The Nairobi Child

Nairobi is a great city. A place of great opportunities and distress. Many people have come to Nairobi and made it and many others have lost it. In Nairobi we have people in mansions and sky scrappers and others in the streets. We have places with greenery and others with concrete yet others in mud and dust.

Many Nairobi-ans get to and from work , school etc via the train,motorbike,bicycle, matatu industry, taxi, or personal means by car or foot. Each group of commuters has its own challenges and benefits e.g. personal space for those in private cars, fitness for bicycles and walking, ease in traffic for those not in cars or buses etc.

The children of Nairobi are also subject to these and other disparities. Recently I was in a matatu and some children who came out of school were waiting to go home and approached the matatu I was in . The matatu tout allowed only one boy out of the 5 or so boys to board. I wondered why. The boys were around 8-10 years old

On another day I was in Nairobi town and a lady beggar who looked to have elephantiasis on her feet and had a young 2-3 year old girl with her. As i got near her she pinched the child so hard it brought such anger to me. I thought to myself the child was being punished so as to attract sympathy to the lady and get some money.

Everyday in Nairobi women carry children on their backs to aid in begging in the city of Nairobi. Young boys threaten our security as they move in groups looking for sustenance.

I wonder how this can change? Is there a solution as the rest of Nairobi moves on are the Children safe, are we safe?