AFRICA/KENYA - The greetings of a resident in Kibera to Pope Francis: "I am proud to live in an informal settlement"

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "I am proud to live in an informal settlement that I call home", said Pamella Akwede, a resident in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, in her speech in front of Pope Francis, during a meeting held in the Church of St. Joseph the Worker.
"According to the UN Habitat, residents of Nairobi’s informal settlements constitute 55% of the city’s population yet we are crowded on 5% of the total land area. This can be attributed to failure by the State to provide for low-cost housing for the poor, leading to absentee landlords taking advantage of the poor in these settlements by building temporary structures not conducive for human settlement and charging high rates for them", recalled Pamella.
Despite the harsh conditions of life, "people in informal settlements live together as family, in unity and solidarity", overcoming ethnic and religious divisions. Pamella highlights that the majority of the residents in informal settlements are casual labourers at companies in the industrial areas usually adjacent to the slums and that "although these companies generate high revenues and the Government benefits through taxes, the labourers are not adequately compensated". But this does not stop the people in the settlements to find new ways to try to improve their lives. "If you take a walk in any informal settlement, the resilience of the people will shock you. The people are so entrepreneurial, which can be seen from the huge number of small-scale businesses that they run".
Addressing the Holy Father, Pamella denounced the fact that leaders take advantage of poverty stricken youths and tribal composition to gain political mileage. "Fortunately, people are aware of this strategy and have embraced their different ethnic backgrounds. The Catholic Church prides itself in being at the forefront in serving the communities in informal settlements, by not only handling matters of faith, but also creating awareness and human development".
"Your Holiness, it is my humble request to you, to urge the Government to improve service provision in the informal settlements and to address security of tenure, economic entrepreneurship, health, education and security", concluded Pamella. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/11/2015)

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