Contrasts
The night sounds from where I sit right now seem to me a representation of Nairobi. Crickets and tree frogs sing and chirp in the garden outside. Some of my favorite sounds. In contrast to that, a bit further off, like a windup cricket gone wrong is the endless repetitive screech of a siren. It goes on and on without respite. Grinding car motors, horns sounding occasionally from the street outside muffle it all. Upstairs in the apartment above, the sultry music of a French singer is playing on a stereo.
As I travel through Nairobi by cab I am driven through a variety of neighborhoods; some very rich with vast manicured lawns, beautifully tended gardens and luxurious designer houses. And I see the other extreme everywhere, ramshackle huts, youth gangs wandering the streets prompting a “lock doors, rollup windows” reaction from all drivers even in broad daylight.
Nairobi is a place where people from all over the world come together – it boasts the second largest UN site and is the preferred destination of international conferences hosted by UNESCO, UN, The British Counsel to name a few. Kenya itself encompasses many different ethnic groups, 70% of the population is made up of 5 different ethnicities and the other 30% is said to encompass up to 65 other groups. Most Kenyans are Christian, but there is a strong Muslim presence and other religious groups are represented also. Many of the people of Kenya converge in Nairobi, many of them poor, hoping to change their way of life with the promise of opportunity. This situation has contributed to the slum and crime situation in Nairobi.
Although my hotel is a lovely sanctuary from the dusty streets with its inner garden, swimming pool and outdoor terrace, only a few miles away lies one of the biggest slums in Africa, the notorious Kibera. This place is known for crime, extreme poverty, lack of sanitation and disease. Almost 1 million people live in this slum and it is growing as more and more people flock to it, hoping to change their lives and find themselves stuck in the poverty trap with no means of escape.
Now it is more silent … the alarm sound has stopped as well as many of the cars and the French music. The call to prayer is sounding from a nearby mosque … I always find this such an exotic sound; mournful and plaintive.