Slums like these. (see video below)
The level of corruption is abysmal. You'd better be born into the right family, in the right geographical areas, with the right income base, if you wanna 'get a life'. ( as we would call it here in the West)
Does Kenya not have a functioning Welfare state?. If not, surely it would, at very least grant these people a basic standard of living.. a 'decent'home. ( as a starting point)
Whilst I suspect corruption would be rife in the administering of such funds, at least the people would have recourse.
Social mobility in many of the African states I tend to look at seem non existent. ( Most 'developing countries, and not limited to African states at all)
Despite the inequality gap growing wider in richer countries.. there is still a 'chance'.
Where I live, house prices.. even small ones.. are relatively very expensive... out of reach for unemployed, low or average wage earners.
0 contract hours (on the increase) jobs, are a sign of the times, and really do take the proverbial p... but a job is a job, and employers want to turn a profit too. They need to, to stay afloat.
Education, as a way up and out, is becoming increasingly expensive.
But still.. a 'chance'
The policy logic of the day, doesn't seem to be working well for the many, but it does seem to be, for the few.
To be fair, It's a difficult thing to get right.
Neoliberalism 'promotes' greed and immorality..
It is however.. seductive.
It plays to our weakest desires, our lowest common denominators, (yet on the positive flipside) our ambitions, and rewards us well, should we be in possession of the right cards, and have knowledge of how to play those cards.. play the game.
It helps, if you care little of others. If you're a little heartless bastard/elle S.T.S. (so to speak)
For a poor woman in a slum ( with no hope of social mobility) I suspect you may see why selling sex would appear one of a very limited number of viable options.
For a man, crime.
It's ridiculous. For so much wealth to be concentrated in the hands of so few ( Africa UK and beyond) when there is enough wealth in this world to oversee an elimination of slums altogether. But, I no longer think it's about money solely. Sadly I'm inclined to believe it's about how people think, and why, what they believe, and why. What they wish to conserve, and why. How they are prepared to treat each other, and why
Who.. they think, they really are.
Okay.. I need to watch a rom com this evening.
Another vid.. another angle, another issue
by Damian Clarke / Mohammed Adow
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