Finding, and living, the faith in bustling Mombasa

The Kenyan city of Mombasa is an ancient metropolis that bears the marks of its long history as a melting pot of civilizations, religions, cultures, races and nationalities. It is the gateway to East Africa and the coastal city of choice for many tourists from Asia, Europe and North America.

A bustling city, Mombasa is a model of diversity and multiculturalism where minarets of mosques and towers of churches rise above the city. Many residents are awakened in the morning by the sonoric call to prayer from the muezzin or the booming music from megaphones mounted on rooftops of flourishing evangelical churches.

Mombasa also offers a sad reminder that most African cities have lost their innocence. There is a flourishing sex trade and a burgeoning gay culture...