Kenya is an African country on the equator with a population estimated at 34 million. The people of Kenya are from various tribes such as Massai, Luo, and Kikuyu. When you ask a person where he is from, he will not tell you where he lives, rather he will tell you his ancestral home, even if he has never lived there.
The people are warm and friendly and are generally upbeat, even under difficult circumstances. "Hakuna Matata" is a very present state of mind and conveys a sense of no worries, "What you don’t know won’t hurt you,” and a relaxed, often joyful attitude. When occupied by the British, Kenyans were encouraged to adopt the “better” lifestyle of the British. They were often victims of corruption.
The GDP for Kenya in 2006 was $1,100 as compared with $40,000 in the US. Unemployment is at 40% and 50% of the people live below the poverty level. Poverty is everywhere. It is a marvel how people exist on so little. The median age is 18 explicitly showing the effect of excess mortality due to AIDS resulting in higher infant mortality (59 per 1000) and death rates. The average life expectancy is only 49 years.
There is one physician for every 1000 inhabitants, and the infant mortality rate is among the highest in Africa. While Kenya has a comprehensive social insurance plan, it covers less than half of the working population. Diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dysentery, and tuberculosis are very common.
