Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

Quality of life and standard of life in Kibera are very low because of factos such as living in small shanty houses, lack of infrastructure, poor sanitation and low economic status.

Problems in Kibera:

• No roads, so emergency vehicles cannot get into settlements, which means that people cannot receive medical help on time.
• People build their houses on steep hillsides, so houses can slip during the heavy rain season.
• No piped water or sewage, so people cannot stay in good hygiene and they get disease.
• Industrial polluters pour chemicals into the river, so it provides disease for people who use the river as their main source of water.
• Poor wages/ casual work means that people often cannot afford many things and also school fees for their children.
• Young population due to high death rate.

 Solution to the problems:

• Micro-credit is a small loan given to poor residents, so that they can open their own businesses and make money. Traditional banks are unlikely to give loans to them as they do not have a guarantee that they will return the money.
• Dandora Site&Services Scheme - money and site which is connected to running water and electricity is given to families, so that they can build their own houses there. The family has to pay a small rent to the local council for the site.

Good points about living in Kibera:

• small rents
• no property tax
• no zonning laws

Bad points about living in Kibera:

• steep hillsides
• industrial polluters
• poor sanitation
• flood plains
• illegal houses

Housing in Kibera

• some occupied houses, about 800 pounds for 3 rooms to buy
• rented, 400-1200 Kenyan shillings per month to rent
• illegal houses - people build their houses on land that belongs to someone else