Kibera: A City In A City

• Sophie Hodge, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2016

I am gazed upon as an animal, a peasant of society. People walk past the slums disgusted by our living conditions. Do they think we enjoy living here? No, we don’t. We never chose to. We live here – a dystopia of rejection and mess. I suffer the hardships and cruelty being a single mother. My child will grow believing that this is how all humans should and forever will live. It isn’t, at least it shouldn’t be. Recently my young daughter, Senara asked, “What’s that over there, Mumma?” indicating the large sky scrapers beyond the slum border. I replied with the simple words of ‘a city’ not wanting her to learn so early on about the cruelty of the outside world. I have always been a diligent and strong-minded woman who believes in girl’s rights. However, I was sexually assaulted when I was fourteen years old. I gave birth to a girl when I was fifteen. It was absolutely atrocious. My daughter has never met her father and she never will. Unfortunately, Senara will never receive the education she deserves. Not only can I not afford her education but girls are strictly forbidden to attend schools in this area. My daughter is hidden in my so called ‘house’ day in and day out. My own father is ashamed that I gave birth to a ‘useless girl’. He forbids Senara from seeing the sun rise each morning and lower each night. I am permitted to leave only to purchase basic supplies for my family. This is the reason we were placed in a slum - our position on the social hierarchy. Every day wealthy tourists wander past unaware of the damage they are causing. Our dignity degrades every step they take. Our self-esteem, hopes and dreams are destroyed. Life in this slum is difficult, not fit for a young child like my own. If those who gazed upon us cared, opportunities would arise. I would begin to learn how to financially support myself, my daughter would be educated correctly and we would love the way we lived. Though at this point in time, we continued to be trapped in an enclosure where only hatred and impertinence existed. Senara nor I would ever know the true answers to our questions unless we rose and battled the outsiders.