Making a living...

On our jaunt off-campus this morning we traveled from Karen to the far side of Nairobi, not far from the new American Embassy. Like many other countries, Kenya has a large working class. Unfortunately, Kenya also has a large unemployed population, which reaches nearly 50%. Rather than being able to afford expensive products sold in upscale malls or shops, individuals express their entrepreneurial spirits and set up shop-often within a coin toss of the side of the road.
One can get just about anything at the side of the road in Nairobi. It is not uncommon for someone to purchase their bedroom suite just feet away from the curb. As we drove through town we saw individuals selling nightstands, beds, dining room furniture, baskets and other woven goods, portable toilets, tires, landscaping plants, and refurbished mufflers, which could be installed with the oxyacetylene torch just feet away. The ramps were planks leaning against a rail that was bolstered by large blocks of wood underneath. This gives new meaning to "Trust the Midas Touch...."