"Everything I wish is to come back to Africa"

Ernest Hemingway wrote in his memoirs, because he too, had been fascinated by the wonderful people, the fantastically beautiful and varied landscapes and the indescribably diverse wildlife of the second largest continent on earth released. Probably no other region of the world impresses and fascinates its visitors to such an extent as Africa regularly succeeds in and in fact most to Africa travelling people return again and again.

Fantastically beautiful continent - very poor population

In addition to the beauty of the continent, the indescribable poverty of large parts of the population and the associated living conditions are affecting most Africans. In 52 countries, 1.300.000.000 people live, the population growth is extremely high and rising continuously. For the year 2050, 2 billion inhabitants are forecasted. The 10 poorest countries in the world are in Africa. Exploitation of the land and the people, slave trade, peoples riots, colonialism, apartheid, corruption, extreme weather conditions followed by famine and many other adverse circumstances bag the continent for centuries.

Cradle of humanity

The cradle of humanity, it is said, is in Kenya. During excavations, 125,000-year-old bones of Homo sapiens were found in the famous Rift Valley. Kenya is considered one of the most attractive and interesting holiday countries in Africa. Here you will find beautiful beaches on the Indian Ocean, an incredible biodiversity in the many extensive national parks and breathtaking high mountain regions on Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya. Kenya is also considered one of Africa's most developed countries and the most prosperous country in East Africa. Nevertheless, corruption, poverty and human misery are also being encountered in Kenya. The residents of the coastal region and the people in the area around Nairobi, the capital with around 3.0 million inhabitants, are comparatively well off.

Bad infrastructure of Kenya

The main exports are tea, coffee and flowers. In 2016, the export volume was only $ 4.7 milliards, compared to $ 15.8 milliards in imports. Nonetheless, the country's gross domestic product increased to $ 74,958 milliards between 2007 and 2017, more than doubling. This immense growth, however, only reaches a small part of the population. The average annual income is $ 1,400, while the country's president grants $ 490,000 a year in salaries.

The infrastructure of Kenya is bad. For example, only about 25 percent of all households in the country are connected to the electricity grid, even fewer have running water. As a former colony of the United Kingdom Kenya got its independence only in 1963. But the negative effects of the colonial era are still noticeable today. Development assistance from the Western world is granted only to a limited extent. This then ends up partly in the pockets of the elite and muffles the other part in often useless projects. Kenya has no significant industry. Most of the population is employed in agriculture.

Problematic high population growth

Most live with relatives, are cared for by the village community, or are housed in homes. But many live on the streets begging, picking up garbage, or doing odd jobs. These children are for the most part drug addicted, malnourished and ill.

 

These kids have nothing - they do not even have a chance ....

Kenya is also suffering from a problematic high population growth. Between 2007 and 2017, the population increased by 11.6 million to 49.7 million inhabitants. Children under 15 represent about 42 percent of the total population. According to Unicef, there are 2.6 million orphans in Kenya (as of 2014) who have lost one or both parents. Most of their parents died of AIDS. The state does not enough care for orphans.