Kibera is the largest slum in Kenya and the largest urban slum in Africa with about a million people.
It is known for extreme poverty, a high number of people living with HIV/AIDS and social evils such as assaults and rape.
However, people who know Kibera from inside love the place and know there are benefits in such a place that many outsiders could never discover.
Kibera especially favours the very poor and people seeking to start life in Nairobi.
Here are some of the reasons why Kibera is a good place for starters in urban life.
Kibera is better than alternatives
To most people who have come to Nairobi to escape poverty in rural areas, it is a hundred times better for them to stay in Kibera than move back home in the countryside.
The move to Kibera by most people is a move to seek a better life around the bright lights of Nairobi city and Kibera puts them at an advantage in getting jobs both formal and informal in the City.
Life is cheap for beginners.
For people starting life in the city, Kibera is one of the best places to start life.
There are rental houses which cost as low as Sh600 per month.
Water costs Sh5 per 20 litres and you only need Sh10 to use the modest washrooms around.
Foods are also available at cheap prices. In Kibera, you can have a modest but satisfactory meal with just Sh70.
There are many opportunities in Kibera for the very poor and youth.
Kibera has worldwide attention and many humanitarian organisations and non-governmental organisations are based there.
In Kibera chances for landing a scholarship are many than any other place. It is also a great place for a hook-up with an NGO for social work.
Kibera being one of the most studied slums in the world opens the doors for help from the UN and charity organisations much to the benefit of the youth.
Kibera’s location is at an advantage.
Kibera is just 6.6Km from Nairobi’s city center.
This puts it at a vantage position for both job seekers and casual workers working at the city center.
Considering the low cost of life in Kibera, it is a good place to start life in the city for the beginners who are without a steady income.
It is possible to walk to the city center and get back home if need be thus eliminating commuter challenges that usually face many job seekers.
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