Long Days of Kenya

For many on our team, I think today was pretty shocking. It was our first day in the slums, which until you've seen them, I'm not really sure that words can even do the place justice. For me, I've traveled to over a dozen countries, but I've witness few places more plagued than the Nairobi slums. The streets are inconceivably narrow, sometimes less the a car width, and the smell at times unbearable as the stench of smoldering trash heaps and streams of excrement and waste water fill the nostrils. The roads stretch on for miles in a maze like pattern, making getting lost incredibly simple. But it isn't all bad, despite the near impossible conditions, the streets are filled with some wonderful people. Every day they gather, in a seemingly closed community, as few are brave enough to venture in, selling their wares, cooking local fare, and visiting with their neighbors. As a general rule, the people are welcoming, many of whom waved to us as we drove by, shouting with great excitement "the Muzungu's" (Swahali for "whites"). The whole scene is some strange blend of beauty, culture, and affliction. You leave wondering how you should feel, and time perhaps provides little clarity.