An intern’s summer project explores Kibera’s community and solidarity
Recently, Diane and Mike Christian of Someone Else’s Child were fortunate to spend several days in the Kibera Slum (near Nairobi, Kenya) with Victor Onyango and Salim Rollins, co-founders of Kibera Rising, a key partner organization for SEC. They spent meaningful time with the youth and families served by the program. They were profoundly struck by the strong communal feeling in Kibera and the deep care that the community shares for its children.
SEC’s 2022 summer intern was Jane Fogarty, a history major interested in connecting events in the past to a range of current social justice issues across the world. As her summer project, and guided by the meaningful insights of Victor Onyango, she researched Kibera. The goal of her project was to uncover how Kibera residents maintain such a deep sense of community and solidarity despite harsh conditions and abject poverty. Included in her thoughtful research is a brief history of Kibera, assessment of its tangible problems, and reflections on a brighter future path.