Learn About The Incredible Local Labourers In Mombasa, Kenya

Learn About The Incredible Local Labourers In Mombasa, Kenya
Puja
Puja 
Published
| 6 min read

It is through travel and time that we grow and change. I have shared with you an insight into the beautiful hotels, resorts, lodges, restaurants, beaches and activities on offer in Mombasa, Kenya. However, it is now time that I share the most important sight of Mombasa that you should see and that is of its people. For most of my childhood and early adult years, I have visited Kenya and I am ashamed to admit it but more often than not, all I could see was that I was surrounded by poverty and pollution. However, a few years ago, I decided to take my camera out and take photographs of the people and see whether by looking through a lens if I could I see things any differently, and I did. It is for this reason that I am compelled to write this article on the people of Mombasa as I would like to share with you the most important part of Mombasa — its local people.

People that make the impossible possible

learn about the incredible local labourers in mombasa, kenya | people that make the impossible possible

Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it is done” and the people of Mombasa, sometimes do what would seem impossible to you and I.

Take, for example, the woman in this photograph. She woke up at 5.00 am and prepared her children for school and subsequently started them off on their journey. She then went to collect the enormous bag of potatoes that she sells everyday so that she can afford to feed her family. The mental and physical strength to transport this bag of potatoes from her home area to her stall is tremendous and whilst she has lifted, carried and dragged this bag for some time, she then decides to take a boda-boda (a motorbike taxi) for the reminder of her journey. Turn a blind eye to the safety issues and lack of seat belt that she has on and smile that this woman is working so hard and has found a way to get herself and her enormous bag of potatoes onto this motorbike. When you are shopping for vegetables and fruit, consider buying from the local stands rather than the commercialised stores. Make a difference, help this woman and her family to survive. Take a look at her determination, resilience and commitment to working to feed her family.

Building homes for locals and hotels for tourists

learn about the incredible local labourers in mombasa, kenya | building homes for locals and hotels for tourists

Thomas A. Edison once said, “There is no substitute for hard work” and it is clear that the people of Mombasa do work incredibly hard.

To enjoy the exquisite and authentic furnishings in the hotels and during the safari experiences, a significant amount of wood is needed. To have and embrace staff in hotels and restaurants, such staff need to be able to have homes where they can rest in the times in which they are not serving guests and for this, wood is also needed for their shelter. The photograph that you see here is not just of a man lifting wood and moving it from one direction to another but rather, it is of a man doing an incredibly difficult and manually intensive job so that he can earn an income and support his family. He is doing this single-handedly and at the mercy of sunshine, which only a holiday-maker could enjoy. His efforts and hard work also mean that locals and tourists can benefit from the wood. If and when you see him, help him and admire his efforts as he is building a life in Mombasa for you and I to enjoy.

Watch people work with symbolic signs in the background

learn about the incredible local labourers in mombasa, kenya | watch people work with symbolic signs in the background

Napoleon Hill once said, “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle” and the people of Mombasa do struggle but they do not behave with despair or fear and rather take each challenge head on.

The woman that you see in the photograph is walking in the sunshine at 3.30 pm and has been out and about all day. The only shade that she has is the heavy plastic bag that is covering her head and her body. She is now taking the remainder of the items that she sells on her stall to her home. She stands tall, strong and has her handbag hanging from her shoulder. This is a woman that is showing the world that financial inclusion is important to her and she will not be isolated from the system and will find a way to work hard and make money to support herself. All types of transport in Mombasa have logos, messages and signs on and it is inspiring to truly open one’s eyes and see the people of Mombasa, with the backdrop of some of these signs, as can be noted in the photograph. Appreciate what you have, be thankful and recognise that the people of Mombasa are working so hard.

Working together to make an impact on the community

learn about the incredible local labourers in mombasa, kenya | working together to make an impact on the community

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people” and the people of Mombasa are courageous, determined and united in overcoming obstacles and challenges.

No doubt you will have noted from the photograph that I share with you here that these qualities are evident. This photograph was taken at 4.00 pm and shows four men pushing a two wheeled cart that is loaded with straw, sand and other farm goods. They have pushed this cart from one side of the Nyali Bridge to the other; the Nyali Bridge connects the island of Mombasa to the mainland of Kenya. It is the busiest and most populated bridge that I have ever seen anywhere and for those that don’t have four wheels, the heat whilst crossing it is unbearable and during rush-hour and traffic times, the time in which you spend on it can be significant. These four men have pushed their cart through the traffic and heat and have not once looked back or stopped for a break. They are committed to doing their job and making a difference to their community.

Act with kindness when interacting with locals

act with kindness when interacting with locals

Desmond Tutu once said, “Your ordinary acts of love and hope point to the extraordinary promise that every human life is of inestimable value” and this is true in respect to how we can behave to one another; whether you are a local or a tourist in Mombasa, treat each person around you with love.

The photograph that I share with you here is not just of a set of pictures being sold on the beach but rather, it is someone’s time, effort and creation that should be treated with the utmost respect. The person that made these creations has very little; they take the time, as do the other sellers of such items on the beach, to talk to you. Sometimes he and his fellow sellers can appear very direct in their approach in trying to convince you to purchase their items. However, what I would say to you is to please be kind and understand that they have very little and that haggling on the price for their work can be disheartening for them, as it would for you if you were in their position. If you buy from them, you give them the opportunity to eat another meal; if you haggle the price, you affect the value of that meal. Your ordinary act of kindness can provide promise to them of a better life.

Learn and experience life in Mombasa

Whilst you travel through Mombasa, make sure that your camera is out, not only to catch a snap of the gorgeous beaches or the wildlife when you’re on safari; capture the life of Mombasa, which is the people that are at the centre and heart of it. If you would like to find out more detailed accounts of the people that live and work in Kenya’s second largest city, check out the website, Life in Mombasa, which includes interviews of people from different professions and backgrounds. In addition, if you’re interested in connecting with local people and volunteering and/or donating, please do consider getting in touch with the Mombasa Children’s Orphanage, which is run by The Salvation Army. I have supported this organisation for a number of years and would recommend that the best way to learn about Mombasa is through its people, starting off with the children who stay at the orphanage.

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Puja Modha has trained as a lawyer, worked as a compliance officer and is an experienced travel journalist that enjoys writing about her experiences across the world. She was born in England, her...Read more

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