Deeps Sea Slum is located in Nairobi´s north-west Westlands division. The first group of residents moved there in 1963 onto what was then untitled public land. The Deep Sea community has been living under the threat of eviction since 2009, when they first heard that the road would run straight through their homes.
Three hundred and fifty-three houses were demolished and 650 people left homeless in Deep Sea informal settlement, in Nairobi, due to the "Missing Link" road project constructed by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and funded by the European Union and the Government of Kenya. No alternative housing was provided, throwing the residents affected by the eviction into life and health-threatening situations derived from losing access to food, water, sanitation, healthcare and livelihood opportunities.
The victims of the eviction not only lost their homes and neighborhoods, but also all their personal belongings and their survival network. Deeps Sea Slum is located in Nairobi´s north-west Westlands division. The first group of residents moved there in 1963 onto what was then untitled public land. The Deep Sea community has been living under the threat of eviction since 2009, when they first heard that the road would run straight through their homes.
"It was 6 am. We didn't bring anything from the house, only the clothes we had on. We couldn't go back because they had machetes and sticks and guns and we were scared. You can't fight someone who is armed."
"They destroyed everything we had."
Born in Moldova, Natalia Jidovanu completed a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology of Justice at the University of Minho, Portugal, in 2010. She first used the camera as a way of self-expression and reflection on her journey as an immigrant in Portugal. Based in Nairobi since 2014, Natalia has worked on a number of long-term documentary projects in Kenya, including a project about the Garissa University Attack, and education in informal settlements. Her photographs are published by Público, Visão, Al Jazeera, as well as by Unesco. Natalia is interested in unique and moving human stories, with a strong inclination toward issues of social justice.