Women of the World

Jennifer

Jennifer lives in Kenya in one of Africa’s largest slums, called Kibera, with an estimated 500,000 residents.  Kibera is adjacent to one of the nicest neighborhoods in Nairobi and is four miles from downtown.

She moved there from her rural town like many other Kenyans to find work in Nairobi.  Half of Nairobi’s 2.5 million inhabitants are said to live in unofficial slums near the city. 

She and her husband met while living in Kibera, married and had two daughters.  Jennifer was extremely happy with her life with her husband.  After suffering from an illness, her husband died in 2003.  Her mother and father believe that if Jennifer enters their home, without having another man, death may come to them.  Therefore, she has no support from any of her family members, as she fights to survive and make ends meet.  

They rent a small room from a woman and Jennifer, who embroiders, will sometimes make things for her landlord as payment for rent.  She and her two girls share a bed, they have no running water, or electricity.

Jennifer has a dream to have a small stand in Kibera where she can sell her embroidery and also hold training classes to teach other women how to embroider.  She takes great pride in her work and works daily to improve her life for herself and her daughters.