Slums of Nairobi

I have never taken a camera to the slums, it's not safe. This past week however a volunteer came from the us, big, tall and mzingu and he managed to get some pictures. We all decided to use them, he was gracious enough to share, realizing how scarce they are. last week i was in the slums for 2 days. on one day I spent the morning reviewing the files of kids who had died. Then, in the afternoon the social worker took us out on some home visits. i had been before, but never so deep into them. We walked for a long time, through mazes of paths, strewn with sewage and garbge, i never would have found my way out. People stared, but we didn't feel necessarily unsafe. Kids run up and say the only English they know "how are you" The women we visited were honored to have us in their home. There is so much I can't describe, the sounds, the smells, the site of a very ill baby hidden in a pile of rags in the corner of a dark room. It has taken me days to get over that one afternoon. I will go back, but these are imges that will never leave me.
When we returned to the clinic Dr. Grant wanted me to see this baby. His name was Paul, he was 10 months old, first baby, parents were +, he was too. he made no sounds, no eye contact, barely moved his limbs, could lift his head with some lag, had rickets, weighed 8 pounds. But his mum loved him, as I held him she just beamed at me. so proud he was still alive.
On the way home we all talked about how we wanted a long hot shower and to go to a fancy restaurant. We just wanted to be somewhere where the reality wasn't.
Didn't get either.