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7

Life in the famous Kibera slum.

Author:

edwin omulama

Location:

Kenya

Themes:

Resilience

My name is Edwin, I am verry happy today to share my life story with you. I am from a family of 10 with 4 brothers and 4 sisters. Sadly i lost my father in the year 2012, something which made our family in the ghetto loose its stability.

One unique thing that you don't know about our family is the fact that there are four of us who have been struck with visual impairment. None of us was born blind but acquired it along the way. Living in the slum area was very stressful particularly for me, because the environment is not inclusive at all. Many a times , I got my self into ditches. I remember one day I fell in the famous Nairobi river full of sewage water. I thought I would be dead or even extremely ill. Luckily, I was saved by a group of goons who beat me thoroughly after the incident.

I was too scared to inform anyone at home because punishment was our daily family bread from our father. I hated poverty with all my heart. I remember one time my dad came from work and found me lighting up fire so that we can cook dinner. Unfortunately, we were unlucky because he had no money that day so we would sleep without eating anything. Angrily, he took a bucket of water and poured on the fire, and told us to go and sleep.

All 11 of us were residing in a single-room house with no toilets. A flying toilet was the trend, that meant you had to do your business in a polythene bag and throw it away anywhere. I hated that life with all of my heart and I pray that nature never allow me to go back to search a lifestyle. I am now am educated thus am holding a diploma in human resources management which is something that reminds humanity that gold is found even in the earths ground. Your background does not determine your success and future. Have hope and faith in all you do as you work hard to achieve your goals and objectives in life.

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