Slumming it: Poverty tours come to Kenya

« Slumming it: poverty tours come to Kenya » is an article from the Guardian issued on

September 26th, 2009. This article is about a new tourism in Africa far from safaris or cultural

visits. Actually this new tourism consists in visit slums in Kenya by tourists coming from the

entire world. Visiting shanty towns became a way to distract tourists searching for a new way

to have some fun. The question that arises is how can this unusual kind of tourism can be

positive somehow . First, I’ll focus on the negative aspects of it , and then I’ll develop the

positive sides of touring in slums.

I- Visiting slums has drawbacks …

• Poverty is a big issue in those slums, visiting it can be considered as an

attraction. They have to be concerned by what they see not only fake their interest in those

poor people who have hard conditions of life. It’s important for them to realize that this is

not a zoo or any touristic attraction and that those people struggle to survive.

• This visits can be considered by these tourists as an innocent trip, maybe just

like a curiosity but for those poor people, it can be perceived as an attack, a lack of respect

or even more a way to make fun of them and their living conditions .

• Since the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, a movie about slums in India, came out

visiting shanty towns and being concerned about poor people became something fashionable.

II- But visiting slums has also positive sides

• But on another hand I think it is definitely the best way to figure out how difficult life

can be in these parts of third world suburban areas, better than any shocking documentary

or fundraising charity leaflet.

• Being there, smelling the stench and feeling how desperate people are is going to leave

an unforgettable memory. it will probably convince many people to start helping actively