KIBERA
SLUM TOUR EXCURSION
COST: KES 3000 per
person. We will require a 40% deposit is due upon booking and balance payable
on the day of the tour.
PREPARING
FOR THE TOUR
You
will receive detailed instructions in your confirmation email, but prepare with
these tips:
• Wear
covered shoes – sandals aren't recommended as the walk is hilly and uneven
• Keep
photos to a minimum, and always ask for permission first
• Leave
passports, backpacks, purses, and large amounts of money at home
• Avoid
flashy items such as SLR cameras, iPhones, or miscellaneous electronics
• Avoid
brightly colored or exposing clothing
• Avoid
giving out money, which furthers the perception that tourists = money
• Enjoy
your time and keep an open mind!
WE
ALSO, RECOMMEND SUPPORTING KIBERA IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
• Avoid
donating cash – instead, consider supporting Kibera initiatives you visit by
offering tangible goods such as food or supplies or through the purchase of
products and services. This will ensure that the intent of your support is
realized immediately. Examples of items for donation include children’s books,
fruits, snacks, and other children's essentials. School supplies such as pencils,
pens, crayons, and notebooks.
•Consider
supporting through volunteerism – several opportunities are available at the
organizations we support, please email info@orangeadventures.co.ke to
learn more.
Kibera
is located in the southwest of Nairobi about 5 Kilometers (3.1 Miles from the city
Centre)
Orange
Adventures Tours & Safaris in
Nairobi takes you to Kibera in Nairobi, the friendliest slum in the world.
Experience a part of Kenya which is unseen by most tourists.
Kibera
Slum Excursion in Nairobi is an escorted tour which starts at 9am from your
residence/ hotel from the city Centre and goes through the Ngong road past
Uchumi Supermarket, turn left just next to the Nakumatt Supermarket.
You
will learn about Kibera's Slum Land
Ownership, Housing, Population, Electricity, Water, Sewage, Medical Facilities
(HIV and AIDS) Clinics, Changaa-Cheap Alcoholic Brew, Drugs, Abortion,
Unemployment and Sport.
The
tour starts by the DO headquarters
through to Bombolulu stage where you start to descend into the three (3)
kilometer Main Kibera slum road.
Visit
the Soweto Village homesteads, and then continue to the Curio (handcrafts) The workshop where you will witness how those living in the Kibera slums are
innovative in making ornaments out of animal bones.
Continue
with visits of the Nursery schools and pass by to see the Water vender and the
Shower shop as you meet other slum dwellers mingling with you as they carry on
with their daily chores.
Turn
right past the roadside fish mongers into the Biogas plant, the only one of its
kind in Africa which will use human waste as its raw material in the production
of Biogas which will be used as cooking gas as well as lighting about 200
households once it is accomplished and commissioned.
Proceed
to the Baraka Za Ibrahim School which is a charitable school, run with the
donations from well-wishers and caters for lower and upper levels of education
starting from Nursery to Secondary level.
It has
boarding facilities for few Orphaned boys and girls, a small kitchen and a
laboratory not to mention a ramshackle over crowded staff room in the Centre of
this tiny overcrowded institution.
Proceed
to the other homesteads including those of the tour guides and security team
members and witness their life styles in the slums. Pass by a popular pub
within the slum for a drink, if you so wish, and pass over the bridge unto the
Railway line.
You may
be lucky to witness the train pass on the railway line amidst the tin-roofed
houses with human beings and animals (goats, dogs, chickens crossing the railway line at the same time).
Cross
the railway line into the Centre housing the sick and share your moment with
these deserving mothers and children of the slum.
BECOME
INSPIRED BY THEIR RESILIENCE AND FRIENDLINESS.
You
will experience that the people of Kibera will certainly make you feel welcome.
A security-guard, well-known in Kibera, will come on the tour to make you feel
even safer.
NOTES:
* Price
include pick-up and drop off from your hotel to Kibera
* You
can join the tour in the morning or in the afternoon. It will take about 2 to 3
hour walk
*
Restricted-picture policy: Pictures are allowed at dedicated places after
permission of the guides
* The
local guides and safety guards are very well-known in Kibera and are even born
and living in Kibera.
KIBERA
SLUM EXCURSION NAIROBI HIGHLIGHTS
Visit
an Orphanage/ School
An
orphanage/school built by 'mama Tunza'. Meet this impressive woman and look at
her work in the children's home.
Visit
a Bead Factory
A bead
factory: in Kibera, everything is being reused and so are also the bones from
the butcher. See how these bones turn into beads.
Visit
a Typical Kibera-House
A
typical Kibera-house. Feel welcome in one of the houses in Kibera and ask your
questions about the day-to-day live in Kibera.
The
Biogas Center
The
biogas center: a fantastic view over Kibera and picture-point. You can see that
also human waste is not wasted here and much more...
By
joining us you will support the people of Kibera. The tour provides local
employment and the profits will be used directly for projects to improve the
lives of the people of Kibera.
KIBERA
SLUM EXCURSION NAIROBI ITINERARY
Our
Kibera tour will start from Adams Arcade (Java Coffee House). This will include
a short walk over the Toi-market, the biggest second-hand market in Nairobi.
We can
also organize the transport to Kibera from your hotel and back at extra costs
(depending on the number of people). You can join the tour in the morning or in
the afternoon. It will take about 3 to 4 hours, including a 2-3 hour walk.
You'll
join the tour in a small group (Maximum 6 persons). Our guides and safety
guards are very well-known in Kibera and are even born and living in Kibera.
Restricted-picture policy: Pictures are allowed at dedicated places after
permission of the guides. If you have wishes regarding places to visit, please
feel free to ask us for a custom-made tour.
KIBERA
SLUM NAIROBI INFORMATION
Kibera
means "forest" is the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Kibera Slum
Nairobi is roughly the same size as New York City’s Central Park, about 1.5
square miles.
At over
1 million people, the population density in Kibera is 30 times that of New York
City and Kibera don’t have multi-level housing. Most people living in Kibera
have little or no access to basic necessities, such as electricity, clean
water, toilet facility, and sewage disposal.
The
combination of poor nutrition and lack of sanitation accounts for many
illnesses and deaths in Kibera slum Nairobi. According to authorities, there
are over 50,000 AIDS orphans surviving in Kibera slum Nairobi, often cared for
by grandparents, over-crowded orphanages, or completely unattended.
For
these and all children in Kibera, schooling is rare and dependent on the ebb
and the flow of family finances, trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Explore
the unseen side of Nairobi through
Kibera, Africa's largest slum and home to over 1 million Kenyans, accounting
for over 40 tribes and various religions that peacefully co-exist in the 2.5
sq. km. area. Recently visited by President Obama, PM Gordon Brown, and UN Sect
General Ban Ki-Moon, Kibera is the subject of countless UN programs targeting
poverty, health, infrastructure, and education. During 2008 post-election
violence, the community became an epicenter of activism, exacerbating political
and tribal rifts in an otherwise peaceful area. The novel and 2005 film, The
Constant Gardener, also popularized Kibera’s health and political issues.
“How
are you,” are the common greetings from the children who are eager to meet the
outsiders. Kibera is a fascinating place with raw eye-opening, yet encouraging
experiences. With an opportunity to explore Kibera with our local native-born
and bred in Kibera guides to understand the work within the community
We
have offered hundreds of safe responsible tours since 2008
Explore
Kibera Tours offers walking tours that cover major points of interests: the
main commercial artery, open-air markets, the Kenya-Uganda Railway, a home
visit, "the cow-bone jewelers," local bead makers, the Kigulu
orphanage, the UN upgrading projects, schools and places of worship.
WE
ARE:
• Safe
and experienced – Visit with a local. We employ trusted guides who are
active in community service. We operate during daytime and within safe public
areas. We have had ZERO incidents of injuries, harassment, or any
complications.
• Orange
Adventure Tours and Safaris – We specialize in Kibera tours vs. large external
operators with only surface-level knowledge of the community.
• Responsible –
We know what’s appropriate. We live and work in Kibera and will provide
guidance around photos, donations, etc.
We are
a responsible tour operator for open-minded travelers and benefit Kibera by
employing knowledgeable local staff, supporting development projects, and
bringing a stream of demand to local artisans. We also work with notable hotels,
agencies, film production crews, media, and university researchers to provide
best in class experiences.
SERVICES
WE RECOMMEND
Mdawida
Homestay
Mdawida
Homestay can offer you a safe and enjoyable accommodation in Nairobi - in the safe and secure suburb of Langata, just a short distance from the city's major
highlights. The location makes for a superb base for traveling around Kenya!
More details.
Our
friends
By
touring with OATS, you support these type of community projects:
Kigulu
Orphanage is one of the many ad-hoc orphanages and schools in Kibera. Run by
volunteers, Kigulu provides education and food for all those directly or
indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS. EKT donates your school supplies and food to
benefit 30+ kids.
Kibera
Community Youth Program is a community- based organization (CBO) run by young
people in the Kibera slum. Recent projects promoted by OATS have included a
solar lamp training and assembly facility designed to reduce costs spent on
charcoal for homeowners. Read more at www.kcyp.net.
Jitolee
Women's Group is a collective of local women artisans who design gorgeous
bracelets, necklaces, bags and other jewelry. Jitolee also acts as a support
group for its single-mother members. Explore Kibera Tours bracelets (pictured
left) are available for sale with all proceeds directly benefitting Jitolee
Women's Group.
The
itinerary
Our
tours start from a well-populated meeting point (near Royal Nairobi Golf Club),
starting at 9am or 2pm daily (flexible upon request/availability) and last ~3
hours. Further details are emailed prior to the tour.
Tourist
tip: A taxi from anywhere in Nairobi
should cost you no more than KES 1200 to arrive at our meeting point.
By the
end of the tour, you will understand the cultural, geographical, and political
landscape. Our visits usually cover: the main commercial artery, open-air
markets, the Kenya-Uganda Railway, a home visit, "the cow-bone
jewelers," local bead makers, the Kigulu orphanage (when open), the UN
upgrading projects, KCYP youth center, Kibera Primary School (founded by Queen
Elizabeth), the Lainisaba Catholic Church, the Makina Mosque.
Kibera
slum Nairobi originated in 1920 as
a soldiers’ settlement. The British colonial government of the time allowed
them to squat on a hillside outside Nairobi. After Kenyan independence in 1963,
however, various forms of housing were made illegal by the government,
rendering Kibera unauthorized on the basis of land tenure. Diseases such as
malaria, cholera, and typhoid afflict large proportions of Kibera residents.
These
diseases are caused by a lack of sanitation facilities in the slum, and often
in the case of communicable disease, sickness is spread across large portions
of the populace. Sanitation in Kibera is non-existent, open sewers carrying
fetid water are everywhere.
Cholera
and Typhoid cases in Kibera are a direct result of the lack of proper sewage
control and disposal. Both Cholera and Typhoid are very debilitating, and can
last for weeks at a time, and without treatment can cause death.
As
residents of Kibera live in structures without any plumbing facilities, clean
water must be accessed from pre-filled water tanks (AKA water points), which
are often controlled by landlords, and expensive for residents to use. Since
clean water is difficult to obtain, residents are often unable to wash their
hands before preparing food or doing other things that can cause diseases to
enter their bodies.
Malaria
is a severe problem in Kibera, and is particularly damaging to the community
because it often causes a person to be so sick that they are unable to work,
which may precipitate the loss of a job or business revenue that is vital to
their family’s survival.
Malaria
is also especially deadly in children and the elderly. The Malaria parasite is
transmitted from person to person through the bite of female mosquitoes, which
requires blood to nurture her eggs.
There
are at least 300 million acute cases of malaria each year globally, resulting
in more than a million deaths. Around 90% of these deaths occur in Africa,
mostly in young children. Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds.
Many
children who survive an episode of severe malaria may suffer from learning
impairments or brain damage. Pregnant women and their unborn children are also
particularly vulnerable to malaria, which is a major cause of prenatal
mortality, low birth weight, and maternal anemia
One of
the primary factors in Malaria spread in Kibera is ineffective wastewater
drainage's that run thru the slum. In many parts of Kibera, drainage's are
simply channels dug in the dirt, and they quickly become muddy and clogged with
waste.
Residents
use the drainage's to remove waste water and solids from their household area.
As the drainage's are simply made of dirt they do not flow very effectively;
pools of water and waste form in these channels once they are clogged, and this
is where mosquitoes lay their eggs.
As
drainage's collect waste, they also become breeding grounds for cholera and
typhoid, as well as other diseases, and since these drainage's are unprotected
from human contact, transmission can occur very easily, especially in children
who play nearby. (Above text courtesy of Kibera Slum Foundation)
