This slum suburb of Nairobi, as well as the Kibera slum, was the scene of violent riots and killings that erupted after the flawed presidential election in December 2007. These photos were taken during a pause in the violence. I visited the area accompanied by a friend, Thomas Gale, a university professor in Nairobi who also does volunteer teaching (of French) in several slum-area primary schools.

Unlike the Kibera slum, Methare has
The devastation left behind included numerous
Clothing for sale hung on poles stuck in the ground
Resourceful as usual, a barber opened his 'shop' for business
Rubble, children and little hope for change as the governing
Women (bending over) collecting water from a common faucet while
Conditions vary even within a slum, from shanties to apartments.
Kids playing in the rubble-strewn and charred area of a
The guarded, well-built and leafy gardens of the local Administration
A hand made (by his father) safari cart is the
High rise blocks of flats where families live in crowded
What could be a pleasant riverside scene is a filthy,
This is the truth about Kenya's
Kids--resilient as ever; their future filled with doubt.
Street vendors are present everyday everywhere in Kenya, sometimes dancing
A smiling resident of Methare displays his resilience and hope
Shoes are one of the most common commodities sold in
A boy and his simple toy running past the Catholic
A Roman Catholic Church (RCC) on the edge of Methare. The
The neighborhood of Furuma was not as badly damaged as
Clothing stalls that were not torched opened for business soon
Braided hair styles for girls are very popular.
Methare's residents are resilient (resigned to their impoverished conditions) and resourceful
Salama Primary School: one of many schools around Methare
Herding goats past Uncle Jim's
Overturned phone booths to block pickup trucks of marauding gangs from
Entering Methare North.
High-rise' blocks of apartments provide cramped living for many families. People
Entering Methare is a daunting experience--living there is worse.
Some young men moved out of Methare until the danger
A playground with damaged fences in the background.
A playground with damaged fences. Rioters become hysterical in their violence
Trash collectors were afraid to come to Methare during the
A cherubic-faced boy and his valued toy truck made form
The same cherubic-faced boy with his toy and friends.
Making fried bread soon after it became safe to go
Making fried bread soon after it became safe to go
One of the main roads into
Methare high-rise residential blocks with sewage seeping out. The red boxes
One of many primary schools in Mathare--closed during the riots. Read
Courtyard at the Methare North Primary School.
Signs encourage children to have good hygiene at the Methare
Signs to teach children about germs and diseases at the
Back alleys of squalor and open sewers and little to
Back alleys busy with life and reconstruction.
A small shop well protected from the outside.
Daunting circumstances surround every resident of Methare, and few have
The only cheer to be found in Methare.
Some calm after the storm of violence.

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