In Nairobi’s Kibera are two lucky organisations that recall every single moment with Barack Obama, who is now the President of the United States.
Though it was brief, the visit left an indelible mark in the lives of people who live in one of the most densely populated areas in Kenya.
One of the organisations is Carolina for Kibera, a Non-Governmental Organisation committed to fight poverty through empowerment and provision of health services.
In August, 2006 Obama was in Gatwikira area in Kibera, where Carolina for Kibera (CFK) is based.
“Obama came here. It was important to meet the people, see their way of life, and hear them express themselves. He wanted to meet organisations that are working here and making credible impact in the community,” Elizabeth Ng’ang’a, Resource Mobilisation Officer at the NGO told Capital FM News.
“It was already an honour to host him as US Senator. When he said he was to be president we were happy to associate with him. We did not underestimate his capacity to be the US president,” she recalled.
Though preparations for hosting such a dignitary are tedious and hectic, the impact of the visit was more paying after all.
“The visit meant a lot for us, we were happy for the mileage and it enhanced our visibility strongly and confirmed our credibility to the community. To the world, for a person in his capacity as Senator to come and visit CFK, due diligence was done.”