Kibera Slum Facts: Schools, Healthcare, Life Expectancy, And More

Kibera is a small neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya, a part of Africa.

It is of global interest right now, being the largest slum in the city. Kibera slum is also known as the largest urban slum in the whole of Asia.

The Kibera Slum is a densely populated region. According to experts, about 2000 people live in just 10763.9 sq ft (1000 sq m), making the population density very high.

Most families live in informal settlements, which means that they have no claim to the land they live in and their houses are created using available materials that are easy to pull down whenever needed.

Did you know the history of Kibera? After World War I, The Europeans decided to segregate the ethnic population of Africa and the foreigners. As a result, they allotted some land to the Nairobi army, outside the city. This slowly became a slum area, called Kibera. To date, the government considers most of the settlements here illegal.

The people living in Kibera, Nairobi go through a lot of challenges starting from overcrowding, lack of basic services, substance abuse, malnutrition, and a high crime rate. Keep reading to get more idea about how the people here live and survive.

Kibera's Economic Crisis

The Kenyan government has for long, struggled with frequent and severe economic crises and this has affected people at the lower end of the poverty line more, including those who stay in Kibera.

Africa went through frequent economic crises over the years. Kenya, in the '90s, had inflation rates reaching almost 100%. Needless to say, this affected the Kiberan population extremely. Most of the residents in Kibera stay in very small houses sized 12 x 12 ft (3.6 x 3.6 m) or lesser.

Did you know that the economic conditions are so bad that more than 8 people stay in the same house? The government of Africa owns 90% of the land in the slum. A majority of people have to pay an average of KES 700 a month to live in these houses.

Did you know that an average member of this community earns just $1 a day? That's how poor their living conditions are. The unemployment rate in Kibera, Nairobi is about 50%, and this adds to the economical crisis, along with factors like lack of electricity and education.

Issues Regarding Healthcare

Healthcare is considered one of the basic facilities in many countries and it is offered for free by the government. But in Kibera, there are no government clinics or hospitals for the residents? Most of the healthcare facilities offered are by charitable organizations.

The prevalence of HIV in Kibera is about 12.6%. Do note that this is twice the average rate in Africa.

According to statistics, about 36% of women in Kibera are sexually forced and assaulted, thus, increasing the chances of them getting infected with HIV. Most women get to know they are HIV positive only when they get pregnant and are screened for these infections.

There are only 600 toilets for the whole 1.5 million population. Therefore, it is very common to see adults and children using flying toilets in these regions.

They defecate in plastic bags and throw the bag out in public places. It is said that adults and children get affected by a variety of diseases because of exposure to these contents.

Teen pregnancy is very high in the residents here. About 50% of women between the ages of 16-25 are pregnant at any given time. As a result, unhygienic and home abortions are on the rise too, leading to deaths in women.

Due to the lack of pre and postnatal care, one in five children in these ethnic groups dies before the age of five. Children are also exposed to unhygienic standards of living, affecting their physical and mental health.

With minimal access to freshwater, waterborne infections are very common in the community too. This has led to problems like cholera spreading excessively in the area.

Life Expectancy In Kibera

Did you know the life expectancy of a person born and living in Kibera is just 30 as opposed to the global life expectancy of 72.7 years?

Increased risk of infections, low immune systems, lack of healthy and nutritious food, unclean environment, high crime rates, and lack of healthcare facilities, medicines, contribute and clean drinking water, all have bought down the life expectancy of the inhabitants. Extreme poverty and lack of opportunities are other factors that contribute to low life expectancy here.

Education And Other Important Facilities

It is very unfortunate that there are over 100000 orphaned children in Kibera with no access to basic learning. There are no public schools and over 43% of girls and 29% of boys receive no formal education.

However, a few independent non-profit organizations are trying to establish educational support to these children in Kibera and Nairobi. These schools get very limited support from the Kenyan government.

Most of the residents live in shacks made with mud walls that are small and cramped. Houses have a concrete floor or a mud floor and a tin roof.

It is common for the roofs to leak during the rains. Most families cook using charcoal stoves. Though the residents are taught about the health effects of using charcoal for cooking, they don't have any other option.

About 50 huts end up sharing a single toilet. These are dry toilets made by digging a hole in the ground and one such toilet is shared by 50 shacks. The contents have to be removed manually once in a few days. They end up dumping the contents of the toilet into the Nairobi rivers, contaminating them even more.

This largest slum does have access to bus and train facilities to reach other parts of Nairobi.

A lot of the adults in the community are also involved in criminal activities, including sexual harassment, robbery, carjacking, and more.

Did you know that only 20% of the population in the area has access to electricity? Getting an electrical connection to each of the shacks is very expensive even now, and as a result, they are not able to afford the same. Electricity access includes street lights and common security lights.

One of the most vital problems that the WHO and other organizations are trying to address in Nairobi is the lack of freshwater. Leave out running water facilities, people here don't have clean water sources too.

As a result, the individuals are forced to use unsanitized and bad water from the stagnant ponds and lakes, for drinking and various other purposes.

FAQs

How did Kibera become a slum?

Kibera was originally a settlement for Nubian soldiers who served the European army. The settlement slowly converted into an informal settlement of Nairobi individuals and got converted into a slum.

What is Kibera known for?

Kibera is known for being an overly populated region. It is known to be the largest slum in Nairobi. Kibera is also known for extreme poverty levels, shacks built with mud walls, lack of basic facilities, and high crime rates.

What are the living conditions in Kibera?

Life in Kibera, Nairobi is hard. Children and adults are exposed to unhygienic conditions and infections regularly. Lack of basic facilities like electricity, water, living space, and good food makes the situation worrisome.

What is the biggest problem in Kibera?

According to experts, the biggest problem in Kibera is the lack of fresh water. People in this region have to travel really far to find good water and water stored in unhygienic conditions add to the spread of diseases.

Why do people live in slums?

Slums are developed in areas that go through rapid migration, extreme inflation, informal economies, and lack of political and government support. People who don't have a place to stay come together and build temporary huts and shacks in government lands and continue to stay there, creating temporary residencies.

How big is the Kibera slum?

Kibera is just 0.9 sq mi (2.5 sq km) in size and it is about 4.1 mi (6.6 km) from the Nairobi city center.

What is education like in Kibera?

There are a few government schools that run in this part of Nairobi. Most of the schools are run by charities and other private organizations though. These schools are not regulated by the government and offer courses of their choice. This is another unregulated area here.