Photojournalist and Documentary Photographer Natalia Jidovanu is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this social documentary photography. From her project ‘No Land’s Man:Forced Evictions In Nairobi‘. To see Natalia’s portfolio and archives click on any image.
“It was 6 am. We didn’t bring anything from the house, only the clothes we had on. We couldn’t go back because they had machetes and sticks and guns and we were scared. You can’t fight someone who is armed”.
353 houses were demolished and 650 people left homeless in Deep Sea informal settlement, in Nairobi, due to “Missing Link” road project constructed by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and funded by the European Union and the Government of Kenya. No alternative housing was provided, throwing the residents affected by the eviction into life- and health-threatening situations derived from losing access to food, water, sanitation, healthcare and livelihood opportunities. The victims of the eviction not only lost their home and neighborhood, but also all their personal belongings and their survival network. “They destroyed everything we had”.
Deeps Sea slum is located in Nairobi´s north-west Westlands division. The first group of residents moved there in 1963 onto what was then untitled public land. The Deep Sea community has been living under the threat of eviction since 2009, when they first heard that the road would run straight through their homes.
See also:
South Sudanese Refugees In Uganda
By Natalia Jidovanu
