August 30, 2012Produced by IRIN News
More than a billion people worldwide live in slums – barely sheltered in shacks that are exposed to the elements, with little or no basic services like electricity and running water or proper sanitation. In Kenya’s capital of Nairobi about a million people battle the daily hardships of abject poverty in Kibera, one of the world’s biggest slums.
In this week’s show we take you into the heart of Kibera and bring you the story of Carol, a single mother of three young children, who hopes to break the cycle of poverty by seeing her children through school. However, earning a meager income by doing other people’s washing, the odds are stacked against her.
Brought to you by IRIN News – airs on Thursday at 9pm on SABC 3
We also tell the story of Dennis Onyango, a young man who was born into poverty and has to overcome his daily challenges in the overcrowded streets of Kibera. Crime becomes an easy way of survival for thousands of young men like Dennis. But, how do you choose the harder road less travelled, trying to earn an honest day’s wages amid widespread poverty and very little opportunities to survive?Despite the misery surrounding them, some of them believe an education will open the minds of these young girls to a world of possibilities and hopefully a way out of Kibera.
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