(Photo taken from the internet)
"How are you wamekuja, the howareyous have come!". After a 6 hour journey I found myself back in Mathare for a weekend visit. As I walked down Juja Road together with Audhild and Miriam, familiar faces kept turning up. For every "old" friend we ran into, greeted, hugged and talked with I realized a bit more to myself: this is home.
(Photo taken from the internet)
I have a hard time explaining exactly why Mathare means something to me that nothing else can. Of course I could make my life easy by saying that it's because of my wonderful friends there, the things I have gotten to experience and the hospitality that we have met. But that's not all. There is something that runs much deeper.
What is it that makes not only me, not only the four of us, not only Norwegians, but the world; love Mathare?
(Photo taken from the internet)
Now, you may not believe in visions. You may not even be a Christian. But everyone out there who has interacted with Mathare knows what I am talking about. Mathare is not the only place of its kind; it's not even the largest. Yet an Italian has given his blog the name "Mathare for life". Yet there is a man in Nevada testifying of how the place changed his life. Yet there are countless organizations all over the world working towards the growth and prosperity of this community and yet there is a 19 year-old Norwegian sitting in her home in Eldoret right now, trying to put into words emotions that are still to big for her to really understand.
(Photo from the internet)
But there is another girl who has been able to express what I am trying to say. The following poem was written by Phoebe, a Mathare resident, when she was 16 years old:
"People ask you where you come from!
They like you because you are pure and
you have what they lack.
Do you know what you have?
You are brave, strong and courageous.
You fight for your lives and strive for
your future.
The rich can't use money as their
weapons, so they need you to be their
warning sign.
They inspire you and always respect you.
Do you know what you have?
You should appreciate that you have
weakness.
Be proud that you are special.
Thank God that you have a big name
flying all over the world.
The big name "Mathare" that is what you have."
Utrolig kul post, Kristina.
ReplyDeleteMasse dype tanker der som det er litt vanskelig for meg å forstå, siden jeg for øyeblikket befinner meg i det norskeste Norge og aldri har sett Mathare med egne øyne... Men jeg syns det er meget kult at du er i Kenya nå og ser de tingene du ser og opplever de tingene du opplever, og virkelig lever ut drømmen din. Du er et stort forbilde for meg:)