Recently, I've been thinking about how living here is… well, comfortable. And some people might think that sounds strange, to say that living in the slums is
comfortable. But, almost 9 months in, I can honestly say that this place
feels like home. The things that used to be inconvenient I can now see some
beauty… or humor in. Let me give you a little picture of the daily “inconveniences”
that now make me feel at home here in Kibera.
1. Bucket Baths
The
infamous bucket baths. I would wager that almost everyone who’s ever been on a
short-term mission trip overseas has encountered one of these. Most people,
including myself, are initially shocked at how little water they have to bathe
in and struggle to cup their hands appropriately in order to splash themselves
with water without wasting any (this is an art form, trust me). This is what I
do every day, and after about a week of it, I began to really appreciate my
bucket baths. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I spend too much time in
the shower, and this has been an excellent way to cut back on my daily “prep”
time. Plus, there’s something that just feels good about conserving water use, and then reusing the water from my
bucket bath the “flush” my squatty potty (thanks to my brother for inspiring and encouraging
me to be more environmentally friendly with my life).
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| My bathroom: complete with cleaning supplies, "flush" bucket, squatty potty, and bathing basin. |
2.
Squatty Potties
Like
bucket baths, almost anyone who has ever been overseas has probably used one of
these. Again, the technique takes some time to learn, but I have found that
squatty potties are really pretty great! Not only does it take less time to use
the restroom, it uses less water (because you pour it in yourself, instead of
allowing a machine to automatically add more than is needed), AND it’s a
workout for your legs! Be gone thunder thighs!
3.
Filling Water Buckets
For
those back at home, it might be hard to think about not having access to
running water. But for people in the slums, this is completely normal and
almost universal. Initially, the downside was having to cart water to my house
from the compound area in buckets (we have three: one for kitchen use, one for
bathroom use, and one for bathing). But when you think about it, it’s actually
not that bad. You’re using much less water than leaving the faucet running and
again, you get a free workout! If you want to get rid of any arm flab, simply
stop using running water – your arms will thank you.
4.
Unreliable Electricity
Here
in Kibera, a lot of people use tapped electrical lines to obtain electricity.
We don’t do that in my house, but regardless, my line is one of the worst for
electrical reliability in my neighborhood. Just a week or so ago, we went 5 days without any
electricity. It was kind of an inconvenience that time, but most times our
electricity goes out it’s only for a day or two. But, you want to know what’s
great about electrical outages? It’s actually quiet in the slums. No TVs are blaring, music isn't constantly in
the background, and people actually talk to each other. Imagine everyone in
your neighborhood’s electricity went off for a few days. You might actually get
to know your neighbors a bit more, wouldn't you? Plus, it’s an excuse to have
candle-lit dinners every night, for all of you romantics out there.
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| Life teaches you to be creative - Don't have candle holders? Tin coffee mugs do the trick! |
5.
Matatus
If
I haven’t mentioned matatus before, these are souped-up 15 passenger vans that
are used as the main form of public transportation around Nairobi and Kenya.
Initially, they’re kind of intimidating. There’s typically a man hanging from
the door, shouting prices and locations, and it’s honestly confusing for the
first few times. But, once you get the hang of it, matatus are great! It’s
really cheap transportation (typically $0.11 – $0.57 per trip), you don’t have
to drive, you don’t need to know exactly how to get there (which is great for
directionally challenged people like me), and it’s usually pretty quick. Plus,
you occasionally get to randomly meet your friends on the way, which doesn’t
really happen if you’re driving your own separate cars.
6.
Shopping
Okay,
I need to be honest. Shopping initially scared me here. First of all, I’m not a
huge fan of shopping, but on top of that, I didn’t know what fair prices were
or even where to find things. But now
that I’ve been here for a while, I know all of those things and I’ve made
friends with the shop vendors around my house. In the mornings, I barely have
to walk more than 100 yards to get my milk and eggs. And Mama Lucy, the lady I
always buy them from, knows exactly which brand of milk I prefer and how many
eggs I typically need. Much better than driving to the grocery store and I’ve
made a great friend as well!
7.
Unannounced Visitors
This
might be the only thing that still sometimes feels like an inconvenience, but I’m
really starting to appreciate this quirk about living in Kibera. In the U.S.,
we always call our friends and arrange a time to stop by and visit. In Kibera,
people think you’re strange if you do that. Just come over! If I’m home, then that’s
great. If not, I’ll probably be home in an hour, so just wait for me. That’s
the general attitude of the people here, and it’s typically true. Women are usually in their homes or around nearby, and since I typically only visit
women, this is often what I do. There is something wonderful about being able
to just go and stop by your friend’s house without informing them. It makes the
friendship seem that much more real and unconditional, that no matter the time
of day, you are always welcome in your friend’s house. I often get sporadic
visitors – my favorite being the little 2 year old from my host family, my
immediate neighbors. He often just pops in during the day to say hello, laugh,
and eat my oranges, if I have any.
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| Fadhili, my "little man" |
So, there
it is. Life in Kibera. The simplicity of living here is so refreshing, and
while it may have seemed burdensome at first, the joy I find in living simply
here with my new found friends and family is going to be the hardest part of
saying goodbye, when the time comes. May you be encouraged to live simply where
you are and to find beauty and humor in the “simple things”.
