in the population growth caused negative effects towards access to basic services, physical facilities, and employment opportunities (McCormick, Alila, and Omosa 362). Unemployment had continued to steadily grow since the population increased yet another 3.1 percent ("Adolescent Reproductive Health Development Policy" 3.1). In time the population did decrease, but it had no effect on the unemployment rate due to the still excessive amount of labor force and high fertility rates increase from 4.7 to 5 percent in five years (Nyong'o). This eventually led to steady increase in crime, drinking, and violence because the people became desperate for work that was non-existent ("Adolescent Reproductive Health Development Policy" 3.1).
In Kibera, there is a population density roughly 30 times more than Manhattan with half of the citizens unemployed and committing crimes (Cronin and Guthrie 130, 131). Living in an area that contains more germs than a dumpster can have serious tolls on a person both mentally and physically. At this point, for the people of the slums, it’s about options and opportunities. To be honest, it is not impossible to find a job in Kibera or any other slum, although most have to put their dignity aside in order to do so. Shining shoes, cleaning choo’s (pit latrines), prostitution, distributing changaa (moon shine), etc… these people will work for the pay regardless of the position. Yet, there is still a sense of pride (U.K.)
As previously stated, it is not impossible to find a job in the slums, but the chances of finding a decent job or improving a career are slim. Sometimes people are lucky enough to have connections outside of the slum that can manage a job for them like housekeeping or other kinds of labor. The other half of the time a job is to be earned. Determination and trust need to be shown before an employer will accept a person from the slums as an employee. One example of someone who bettered their career conditions is Daniel Ogola, the first person Barcott stays with after Olouch. Ogola has worked more jobs in his lifetime than most can imagine. An aerosol can even explode in his face and he kept working. ("Always Something New: Notes from Africa") Ultimately he got an accounting job and apartment in Nairobi (Barcott).
People of the slums may be more than willing to find work in other areas. The only problem is whether or not other areas will accept them. This is taken very seriously in Kenya because of the many different tribes and the two social classes (poor and wealthy). Barcott mentions in his book that he sat next to a hotel owner from Nairobi during one of his flights and the man had told him that the problem with employing people from slums is not whether or not they acquire the skills, it is about trust. There is a label on those from slums that they are all untrustworthy and/or criminals.
Kibera cannot be salvaged, but it can be helped. Civilians are the only ones who can improve Kibera, but organizations like Carolina for Kibera and Kibera U.K. are around to help by becoming involved in the community and offering donations to local leaders. If improvements continue to be made by local leaders and civilians, then one day Kibera and Kenya will hopefully be restored. Until then the economy is in shambles and poverty is increasing, making life harder for the slums.
Sources
Barcott, Rye. It Happened on the Way to War. 1st. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2011. Print.
Cronin, Victoria, and Peter Guthrie. "Alternative approaches to slum upgrading in Kibera, Nairobi." Proceedings of the ICE - Urban Design and Planning 164.2 130, 131. Web. 12 Sep 2011.

McCormick, Dorothy, Patrick Alila, and Mary Omosa. Business in Kenya: Institutions and INteractions. Nairobi: University of Nairobi Press, 2007. 362. Print.

Nyong'o, Peter. "Statement by Hon. Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o ." Minister for Planning and National Development To the United Nations Thirty-Eighth session of the Commission on Population and Development. Republic of Kenya. New York, 4-8 April, 2005. In Person.

Republic of Kenya. Adolescent Reproductive Health Development Policy. Web.

U.K., Kibera. "Facts & Information about Kibera." Kibera U.K.. N.p., 2007. Web. 2 Oct 2011.

World Factbook: Kenya. C.I.A. Web.