Tucked in the middle of Kibera Division, in Makina Ward is the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) Kibera Community Based Health Care Project. This unit which offers Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services and maternal healthcare on March 19, played host to Mr. Suneel Menon, the Kenya Country Sales Manager for Roto Tanks who was came visiting the project with a donation of a tank to the Kibera Orphans and Vulnerable Children Initiative Network (KOIN).

Kibera is the largest slum in Africa with a population of perhaps one million. The name "Kibera" is derived from kibra, a Nubian word meaning "forest" or "jungle." The number of residents in the sprawling slum has increased accordingly despite its unauthorised nature.

This settlement has residents coming from all the major ethnic backgrounds with some areas being specifically dominated by one tribe- for example Kisumu Ndogo that is predominantly Luo. Many come from rural areas due to the problems of rural underdevelopment. This multi-ethnic nature coupled with the tribalism of Kenyan politics has led Kibera to be the site of small ethnic conflicts throughout its near 100 year history.

Most recently is the December 2007 Post election violence that was sparked off by the disputed presidential elections that brought the country to a near meltdown. Many residents’ homes were attacked by arsonists from all sides of the political divide- Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

There are three significant complicating factors within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. During the post poll violence many youths took to robbing and breaking into houses to steal. This scenario left numerous people with their property stolen.

The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. Dwellings are often constructed atop the unstable ground and therefore many structures collapse whenever the slum experiences flooding, which it does regularly. This means that even well constructed buildings are often damaged by the collapse of nearby poorly constructed ones. This has constantly led to breeding grounds for mosquitoes and lack of clean water. Overall the hygiene situation becomes very wanting.

The third complicating factor is the unyielding topography and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access and many are at the bottom of steep inclines -which heightens the flooding risk. This means that any construction efforts are made more difficult and costly by the fact that all materials must be brought in by hand.

The slum located southwest of Nairobi city centre holds more than a quarter of Nairobi’s population with an estimate population density of 300,000/km2. The slum is home to a number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni.

Kibera is heavily polluted by soot, dust, and other wastes. Open sewage routes, in addition to the common use of flying toilets, also contribute to contamination of the slum with human and animal waste.

The combination of poor nutrition and lack of sanitation accounts for many illnesses. Not only are death by disease and conflict common inside this slum, but it is estimated that 1/5 of the 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.

So when Mr. Suneel Menon, the Kenya Country Sales Manager for Roto Tanks visited the AMREF centre which also cares for HIV positive women and offers maternal services to women in the locality, he was a “God-send.” Says Sakwa Mwangala, the Project Manager, Kibera Community Based Health Care Project.

Mr. Sakwa notes that the tank will serve as to store clean water which will be used by women “especially after the chaos witnessed after the general election. Many of them lost vessels for water storage and many tanks in this location were burnt to ashes.”

Mr. Sakwa says many patients who include people suffering from tuberculosis will be able to access clean and treated water at their healthcare. The water will also be used by inpatients. He says.

During the ceremony AMREF Programme Manager for water, sanitation and hygiene Mr. Gerald Rukunga said the tank will help the poor in the area by “alleviating the problems of the many people affected by the post election violence.”

Mr. Mwangala took the opportunity to preach peace to members of the community who turned up to witness the gift ceremony. He said, just like the center will not discriminate on the who gets to use water from the tank, members of the community should also learn to co-exist , “it is one way we can be able to build this community together.” He said.

Mr. Suneel Menon on the other was praised by the women, members of Kibera Orphans and Vulnerable Children Initiative Network who described year 2008 as the year of sanitation.Mr. Menon said it was the corporate responsibility of Roto Moulders to improve the lives of people particularly in informal settlements and that together with AMREF “we hope the community will benefit much. They will not drink contaminated water. Our partnership with AMREF lives on.” He said.