This is my first blog post and as an artist I would really like to share with the world what I do. My most recent project is Sauti ya Amani at Early Bird Academy in Ngecha where I am working with my friend, Paloma, from California who has brought a Davis Project for Peace grant to the school. At Early Bird, I lead music workshops to empower and touch lives in a positive way by talking about peace, writing music and poetry in order to reach out to the community about difficult topics that we can actually tackle if there is dialogue. I am also currently working for Penya Africa while pursuing my own musical career. I will use this blog to share my achievements and journeys both in my personal and professional lives.
With the support of Penya Africa, I have initiated an outreach program called Tungare, a Swahili phrase meaning "Let's tidy up." This project came up while I was walking in the ghetto of Kangemi where I met up with some street boys who asked me for some food. I talked to them and told them I can only feed them in a day but it's also good to sit down and start up a project in a way of empowering one another in order to come up with plans to better our lives. Instead of giving them food, which would last them only for the day, I had a dream of giving them something that would last them much longer. That day was one month ago and we have been working together since. With the participation of the street boys, we have been meeting once a week since the start of the program and at the moment I am looking forward to coming up with a way of organizing some clothes and shoes for them. Currently, I am thinking of coming up with a way to help them by organizing a collection of clothes and shoes to give to them, so they can benefit from not only my help but also the help of other charitable people.
I also work at Bella Rehabilitation Center in Dagoretti which is a program that was initiated six months ago. I've been working with kids, ages 8-15, who have been taken from the streets to the school in order to get educated and detox from the drugs they were taking on the streets. Similarly to the other programs, I also use music here to empower and give hope.
Another project that I have been dedicating my time to for 1 1/2 years now is the Music Behind Bars program in the Nairobi West Prison. This project is made possible by Penya Africa, Sauti Academy and my own passion. Music to me is not only being on stage or being in papers or on posters, but in prison I use it as a medicine to cure, relieve stress and empower the inmates.
In all of my work, both personal and professional, I face challenges. For example, working with inmates who are short-timers. I work with them and we become close and they leave shortly thereafter when they are released. Of course it is good for them to be released, but it leaves me wondering how much value my time has had. In the Tungare program, with the street boys, the biggest challenge I am facing right now is to handle them because they are really sniffing glue which has totally affected their mind and motivations. Sometimes you may think they are listening to you, but they are actually very high. With the street boys, I am not only trying to combat poverty but also addiction.
Despite the challenges and difficulties that I face, I love working with the street boys, children and most of all, the prisoners. I love my job.
I want to say thanks to all those people who have been encouraging me in a positive way to stick and work hard to my dream and actually I have seen it with my naked eyes that all that you would like to pursue, have faith in it and all will come true as long as you know what you're doing and you know what you want. Make a choice.
