Child Sponsorship Background from Nairobi, Kenya

SOS Children's Village Nairobi

SOS Children's Village Nairobi lies in the so-called Eastlands, which are part of the peripheral districts of Nairobi. On 16 October 1975, SOS Children's Village Nairobi opened, and it comprises 16 family houses, a village director's house, a house for the SOS aunts (SOS aunts take care of the children in case of an SOS mother's absence), a guest house, a sports ground, a multi-purpose hall, an administrative and service unit, coops for the chickens, beehives, vegetable beds, and a water preparation plant.

Background to Nairobi

Nairobi is both the capital and largest city in Kenya. The name of the city comes from a Maasai phrase, meaning "place of cool waters". Originally only a small rail depot on the line between Mombasa and Uganda, the city quickly grew in the 20th century, to a population of around three million.

Living standards vary considerably in the city.  Kibera, on the west side of the city, is one of the largest slums in Africa, covering two square kilometres of government land. There is a total of 66 recognised slums in the city. In the 1990's, a rising crime rate made Nairobi one of the most insecure cities in the world, with police corruption remaining a major issue.