Here we go again, ladies! Read the article and comment with a paragraph response and a question.
http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/3/where_the_sidewalks_end/
Enjoy!
-Ms. Barberic
ps: Mia--make sure you comment on this blog, not on the Ode website!! :)
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This article showed me how unfortunate many people are in this world. Many people do not have nice homes with the essentials for living. Slums are a place where people live and have no clean water to drink, no food to eat, or a secure roof over their heads. With living conditions such as these, diseses are easily spread and many children die at a young age. There are people such as Akhter Hameed Khan who started a project where he helped residents build and organize sewer systems. If more people could help out with things like this, we could eliminate slums slowly but surely and many people would then have a more healthy environment to live in.
ReplyDeleteAre there groups or organizations that help with rebuilding these slums into a healthy living environment like Akhter Hameed Khan did with his project ?
Kristyn W.
Block C
When i first read the title i wasnt quite sure what to expect, but as i read the first sentnce i almost cried. It broke my heart to hear about people who only have two places to get water from and 3 "floating toilets" for over 6,000 people. It made me feel extremely grateful for the things i take for granted. When i read about the organization that helps raise money for them i immediately wanted to learn more and find out if there was anyway that i could help donate anything to them. It also made me really mad to hear that the government wasnt doing anything to help these people in their time of crisis. It makes me wonder what if this happened in our country. Would the government try and help people in need or would they just demolish their homes like in Mtumba?
ReplyDeleteBeth R.
Block C
This article completely shocked me. To hear that conditions could get so bad without any government help sounds completely ridiculous, and it is. This is the case in many countries and regions, but it always shocks me to see how miserable some areas become. It upsets me to hear about children that can't even afford shoes and are so used to these horrible conditions that they are playing and living in human waste. I was also amazed at the number of people who had to pay bribes in order to only attempt to get the attention of public officials.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the government doing so little to help such a large percent of its population?
-Jill block C
When i read this article i was really shocked at how different our country is from theirs. They literally have no water to drink and the acid is so strong that their eyes sting. I cannot believe that the government does not do anything for its people. In our country water is abundant. I feel so terrible that the children have no shoes or clothes to wear.
ReplyDeleteI want to know why the government doesn't help?
Shannon S. C
It amazes me how much we take for granted. Our theme of this school year also ties into the poverty causes of global warming. With the rate of pollution increasing, the poverty level follows shortly behind. The most shocking element of this article to me is that the average person living in the slums spends half of their pay each day just to provide water for their family. I had difficulty reading about how the officials will come and tear down their houses and the residents go right on with their lives, usually rebuilding everything they lost because that is all they have. This week in Theology we learned about the right to life and the right to a good, healthy life; those rights are being completely demolished in the slums around the world.
ReplyDeleteWhat could the government possibly do to stop this? What could we do to prevent future poverty and hunger issues around the world?
Kayte T.
Block A
This article reminded me of how much I have, and how I should be grateful for it. It breaks my heart to read about how 6,000 people have to share three toilets, when we complain when we go in public and have to wait in a small line to use a public restroom. It also made me so sad that Castro said they couldn't depend on their government for anything. So many people in the United States complain about how bad different presidents are, when in reality, we are blessed to have a government that cares. This article got me thinking, while we need to help the unfortunate that are here locally, I think it's even more important to help those in other countries that have literally nothing. They have it so much worse than us, though I feel that not as many people do anything about it, simply because they are not aware. This leads to my question, what could we do at SJA to spread the awareness of countries and slums like this? As a Christian community, what could we do to do our part?
ReplyDeleteMaddie G.
Block B
“We are refugees in our own country.”
ReplyDeleteThis article was devastating to read. It really made me think about how fortunate we are here in our country when so many others are continuously suffering, like the people in Mtumba, which is just of the many slums around Nairobi. More then half the population cannot afford “formal housing,” and are forced to find any kind of shelter in slums. Diseases like HIV/AIDS are easily spread due to these unclean living environments. In these areas, they have no food, barely any water or roofs to cover themselves, no work, and no government assistance to help them. It is up to the people to help themselves. Because of the lacking government assistance, many programs were instituted in order to help those who are forced to live in these horrible slum conditions. Shack Dwellers International (SDI) was one of these groups that was formed in order to provide any assistance to those impoverished people who have been forced to live in the slums. It is up to us who have so much to help those suffering in these slums and with our help, offer a better life for them and their families.
What are some other areas around the world where people are mainly living in slums? What are some oher programs/ways that we can help these people?
Joni G.
Block B
I think that this article was a perfect start to the new lesson of social justice. I think that this article, along with the Invisible Children's movie really helped me to see the world outside myself. There are others out there suffering and it's not something that you can understand until you can read about it or even see it! This article and that movie really helped me to come to terms and want to make a difference! I am fully inspired now! I wanted to know, since this article was just more about Africa and what they were doing there, I was wondering how people in the United States could help adn how we could come together as a global community to achieve perfect harmony.
ReplyDelete-Alyssa D
Block C
After finishing the article I was disgusted with the conditions people are forced to live under in todays world. We live in a world of innovation, where 8,000 songs can be stored in a device less than 1/2 a cenimeter thick, yet millions are without the basic necesities of life: water, electricity, and basic sanitation. The line that struck me the most was that no one wants to invest in these slums, even the residents, because they do not want to pump money into something that may be torn down the next day. The daily vulnerablitly that these people face in regard to their own homes is terrible. This is a horrible situation that sadly is encompassing a large percent of the world's population.
ReplyDeleteSince this article was written in 2003, I wonder what has happened in these slums since then. Has there been a change? Has it possibly improved or gotten worse?
Sam S.
B Block
I thought that this article was both fascinating and horrifying. We don't think about these things on a daily basis, but we as Americans are so fortunate to live where we do. Even most of America's poor are not subjected to conditions such as these. The story was also one of hope, as the writer showed how the people living in the slums are beginning to improve their living situations by themselves. It shows that, above all, people will survive and even thrive when given a sliver of a chance to do so.
ReplyDeleteWith the implementation of sanitation programs, how has life expectancy and quality in these slums improved?
Erin J, Block C
This article didn't exactly surprise me because I know a bit about slums and how they work, and I realize how many people inhabit them and are use to the deploring conditions. It's extremely horrendous that slums have been around for so long and still governments decide to do nothing about the problem. It doesn't make sense that such a big population of a country's inhabitants may live in a slum, but are completely ignored. Things like this just show how important it is to teach social justice and morality to everyone so that they can go out and spread the word and eventually help to eliminate suffering, and poverty from those people in the world who are governed by powerful greedy individuals.
ReplyDeleteHow long will it take before governments off all nations take an active role in eliminating slums and poverty?
Kira S. Block A
This article is one that seems to be so unrealistic when in reality is so true. As I read the article I thought to myself how much we have it made for us in the United States. People around the world have nothing compared to us and this really was pointed out in the article. In addition, I feel that what those people of Nairobi live in and go through each day is terrible and horrifying. That fact that the government won't even help them breaks my heart. What really hit my was the "flying toliets" and how disgusting and sick that is. Although they live in horrible living conditions, the people of Nairobi without support from the government, have an outstanding leader. Ng'ang'a is one that is willing to take charge and help the people in his neighborhood to live and survive.
ReplyDeleteHow could we help people living in slums and is there any possible way we can get the their government's involvement?
Kristina C.
Block C.
think that this article says a lot about the depth of poverty in some parts of the world. I find it exasperating and unfair that governments cannot cooperate or delegate funds in order to help the quality of life for their people. It seems that as federal governments attempt to stabilize in third world countries, they often become corrupt and forget to tend to the needs of their citizens. This is especially depressing considering the article said that much notable progress is made when governments take time to think through their projects instead of doing more harm than good. It is fortunate, however, that local leaders often step to the forefront, such as George Ng'ang'a in Mtumba, are making efforts to organize schools, irrigation systems, and sewer systems. If people were educated and informed of methods of self-preservation, they might be able to better increase their own standard of living. I really like the idea of recycling waste as a fertilizer and finding more efficient methods of farming, because many people in nations like Nairobi would not be able to work in industrial or technological jobs; agriculture forms the basis of their knowledge and culture. I wish that more people would take the time to learn about other cultures and their ways of life, because we all need to be more thankful for the things that we have. It is absolutely mind-numbing that more people live in slums or shacks than formal housing worldwide, and it really makes me appreciate the things that I have in life. One question that I would ask about this article is: “Why do incapable leaders remain in office when they are clearly not doing anything to benefit their people?”
ReplyDeleteAmanda DN
B Block
Sorry - the first one messed up!
ReplyDeleteI think that this article says a lot about the depth of poverty in some parts of the world. I find it exasperating and unfair that governments cannot cooperate or delegate funds in order to help the quality of life for their people. It seems that as federal governments attempt to stabilize in third world countries, they often become corrupt and forget to tend to the needs of their citizens. This is especially depressing considering the article said that much notable progress is made when governments take time to think through their projects instead of doing more harm than good. It is fortunate, however, that local leaders often step to the forefront, such as George Ng'ang'a in Mtumba, are making efforts to organize schools, irrigation systems, and sewer systems. If people were educated and informed of methods of self-preservation, they might be able to better increase their own standard of living. I really like the idea of recycling waste as a fertilizer and finding more efficient methods of farming, because many people in nations like Nairobi would not be able to work in industrial or technological jobs; agriculture forms the basis of their knowledge and culture. I wish that more people would take the time to learn about other cultures and their ways of life, because we all need to be more thankful for the things that we have. It is absolutely mind-numbing that more people live in slums or shacks than formal housing worldwide, and it really makes me appreciate the things that I have in life. One question that I would ask about this article is: “Why do incapable leaders remain in office when they are clearly not doing anything to benefit their people?”
Amanda DN
B Block
After reading this article my heart broke. It really opened my eyes to the large problem of poverty that is all across the world. It makes me upste when I hear that there could be enough food in the world for eveyone, but still there are children out there starving. Also it made my be thankful for all that I have. It also shocked me that the government does not do more to help these people. I really think all of us take for granted all that we have. We truly are blessed to live where we do, and I can only hope that our generation tries to help more with the issue of poverty. What could be done that would make water more safe, and more available for people all over the world?
ReplyDeleteColleen Meder
Block C
The situations present in cities with slums are horrible. Their government is despicable-they do nothing to help them, and do not even understand their people. I do not understand why the government cannot help. They have plenty of money and resources, and instead of doing good they turn to corruption and personal wealth. And the companies and landlords are just as bad. It angers me that no one is willing to invest in the land slums are located on, yet people feel the need to charge others to live on the land. They can't have it two ways. And the water companies are horrible, taking advantage of the poorest. Why does everyone turn away from helping those in the most need? On a side note, these people can teach us something about making the best of situations we're in and never giving up. Many people in the world, it's sad to say, don't have that mentality, having much of their life handed to them and not experiencing lacking the basic necessities of life. These people are so self-dependent, creating the SDI network-how sad that no one else can help these people that they must form a system on their own to help themselves. This really angers me because everyone deserves a better lifestyle than that, and it is all our duty to help them.
ReplyDelete~Why, if water only costs 30 cents a day in American money, aren't more people donating funds to help them gain the basic needs of life?
-Kathe P.
Block B
This article was very eye opening. It is scary to me to know how many people in the world go without care. The government does little about it and does little to help the poor out. This leaves the poor without any clean water, sufficient collection of organic waste, land to live on, food and jobs. The government is not doing their job by helping those that are in need and caring for everyone no matter how much money they do or don't have. Most of the time the government will not serve the poor unless they come in with money. If they don't then they do not get served, this is an injustice. Because these people that are living in slums have no help they live in horrible living conditions and are more vulnerable to diseases, and have little health care. The one key to wiping out slums is to work together and team up to help stop the injustice that goes on. If they team up then it is easier to get things done and it is a more powerful source. What is going on in the slums can be prevented if we just work together to help alleviate it. My question is: Why is the government not making any significant attempt to help and try to stop poverty?
ReplyDeleteJessika H. Block C
"It is impossible to watch bright-eyed children play in toxic trash and human waste, and listen to their articulate parents describe their efforts and their hopes to build a better life, and not feel obliged to help somehow." I am very thankful that we have the chance have our eyes opened to the large degree of poverty that is in this world. Many people close their eyes to poverty and try to block it out. I think that this article was very informative. I did not know that these slums were so inhabitated and populated around the world. I still want to see the movie SlumDog Millionaire. Through out my highschool years my perspective of poverty has change to the highest extent. The people of this world that are not provided water by their own governement is heartbreaking. I believe that "Castro" has done his part his far in makign a change in his community. His community has strived together and made their own society. Many of these people try to think of the more positive aspects of living in slums then the negatives. I truly respect those who think of the glass as half full, when they are going through very rough times. The people in slum communities that work hard and try their hardest to get out of this poverist state, are those who deserve the most respect and humility.
ReplyDelete"Why does the government not reach out to these people in need"
Taylor Whisler Block C
After reading this article, I was upset at the fact that people actually live in such bad conditions. It's so hard for me to try to relate to people living like this, because my life has never been that difficult. But one part of the article that really stuck out to me was when he said that the children followed them around, walking on top of rocks and sharp objects, without shoes. It's so sad to hear that these children lack the basic necessities like shoes or a sewage system. This article makes me appreciate my own life more and makes me want to do something to help these people.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we do in the U.S. to help eliminate these slums?
Hannah S
Block C
While reading this artical it made me really want to do somthing about the poverty in our world. It makes me so sad to think how awful certain people have it and ususally those living in the slums are the most genuine good people in the world. Trying to even imagine living life in poverty is simply unthinkable for me. I take the luxurious life i live for granted far too often. Luckily there are people in our world like Akhter Hameed Khan to help out these people. Hopefully the awareness of poverty will rise and the people living in these slums will recieve the help they need.
ReplyDeleteHow can i as a 17 year old girl help these people?
Eileen A.
Block A
While reading this article, I began to notice that I still take my life for granted. The little village of Mtumba is under serious poverty levels. The things that Molly describes to us in this acticle is unbelievable. I never would have thought that 6,000 people would have to share 3 "flying toilets." Their waste and trash never gets picked up and it constantly smells. To think I think the SJA bathrooms smell bad.. But, what I got out of this article is that this article was written to bring about awareness to our country and others about the dangerous poverty levels many countries are now going through. One person cannot change a whole country, it takes way more. I just found it terribly sad to hear that George was able to find the courage to talk about the disasters he faces everyday.
ReplyDeleteWhere are some local slums, and how can we as a community help the many people living in them?
Chelsea F.
Block B
This article was very sad. Hearing all about how these people live makes me really appreciate what I have. Sometimes I complain about stuff that those people would be extrememly happy to have. The saddest part was about the children. They were getting their feet cut on rocks and then stepping in many things that could get the cuts infected. Learning about slums really helped me to realize how good I have it, and how we really need to start trying harder to help.
ReplyDeleteAre there slums that bad near where we live?
Julie J
Block C
When I first read the title of this artic I had no clue what it was going to be about but once I finished reading it it all made sense. It is really sad how the some many different factors can play a role in blocking out the poor. It is also really sad to have read that some people do not have the access to clean water like we do. I can go downstairs and get a glass of water while people living in slums spend half of their pay each day just to provide water for their family. It is truly amazing how much we take for granted and I think every single one of us is guilty of taking our everyday things for granted.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we do as students of SJA to try and help people in these slums?
Kaila Hardy
Block A
After reading this article, I realized that even though we are going through a recetion, the U.S. has it so much better than many places around the world. The poverty around the world is unbelievable. I was in shock at all of the statics that this article gave. One thing that suprised me was the idea of 'flying toilets.' I can imagine them being in trash piles, but not being flung onto the roof tops. Akhter Hameed Khan is a very helpful man to those who are living a life of poverty.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't the government doing anything for those living in slums?
Bridget VanDenHaute
Block B
This article shows how fortunate we are to live in the United States, and not in many other countries where resources aren’t as abundant. The sad thing is that so many other countries have large sized slums and with the rapid population growth improvement doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon. The government of Nairobi hasn’t even attempted to improve the slums by policing or building sewage systems, but instead they bulldoze these slums down and the residents are left to fend for themselves. I think it is great that some slums have created their own council and policing and are actually more fortunate than many other slums. The slums don’t even have a sewage system or electricity and to me that is the worst part because they are living in a disease infested environment and the way that they live is actually making it worse for themselves. I believe that it is very possible for the slums to become smaller and more sanitary, but there will always be people living in bad conditions.
ReplyDeleteHow can i help these slums become more sanitary?
Rebecca A,
Block C
Reading this article made me very sad and depressed for all those people living in Mtumba. It really made me think of how grateful i should be to have all the things i do. I couldn't imagine living in those type of conditions everyday. It was shocking how half the population was like that and there is just no help for them. I feel like living in the slums is very brutal and gross like how all those diseases just get passes aroungd to people and there is nothing they can do to prevent it from happening. My one queation is why isn't the government trying to do anything for those living in the slums? they should realize that since half the population lives there it's a problem that needs to be fixed.
ReplyDeleteGenna C
Block A
I enjoyed reading this article because it shows how fortunate I am to be living in the US. It upset me how the government is not trying to help them very much and is basically leaving them out in the slums where they live in very poor conditions every day. If people worked toward making the slums safer and more sanitary so living conditions could be reasonable, it would be a better place to live than it is now.
ReplyDeleteHow come we don't hear about these types of slums and living conditions on the news?
Fay H
Block B
This article really shocked me in how many people are living in the slums. Another thing that shocked me was that the government treats people in the slums like they do not even exist. I do not understand how the government can do that since they live in their country. With all of the slums out there it seems that there is a problem out there that needs to be fixed. If it is getting to the point where there are more poor people than people living in homes shouldn't we try to figure out what the problem is? Everything and everyone is getting greedy and soon no one will be able to live a normal, we need to find a solution and fast or else it will only get worst.
ReplyDelete-How can the government ignore people living in their country just because they are poor?
Cristyn E
Block C
This article made me realize how lucky we all are. We have all or basic needs met and still complain when we dont get everything we want. It makes me really sad that people live in places like Mtumba. These people live in the worst conditions, they dont even have regular plumbing. It also sickens me that the government wont do a thing about it, besides destroy it. These people are still people and deserve the basic necessities of life, it doesnt matter how much they make. My question is how can the government sit back and do nothing when they know the people of their country i suffering?
ReplyDeleteMaggie D
block B
I never really knew how many people were hurting that bad in other countries. Some people think they have it bad in America when they have to resort to moving into a tiny apartment, but at least its a roof over our head. It remind me of when i read stories about immigration and the beginning of our country and i learned how crammed and dirty some cities were. I have never heard about these kind of slums in the media because we're too busy worrying about our own problems.
ReplyDeleteIs there anything we can do to help the people living in any kind of slum?
mo bole
block c
wow. When i first read this I was in awe. I cannot believe how much I have in my life compared to others. We take so much for granted and we don't even realize it. People living in those conditions need to be helped and I believe the government needs to step in and do something about it. I cannot even imagine of being in fear for my life every day just by thinking I could contract a disease or possibly even die. What can we do to help?
ReplyDeleteMaggie Berry, Block A
I found this article to be a little confusing. In the beginning of the article the way the slums were described gave me one idea, and later in the article it gave me another. However, I did find it to be interesting that such a large percentage of the world lives in slums. Also, I found it interesting to see that the slums have such a set up. I thought they were just a mish-mash of huts, but the article made it sound more organized than that. They have businesses and a water system among other things, and I think that is surprising. One queston I have is: How does the system work for how the water is paid for, since there are only two pumps and everyone uses them?
ReplyDeleteAnna C Block C
I think it's unfortunate these people can't go to bed at night knowing that they will definitely have a 'home' still the next day. I think it's sad that the governments provide such little help for these slums and when they try it ends up having more of a negative effect than positive effect on the people. It would be scary to trust a landlord that could easily have unfair rules or fees due to there being no police or court system. The slums have few positive aspects, in my opinion, despite all of the things the community of the slums try to do to make it better. I feel more grateful after reading this article. It helped me realize that I have it better than a lot of people, and that I need to be more thankful for that. One question I have is what effect can we have on these slums, is there any way we can help?
ReplyDeleteBritt McGuire.
Block B.
More then half of Kenya's capital city cannot afford housing. This is shocking because it is such a harsh reality. Housing is something i think a lot of us expect to always have. However, with the economy the way it is currently,purchasing a new home or even finding the mney to pay the mortgage on a house is hard. It is important to remember that we are not the only people =in the world who have suffered;that this is a globaleconomic crisis. What is even worse about the suffering of these people is that the government does not serve the people in the slums. Even the landlords are able to make up their own rules about the condiitons the people can live in the building under,and the people have to abide by them because the only thing they want is a roof over their heads.
ReplyDeleteSlums are in the most "inhabital," area of various states and countries. The people who live in slums are steriotyped often. However, the people in the slums of Mtumba have begun to speak up so they recieve the rights and treatment they deserve. Just like the mexican migrant workers fought for better working condirions, and african americans fought for civil rights, these people are fighting for the rights and responsibilities they deserve.
What progress has been made in Mtumba and other slums in kenya and surrounding countries?
Julie G
Block A