Mji wa Huruma: the Slum in the Heart of Runda

Got an invite from a friend to join her on a tree planting activity on a weekend, being on a weekend I had no reason to say no. We got to visit a home for the elderly, hang out with children from a nearby village and later plant trees. What more would you want for a weekend.

Over that weekend, I found out about Mji wa Huruma, a slum type of settlement in the heart of Runda Estate (one of the suburbs of the city of Nairobi, where the who and who reside) lies a slum.

Walking through the slum gave me a different perspective in life and made me realize that sometimes life is unfair but then again that is life and we have to live it to the fullest.

The orphanage for the elderly is a story for another day but a lot needs to be done. We walked through the slum and what I saw were beautiful children playing happily. The little ones seemed not to comprehend or care about the surrounding they were playing  in. The innocence of a child is something we should all aspire to have.

Another thing I noticed is, they were all happy to see two of the people among us, they were so familiar with them. I met up with Hon Fiu Nifiu and one Fiona Maureen who have dedicated their life to serving humanity.

Fiona Maureen is a product of Ni- Fiu Foundation, started by Hon Fiu in 2011 with the aim of working towards a better, safer and sustainable community

The two have made it part of their duty to plant trees across the country wherever they are invited

Fiona is a young girl with a big dream; Women, children and the elderly are people close to her heart.

At her age she should be hopping from one club to another on a weekend partly but you will always find her spending time with the less fortunate in the society

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

Hon Fiu and Fiona are just doing that and that is evidently seen at Mji Wa Huruma in Runda where despite the hardship, the community there always find a reason to smile.

“I try to do my part in this community, one step at a time and am grateful to my friends because they always show up when I call on them for help”, Said Hon Fiu.

“We can all make the world a better place if we all did our part” Added Fiu.

Fiona’s dream is to see that even the less fortunate people in the society can afford the basic needs.

“I know I cannot change my world in one day but I believe in God that eventually I will do that. I also know I cannot very little alone but with the help of my believer we will achieve anything we set our minds on” Said Fiona.

The two seems hunger to achieve what they have set their minds on and with that determination, failure for them will be a thing of the past.

Article by Amina Mbuthia.