Solutions

So are there any solutions to the problems people face in Kibera. There are many small projects that people all around the world have undertaken to help people in Kibera, whether it is in areas live providing electricity to a safe water supply, there are many solutions being worked on:

THE “PEEPOO” PROJECT

Disposable toilets in Kibera: There are hundreds of thousands of people living in Kibera but to that number, there are very few public toilets. These toilets can cost money from about 3 shillings to 10 shillings. It is for this reason, flying toilets have become a large issue in Kibera (excreting into a plastic bag and throwing it into the sky during the night). These flying toilet not only produce sanitation problems, but are also not environmentally friendly.

For this reason, people in Kibera have begun the “peepoo” project. This project is essentially a fully biodegradable plastic bag, people excrete into the “peepoo” bag before tying it and leaving it overnight. In roughly 3 days to 3 weeks, the dangerous contents of the bag: bacteria, exc. will have biodegraded.

This is still a very small time project but is proving to be very beneficial to the people of Kibera. As the bag biodegrades, the contents are a great fertiliser for growing plants. The bag can be buried in the ground where it biodegrades safely and provides nutrients to the soil that helps the fertility of the soil. This solution means people will no longer throw there bags away where they can land in alleys or next to peoples homes. This solution is also very environmentally friendly and improves food production in Kibera.

SOLAR WATER

In Kibera, clean water is an increasingly precious commodity. Sewers, toilets and rubbish cause water sources to become polluted. Without safe drinking water, people in Kibera cannot survive. Buying from water vendors is the  only safe option, but these water vendors often sell water at high prices  such as 5 shillings. People in Kibera are then forced to spend a lot of  money on a service that should be provided free.

 Solar Water is a new solution for the water problem in Kibera. Citizens in  Kibera collect water in clear bottles from rivers in the slum. They then lay  the water bottles on top of their homes in the sunlight, after roughly 6 hours a process known as solar disinfecting purifies the water making it safe for drinking purposes. These people can then sell the clear water at far lower prices so other vendors are forced to lower their prices as well. This solution has brought clean, safe, cheap water to lots of people in Kibera.

SOLAR POWER PROJECT

Sunny Money: In Kibera, very little homes have electricity, roughly 20% of shacks in Kibera have elctricity. Even in these homes the electricity is very unreliable and results in huge electric bills. For the poor people of Kiberia this is a very big issue.

The Solar Power Project has started to solve the electricity problem in Kibera. The aim: to provide clean, renewable energy to everyone in Kibera. The project is being run by Sunny Money which is a kiosk providing solar energy to people all over Kibera. Essentially, people in Kibera can buy a lamp, a rechargeable battery and a solar panel. The lamps from the kiosk cost between 1800 and 7500 shillings. This project is working to make electricity available to all people in Kibera at a low price. The lamp powers the solar panel producing electrical charge for the battery. Sunny Money is being funded by several fundraisers all over the world which are helping to keep the solar project going. The solar project has been beneficial to numerous people in Kibera, in particular women.