| Today over one billion people live in Urban Slums on | | | | the very basics, as a starting place. But how can you |
| Earth and that number is rising at an alarming rate. In | | | | fix an area that has 2 million plus (estimated) and |
| Kibera in Nairobi Kenya, some 800,000 people are | | | | growing, where HIV/AIDS is running ramped? It will |
| living is severe conditions, including raw sewage and | | | | take some brave people to make the challenges to |
| around 1,000s dying of HIV/AIDS. | | | | be met. |
| Kibera in Nairobi is merely one humanitarian crisis and | | | | It appears that once the basic infrastructures are |
| there are many more like it Africa, Asia, South | | | | completed most of the major challenges will be met |
| America and Indonesia. Africa had an estimated 14 | | | | and then the HIV/AIDS issues can be tackled. Of |
| million orphan children of HIV/AIDS victims and that | | | | course that will never occur without a plan and some |
| was a figure from 2001, some believe the number | | | | strong powers that be, behind it. |
| now is nearly double if not triple today. Even without | | | | In considering all this there seems to be 150 to 220 |
| the AIDS crisis, 32.5% of the Earth's human | | | | different shanty towns or slums in Nairobi alone, |
| population lives in Urban Slum areas with very similar | | | | depending on your method of counting and it makes |
| living conditions. | | | | sense to put a deadline on the project to revitalize |
| Thankfully in many of these world slums there are | | | | the areas; less than a decade should be the goal; |
| people, literally Angles or Mother Teresa Types | | | | that will mean 15 to 22 slums per year. |
| working with the slum communities from the inside, | | | | Now then, such a project is obviously easier said than |
| but they are overwhelmed with the HIV/AIDS | | | | done because each of these slums consists of 10s of |
| victims, orphan children, disease, starvation and | | | | thousands, if not 100s of thousands of people. |
| sanitation issues. And without such basic necessities | | | | Although 60% of Nairobi's population lives in Urban |
| as; | | | | Slums these shanty-town inhabitants only occupy 5% |
| - Trash and Rubbish Pick-up | | | | of the land area of the city. |
| - Running Water | | | | If something can be done there, then that model |
| - Electricity and Power | | | | could be used in other slums around the world. I |
| - Sewer Hook-ups | | | | certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has |
| - Shelter from Weather (marginal roofing, repairs) | | | | propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in |
| - Fire Fighters or Fire Stations | | | | your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for |
| - Police other than Neighborhood Watch | | | | reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which |
| There is little chance of survival. After all these are | | | | interest you. |