Sally’s niece daughter being fed by her nanny in the kitchen. Sally hosts two of her nieces in her flat and take in charge her mum now in pension. © Joan Bardeletti

Her dad, an engineer, died early, and her mum, a nurse, had to struggle to allow her 4 brothers and sisters to attend school and university. It was not easy and a lot of sacrifice had to be done, by the whole family, but now all of them live now abroad in the USA, Canada or Switzerland.
She now takes in charge her mum, which is in pension, and two nieces of a past away sister, who live in her flat. Her 400€ monthly salary as the manager of a fancy Chinese restaurant downtown is just enough to face this responsibilities on extended family.

Sally attend some foreign clients in the chinese restaurant she manage for 8 years downtown. © Joan Bardeletti

Ousmane is the

Side jobs, such as confection of jewelers or events organization, as well as renting 2 rooms in her flat, which allow to double her salary is therefore necessary to achieve what she has n mind after her wake up call : “3 years ago, I had a wake up call. I could not go on with this work, which leaves only 1 day of spare time with no purposes of evolution. I had to move on, so I decided to get a degree to be able to work for NGO or go abroad”

She strongly feels as part of the middle class but has no doubt : she has no chance of becoming rich, since to do so, you the influence and the network she will never have. However she is clearly proud of the achievements she has made, going through financial difficulties, buying her own flat and studying and has no intention of not keeping it on.

Ousmane jump over water during his weekly golf course in Nairobi Golf Club. Due to teh city expansion, the golf course is surrounded by slum habitations that can be seen in the back © Joan Bardeletti

About politics, the conversation turn short : “I serve politics everyday in my restaurant, and there is no way I want to get involved in the political life : they are too greedy !” .
She’d rather spend her spare time going out with friends and more than anything go dancing.