I honestly don’t know where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On April 13, I had the pleasure of picking up Reiner, the founder of this foundation, at the Nairobi airport and taking him to his accommodation. The accommodation is a furnished apartment where Reiner not only plans to spend his time in Nairobi but where he has also invited me to stay for a few days. The first night and the first day were spent recovering from the flight and doing some grocery shopping so we\u2019d have something to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After eating, we first got to know each other properly. There had been a few minor misunderstandings that we hadn\u2019t been able to clear up before our meeting. But now that we\u2019d met in person, it was quickly resolved. After this initial introduction and a few conversations to get to know me better, I also told Reiner about the situation in my current apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my current apartment, mice or rats would sometimes run through the room because the doors didn\u2019t reach the floor, allowing the pests to enter the apartments from the stairwell. The water and electricity services were also frequently disrupted, so that in the entire building, for three days the week before this meeting, we couldn\u2019t shower or wash ourselves and couldn\u2019t rinse the dishes. No wonder we have mice and rats in the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But after this meeting with Reiner and our discussions, Reiner was willing to assist me with advice and support. First, we talked about what I would like to have. Of course, my preference was for a clean and safe apartment. But that can vary depending on the rent. After a long day of comparing options, we agreed that the rent would be between 10k and 20k KES (Kenyan Shillings), but preferably as close to 10k as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, back to searching. We found a few apartments and made plans for the next day to view them. There were a few, scattered all over Nairobi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After another peaceful and safe night\u2019s sleep in the apartment where Reiner was staying, we booked an Uber driver after a good breakfast and set off for the first apartment. This apartment was supposed to cost 10,000 KES per month. When we arrived at the building where the apartment was supposed to be for rent, none of us were particularly enthusiastic about the neighborhood. The street, off the main road leading to the building, was in poor condition\u2014even by Nairobi standards. There were potholes in the road that even the driver didn\u2019t want to drive through because you couldn\u2019t be sure the car would make it without damage. You also couldn\u2019t see how deep the potholes were, because everything was flooded with rainwater from the previous night. Reiner looked at the building and told me he didn\u2019t have a good feeling about it because the building looked much older than in the photos in the ad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we hit the road again and headed to the second location we\u2019d viewed. By then, the driver had already figured out we were looking for an apartment and kindly gave us tips on where else to try. So we visited one location after another, but had no success. In between, we tried other buildings we hadn\u2019t considered in our search, but either no apartments were available or they were far beyond our budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After driving around for 3 or 4 hours\u2014with the driver waiting for us every time\u2014he suggested we try the other side of Nairobi. Since we had no other options, we gladly accepted the driver\u2019s suggestion and headed to Kiambu. Kiambu was somewhat familiar to me, as I attended high school there. In Kiambu, we found a building owned by a landlord I\u2019d known since high school. The building and the surrounding area looked good, and there seemed to be 24\/7 security. We first spoke with a female security guard and asked if there were any apartments available. And yes, they had a few apartments available. So we asked the driver to wait for us and set off with the security guard to check out the apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reiner had already looked around a bit and was convinced by the security and the building, but he did have doubts about whether it would fit within the agreed-upon budget. The first apartment we looked at was very narrow. I think it was just barely 2 meters wide. Maybe enough for a student, but I would have liked a little more space. On to the second apartment. That one was a lot more spacious. About 3 meters wide. A kitchen cabinet with a countertop, a bathroom with a toilet and shower, and behind the kitchen cabinet, a relatively large open space where you could also fit a bed that wasn\u2019t too small. The first apartment would have cost 14k, and this one, at 17k, was still within the intended budget but a bit on the high side. Anyway, within the building complex there were also several small shops, including a laundromat. This makes it very attractive, of course, because otherwise, just like in my old apartment, you\u2019d have to do the laundry by hand\u2014and anyone who\u2019s ever washed a duvet cover by hand knows what a chore that is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I spoke with Reiner first, and he didn\u2019t think it was bad either. But he made it clear that, in principle, I\u2019m responsible for covering the rent and all other costs myself. So I went to the building manager and discussed what\u2019s involved in renting the apartment. Before signing the lease, I had to come up with 36k for the first month\u2019s rent, the security deposit, and the first month\u2019s water bill. But because Reiner, with the help of his foundation, advanced me this money, I was able to sign the lease and move into my first apartment of my own. In a safe environment, free of pests, and with a good feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But now a new problem arose. No bed to sleep in, no table to eat at, nothing to cook or eat with. And with savings of just 10,000 KES, not really enough money to provide for everything. But here too, the foundation that Reiner established helped me out once again. With a sum of 100,000 KES, I was able to purchase everything I needed. A bed, a table, kitchen supplies like knives, forks, plates, glasses, even a water dispenser. Many people can\u2019t imagine this, but the tap water here isn\u2019t always clean enough to drink safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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