EPA Fail: 10-15

I got to help with another sweet cleanup day today. This time we worked in Area 1 with Daniel and his group there. It was the first cleanup effort in Area 1, so it was totally gross. So gross, in fact that we had to wear face masks. Believe me when I saw that the smell was horrendous. We got the ditches cleaned out and continued clearing the trash down the ditch that flows into the Nairobi River. It was a waterfall of trash as we went. We cleared it all the way down to the river and I was a taken aback when I saw them just shovel the sick trash into the River. There clearly is a problem with garbage in Mathare. However, it is a big problem to tackle. I was just surprised that they just pushed it into the already nasty river. Oh, well. Karibu Kenya.

Furthermore, we discovered piles of literal poop on the river bank. Since there isn’t convenient access to toilets, people just make do. Or if someone is a bit tight on shillings, paying for a toilet may not be high on the priority list. But I must say that it was pretty alarming to discover poop all around me. I was very thankful that I didn’t step in any. (Although, I have no doubt in my mind that there are all sorts of atrocities on my shoes and if I were to take a sample of the bottom of my shoes and culture it I would be terrified beyond all reason.)

At the end of the project, Daniel asked me to pray for the group. I love how Kenyans keep me on my toes. I also love how the Holy Spirit gives me wisdom when I need it most.