Where the sidewalks end

Found a really good article from Ode magazine that might help make our transition from presentation into narrative a little easier.

A journalist went into a Nairobi slum called Mtumba guided by a local and discussed a little on transportation and water.

More often than not governments do not provide any piping to bring water to the slums, and slum-dwellers are forced to pay high prices for water provided by private companies who bring in their own barrel trucks.  There are no established businesses that currently provide services regarding toilets and sewer systems.  Residents are forced to make "flying toilets" - bags of excrement flung onto roofs - because they have nowhere else to dispose of them.

Waiting in line for the water that is sold by private companies

In terms of transportation, bicycles seem to be a logical solution ...except for the fact that there are bicycle taxes on every bike.  In the 80s it was as high as 80%, but since has gone down to approx 20%.


The article goes on to talk about possible solutions about transportation, such as cheaper forms of transportation, like jitneys and bicycles (without taxes).  

Molly O'Meara Sheehan. "Where the Sidewalks End." Ode Magazine. http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/3/where_the_sidewalks_end/ (accessed November 19, 2010).

Danielle Rosen 15:00 November 19