True love is a gift beyond compare. In February 2016, a beautiful Mzungu woman boarded a plane all the way from the United States of America only to find the love in Kibera.
The story of one Kennedy Odede, 31, and Jessica Posner, 29, reminds us of the romance between Romeo and Juliet. Jessica left Denver, USA, and boarded a plane with her final destination being Gatwekera in Kibera.
It all started when she sent Kennedy an email in 2007 while requesting to work as a volunteer at his organisation, Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco).
The American woman had learned about the organization while still in her motherland and she wished to work for the same. Kennedy simply asked her to send her CV.
“Send me your CV,” was Kennedy’s swift response to her email.
Although she wondered why he asked for the CV yet she wanted to work as a volunteer, she went ahead and did as requested. The man revealed that he did not wish to depend on her for any help as many would do.
The two lived together in his family house in Kibera.
He used to share the same house with his seven siblings. Kennedy later moved into a single room.
The short story that had started as a joke ended up being a love affair. The two got married and continued with charity work.
Despite the differences they had, their love was insurmountable.