The most beautiful little children are everywhere in these slums, walking around radiating joy --- for they do not yet know where they are. And when they see such people as myself walk by, they say the phrase -- no they practically sing the phrase, waving joyfully as they do -- "How are you!? How are you!? How are you?!"

It's one of those things where you knew, but you didn't really know.

As I exited the Kibera slum – called a slum by the inhabitants themselves, by the way – the gentleman next to me and I discussed how lucky we were that we got to leave.

When I entered my high end Nairobi hotel room an hour later -- emotionally and physically exhausted as well as covered in dirt -- I threw myself on the luxurious mattress of a clean and well made bed, relishing the thought of a hot shower to follow. And then it hit me, like a ton of bricks.

The people I had been with all day in the Kibera slums would not be lying down now on a luxurious mattress, nor had they ever. They would not be taking a long hot shower, nor had they ever. They would not be eating a good hot meal tonight, nor had they ever.

And like others I know who have made these trips to the slums of Kenya, I wept.

I defy anyone to go through this experience and be the same person on the other side of it that they were before.

I know that I will not be. I pray to be better.

For ways you can help end poverty NOW, check out www.results.org and www.microcreditsummit.org

-- Marianne