Stories from Kibera

Telling stories from the slum. The best stories are yet to occur.

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Students in Kibera stand at a popular viewpoint in the early morning of February 13, 2023. Schools in Kibera are sparse, meaning those that exist only have basic amenities. Mornings are for long treks to school, with heavy bags on their backs. In the evening, they will return home to continue studying and completing homework for as long as they can before sleep becomes necessary. Photo by © Brian Otieno @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CorMDQONSv5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A model waits backstage at the Kibera Fashion Week on November 11, 2022, in Kibera slum. The event highlights artistic skills and celebrates the emerging creativity and entrepreneurship of young fashion designers from Africa's biggest slum - and those who have taken risks to reach heights with their designs and show how to craft their creativity with minimal resources. Photo by © Brian Otieno @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8h6XZNOGt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in accessing quality education in Kenya, especially among vulnerable students due to economic challenges and discrimination. Art Kids Foundation (@artkidsfoundationkenya) is a non-profit organization supporting students in Kibera and girls escaping child marriage and female genital mutilation in Kajiado and West Pokot counties in Kenya. Through the Young Minds Scholarship Program, Art Kids offers full-tuition scholarships to bright students to continue their studies at the high school/university level and achieve their full potential. To these youth, this is a life-changing opportunity that may have otherwise been impossible to access. Due to financial hardship, many students in Kenya don't complete their secondary education. For girls in areas where female genital mutilation is still practised, this can mean early marriage, teenage pregnancy and severe injury that can be deadly. I have donated three of my images as prints to support the fundraising efforts and help change the lives of these students striving to reshape their lives. 100% of the proceeds of each print sale goes to the scholarship program. Photo: In the morning, children walk along railroad tracks in Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, on their way to school. To buy a print or to support the cause, check the link on my bio. Photo by © Brian Otieno @Storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CS7tg-EIMIm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Residents walk home in the evening as the light from the shops and vendor stalls illuminates their way. People work in small stalls to make a living for themselves and their families. Some will find success in trade; others might be lucky enough to find work out of the slum. Photo by © Brian Otieno @Storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR99EieIUN7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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At night, a man shops for food at a roadside fruit and vegetable stall in Kibera. The informal economy within the community sustains its residents and their survival. This economy includes income obtained through self-employment and other low paying jobs outside the formal sector. Photo by © Brian Otieno @Storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR7c6dToDKI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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People are reflected on a puddle of water one evening as they walk home in the Kibera slum. The music from the stalls and the impatient hooting from the motorcycles follow them along the busy street. Photo by ©Brian Otieno @Storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzr8e0LZyk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Reposted from @natgeointhefield Photo by Brian Otieno @storitellah / It’s been one year since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. To commemorate the anniversary, we are sharing photographer’s stories of the pandemic from around the globe.  A volunteer disinfects a public bus in Kibera, Kenya where public transit is essential for nearly all of the residents. Public transport is a lifeline for most Kibera residents who want to move around in and within the city. While we were all being asked to stay at home, some went out of their way to serve and protect their communities. This work was supported by the @insidenatgeo COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists. #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMSUy3WAY1C/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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In Kibera, students wearing face masks sit in a classroom on January 4, 2021, following the full reopening of all schools after a 9-month closure to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by © Brian Otieno @storitellah #kiberastories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJouSReAnZ5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A boy spins a burning steel wool to make sparks of fire during the holiday celebrations in Kibera. Photo by © Brian Otieno @Storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJg8EZjgzO_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Christmas portrait: Esther and her daughters Lauren and Christine in their African dresses. Photo by © Brian Otieno @Storitellah (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJO5jgGgpg1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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In Kibera, students wearing face masks sit in a class on October 12, 2020 after the partial reopening of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic in Kenya. Photo by © Brian Otieno @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGPUV2wA0ii/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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13 photographers from The Everyday Projects (@everydayeverywhere) revisited their archives to re-photograph moments from the past. Read their stories published on the @HuffPost (link in bio) and also launch AR from the article to enjoy the incredible Augmented Reality experience using your smartphones and listen to the stories behind these images straight from your living room. These photos are also part of an exhibition titled 'Then & Now' at PhotoVille (@photoville) in New York City. Also join us today via Zoom for a talk 'Then & Now: Photographers Repicturing Their Archive in 2020' moderated by Christy Havranek (@chavranek) of @HuffPost, and Elie Gardner (@eliegardner) of The Everyday Projects (@everydayeverywhere) ,  at 11am NYC time. See @photoville for details. Thanks to the team from @everydayafrica, Peter DiCampo (@pdicampo) and Wacera (@sinamengi ) for making this project a reality. Photo 1: Children play the pulling game on November 9th, 2017 along the banks of Motoine River on the western edge of Kibera. Photo 2: Men carry sacks of soil while crossing the polluted Motoine River which cuts across Kibera. The soil along the riverbank is often dug by residents and used to build houses in the slum. Photo by © Brian Otieno @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFW7jmtA2c4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Moses Omondi started the ADOPT-A-FAMILY initiative after hearing the cries of many of his community members who came to him for help. Him being a community leader known by so many people took the step to assist the people who are struggling to survive amidst the pandemic. The ADOPT-A-FAMILY scheme links people who are financially stable to support those who are living in poverty, in need and struggling during this time of the pandemic. PHOTO BY BRIAN OTIENO @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEryQOZAm8v/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Mbuthia Maina and his team of artists from the Masai Mbili Art Collective have shifted their profession to expressing themselves through murals and graffitis with information on how to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Their pandemic-inspired art has awoken curiosity, and when people see the art, bold, colorful and relatable, it's a reminder that we all play a role in supporting each other and sharing hope in times of crisis. Photo & Audio by Brian Otieno @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEhq1lpgkXP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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13 villages. 250,000 inhabitants. How often do we hear their voices? VOICES is a multimedia project that sets out to document and share pieces of collective life, youth cultures, community solutions, artistic expressions, urban reflections: a myriad of nuances that, brought together, compose and create the human identity of Kenya’s most known informal settlement - Kibera. Through interviews, sounds, photos and videos, and in partnership with community residents, artists, activists, organizations and local initiatives, VOICES features conversations, encounters and interactions, celebrating the authentic collective experience of Kibera and enabling a new perception of this too often stigmatized community. The storytellers of VOICES are real people - experts and protagonists of their own experiences and lives. Challenging the traditional storytelling approach, VOICES is a narrative journey that draws the link between past, present and future with a central driving force: the change the community wants to achieve. By Brian Otieno @storitellah #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CESH9p4gWXk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Residents receive food donations from a local community-based organisation in Kibera. The pandemic has led to the loss of jobs for many people living in Kibera, the majority of them are casual labourers who depend on their daily wages to buy food and other basic needs. Photo by © Brian Otieno @storitellah. Supported by @insidenatgeo #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDEVkX0Ak5R/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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A health worker records details of Kibera resident who showed up at a primary school during the mass testing exercise for COVID-19. PHOTO BY BRIAN OTIENO @storitellah. Supported by @insidenatgeo #KiberaStories (at Kibera, Nairobi Area, Kenya) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJq5qlAD2N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=