Voices of Kenya
I am from the village of Gem, Siaya county, I am married with two children.
tribe: luo
I’m 33 year years old, I started working with stain glass 5 years ago then transferred here to Aslams glass works where I blow glass objects.
I would like in the near future to start an orphanage and mentor those children to a healthy adulthood. Where I am from there were so many little ones without parents and I know I can help them.
from Laikipia county , Lomuruti town,
tribe: pokot
age: 32 years
I grew up in Baringo herding cattle, that was the work of my family, in our community cattle rustling is part of the job. My father was killed doing this line of work and I decided that I needed to leave that line of work, so I took my mother and baby sister with me to Laikipia. There I met a friend who was working in the construction business, I realised there was something else I could do with my life. He trained me in masonry and I started working here in 2010. when I saw the glass blowing I knew its what I wanted to do. I am married now with two children and they live together with my mother and sister in Lomuruti. From being a cow farmer to blowing glass I could have never imagined that I would end up having this type of life. Not having a formal education I feel it’s very important for my children to go to school and have all the opportunities possible open to them.
I am 29 years old, I am from Kisumu from the Luo tribe. I went to Utali colleg and have been married 2 years, we have a 10 month old daughter. I have many plans, I am at the moment constructing my own house and have already located the site where I shall build my restaurant, big enough for 10 people. To start with I shall be the cook specialise in grilled fresh fish, I will get the product from my contact in Naivasha. According to my plan I figure in 8 moths time I should have saved up enough capital to open my own restaurant.
I have been a police officer since 2012. I married with two births ( culturally we count the birthing not the number of children) my husband is a policeman as well but in an other commissary. I am Luyhia, my husband is Luo, we met at training. I enjoy carrying my gun, it reminds me of my aunt who is also a police officer and I had always marvelled over her stature. As a police officer and a mother all you need is strength, balancing the two is not easy. I have just resumed work after 6 month maternity leave. My eldest son wishes to join the police force, I fully support him in his wishes and dreams. My family is most important thing in my life.
It has been 8 years that I am in this field of work. After the first three years I quit and started selling shoes, I wanted to be a business man, a year after that I realised that I was not made to sell shoes but to ride. I came back and decided I would never leave this place again. I have now been a professional jockey for three years, the horses here are my friends. I feed my family with this work, my wife and three kids are here with me in Nairobi and my parents are back in my home village of Nyeri.
water porter
it’s not fun and its not funny, its poverty that is pushing us to this dangerous work, the water is contaminated, it makes our feet and hands crack, we have no other choice, this is the only work at hand. I need to feed my children, I must be here every day, I have to learn to accept this.
I am from kajiado, born and raised. My husband passed on in 2013 leaving me with 3 small children, at the time I sold tobacco in the market, we were doing well but when my husband died his family accused me of murdering him with HIV, they kicked me out of my home with my children. I walked miles and miles, through the forest trying to find a town for us to live in, finally we arrive in Ngong. We slept on the pavement for one week, surviving from the food people gave us. A woman approached us and offered me this house I am living in now, the moment we moved in I fell seriously ill. I was brought to the hospital tested and discovered I had HIV, I became sicker and sicker, bedridden, I could not work, nor feed my children who were 10, 7 ,4 years old at the time. We only survived by the grace of others, I was deathly ill for one year before Miriam heard about me and began to bring me medication and food. The little money I earn is through the bead work I do. I walk to the masai market on Ngong where I buy beads and food. We were fortunate to have someone help get the children into public school. We are surviving
I have been selling tomatoes here since 2001, it can be challenging, one never knows if they shall have clients, I go once a week to buy my nyanya (tomatos) it has happened that I purchase large amount and they all go bad, its a big loss. What keeps me here is our (merry – go – round )we are a group of 25 woman, everyone contributes 50ksh, the money we receive we then pool together at the end of the week, we also put some money aside for the end of the year which we all share for christmas, it keep us all afloat. If there ever is a problem we all come together to support one an other. We also go to each other villages to meet each other families. This is never a difficulty because all the members of our merry – go – ground is welcomed into our homes, our villages as if they are family, housed and fed.
I sell three tomato for 10ksh, on a good day I can make a profit of 500ksh (equivalent of 4.34 Euro)
Joyce
from Kakamega , western part of kenya
I have a child whom I love so dearly. I came to Nairobi looking for a better life, with no education and no idea of what I was going to do, I fortunately had a family member living here, so took the chance and came. I was afraid of life, I was so worried for I had no training. With nowhere to go I turned to God, I started coming to this church and offered my services doing volunteer work. After two months they hired me as a full time cleaning person, my prayers were answered. With this work I am able to support my small family, as well as my mother back home. I don’t think I shall ever change my work from this place, I hope to stay here always. My favourite part of the day is when I feed the children, there is mutual love all around.
Holy Trinity Church
Kibera
We all come in family to church, every Sunday, rain or shine.
From: Kisii
I have been supplying water in Ongata Rongai town for the past 4 years. My donkey is the most vital part of my work, he is like my office. I can supply about 2000L of water per day, a 20L jerrycan for 20ksh. My wish is to one day acquire an other donkey, higher a young man and have small space I can work out of.
I have a small family of two children who live back in my village with my wife and grandmother. Its my grandmother who raised me after my parents passed on. All my hard earned money goes back to them.
vegetable holding is Mitoo These leaves are widely used as a vegetable in western Kenya (Luo, Luhya, West Pokot) and into Uganda. This leafy vegetable is indigenous to the Lake Victoria basin of East Africa.
The Luo call it mito or mitoo and believe that it treats boils, improves appetite, and helps stomach pain and swelling.
tribe: Luhya
This is my eldest son, he is 16 years of age he helps me in the kitchen during his school vacations. I know he wishes to be an airline pilot when he graduates.
Kikuyu SASA Centre
retrieving a client’s files
All that you see here is my handy work, I have been working on saddles for 37 years. I learned my skill from the only person who happen to know how to do this at the time in Kenya, an Indian man who opened his wisdom to me. I was originally working as a tailor in his shop and then he showed me how to work leather, I liked my work so much that when the owner opened the saddler shop in parklands, he brought me there to learn and we worked together for 35 years. It was the only shop in Kenya for tack equipment at the time. My dream was to go out on my own, the opportunity showed itself two year ago and I opened my atelier here at the stables of the racecourse. This work here has educated and feed my family. I have trained 5 other people during my carrier. I am never retiring, I am going to work till I cant walk and still when I cant walk, I will oversee the work of those I trained. Saddling, leather work, its in my heart.
I am a secretary here at the school, I love this job because I interact with many people of different characters, the parents, including the children who share their daily achievement and hardships. Thats just fine with me, I advise where I can. I am passionate about family issues, I am a single mother with 3 children, I love my family, my children, they fulfil me, all my spare time is gloriously spent with them.
Peninnah
from: Machakos
tribe: Kamba
I sell vegetables here at toi market, I started with very little but have now grown to one of the largest vendors. I am married and we have one son whom I never see since I wake at 4 am to buy my produce, I then work here till 9 pm. I never get tired! I must admit that its a challenge from time to time, there are many hardships, theft, at times the whole market burns down and you loose everything but one does not give up, you must keep trying. My son wishes to follow in my footsteps, this is a good business, I have many faithful clients and friends, I am at home here.
Julita Astaburuaga y Mary Rose MacGill
Leonor Varela & Billy Zane