Kibera is the largest slum in Africa and second largest in the world. There is no accurate census as the area is largely ignored by the Kenyan Government. Most of the residents are unemployed or earn less than $1 a day, living in extreme poverty. The area is run by competing gangs and violent crime is a major problem. It is so dangerous for women that at night they use “flying toilets”, buckets thrown out the window into the street, rather than risking going outside to public toilets.

To better understand Kibera’s issues and possible solutions, I spent time with Kennedy Odede, founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), who grew up homeless on the streets of Kibera. SHOFCO addresses problems of education, clean water, health care and gender violence in Kibera and other Kenyan slums.