People Like You

Kate Harris lives and works in Peterborough for the aid and development agency Christian Aid. She is an advocate on global issues of injustice for students and youth.

At the end of October I flew out to Kenya with the aid and development organisation, Christian Aid, which I work for as a youth advocate.

Kate meets some of the children

It was a hectic couple of weeks, moving from place to place, constantly meeting new people and finding out about projects in different communities.  But despite all the rushing around I wouldn’t have wanted the trip to be any different; I learnt a lot and it was a very worthwhile experience.

The first week I was in Kenya, we visited communities which were using loans from Christian Aid to set up their own small businesses. Many of those involved were widows and widowers who had lost their spouses to AIDS-related illnesses. We also visited youth groups we fund which educate children and teenagers about HIV/AIDS.

One boy I met (called Mba) was 13 years old and looking after his five younger siblings: going to school, cooking, taking care of the house, growing crops and tending animals. He dreamt of becoming an engineer – very different to some British children’s aspirations to become footballers and pop stars! Thankfully, situations like Mba’s are relatively uncommon, although many of the widows and widowers I met were looking after the children of dead relatives and friends.

Penina

In the second week, we travelled further east to look at water projects. Springs, dams, wells and the like have meant that people have access to safe water, and they don’t have to walk as far to get it. Crucially, these water sources have also meant that there have been dramatic reductions in water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid, which are a terrible strain on communities.

Our last day was spent in Nairobi, where we visited the Kibera slum. Sixty per cent of Nairobi’s residents live in similar slums on only 5% of the land, and the inequalities between certain sections of Nairobi’s population are startling. Living conditions in Kibera are often extremely unsanitary and there are regular outbreaks of cholera.  The project Christian Aid was funding there was the construction of sanitation blocks – with the help and support of members of the local community.

Kate in Kenya

The main things I saw on my trip were the positive effects that result when communities come together and are far stronger as a result.  Some of the people I met really were the poorest of the poor – but that’s not to say their situation was completely without hope.

Now I’m back, I’m looking forward to sharing more about my trip with Cambridgeshire’s young people and children!

Kate can be booked for talks by phoning 01733 345755 or emailing [email protected]

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