No one chooses where to be born. When you were in the womb, you did not negotiate where you wanted to be brought up.
When my editor told me to be writing Kibera stories, I thought it would be a hard task. I had never been Kibera before and I had no friends there. I kept on thinking how my first experience would be like. I imagined it as a place where bad boys are found. I had already imagined the worst about the place but now things are totally different for me and I will tell you why.
The very first time I went to Kibera I boarded a number 8 at Railways bus station. I honestly did not know where I was going to alight. After some time, I heard the conductor ask the people of DC to alight and that's when it hit me that that's where I was to alight and so I got off at that stage.
Apparently, I would be writing any new piece that was happening in Kibera so I began to search for news stories. Where do I start? I made a few steps then one youth came and said hi and I greeted him back. From then, I sort of got the urge to mingle with everybody in the area and just write stories about their lives, challenges, happy thoughts and just anything that could make news.
After a weeks, I learnt that every place I went to, residents received me warmly. These people are very kind to visitors.
These are certainly the kind of people who believe visitors are a blessing. I have now gotten used to them and they are of great help to my career. Kibera has taught me to adapt the saying never judge a book by its cover because if I had never gone there and mingled with the residents, I would have never known what it has to offer.