Day 5 : “Harambee”…let’s come together

HARAMBEE…

The kenyan soccer team motto is a true image of the 5th day in Kibera for all of us! This sense of community spirit, this « Esprit de Corps » as we say in French is what punctuated first the soccer tournament that Pierrick, Paul, Dimitri and Malo organized with the help of the Uweza Soccer team, as a final point to the last three days clinic. Project Kenya offered to many of them their first experience of playing on a nice turf soccer field, very different from the muddy or dusty pitch where they usually play on at Toy School. The relationship created between all the soccer players, the sense of togetherness and their shared practices made this experience happy and memorable for all! You should have seen the smile on those 120 or more players on the field this morning!

HARAMBEE for the first part of the day!

We then had the privilege to tour the studio of the young up-and coming fashion designer AVIDO, whose order book is starting to be filled with artists and rappers :TY $ or Bruno Mars are big fans of his Wax bombers.

David Avido showed us his house in Kibera and explained to us how Uweza helped him stay focus on his dream. They develop his talent but also self-confidence to finish High School, get his diploma in Fashion Design and develop his will to go after vision!

He would not have done it “without the support of the Kibera community, and the friendships he developed growing up in Kibera! “

Another example of “let’s come together” in Kibera or HARAMBEE for the second part of the day!

Of course, we all grabbed the opportunity to dress like stars and put our hand on our very own piece from Avido!!

Then we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Uweza Center to witness the weekly meeting of the “Golden Girls”, an empowerment program for girls 3 to 14 years old, created by Uweza and brought to life by Agripina, whose education was sponsored by the foundation and who decided to give back to the community by volunteering at Uweza on the weekend.

Beside life skills, she is teaching these girls how to respect themselves as a fundamental to respect others, but also to develop self-confidence through creative activities and self-defense through their weekly Taekwondo class. You should have seen the determination in those girls’ eyes when practicing Taekwondo! They were all shouting with one voice with such an intensity! It made us realize that this girl empowerment group would need to be replicated or reproduced in Los Angeles, New York and everywhere else!!

HARAMBEE, all together for the third part of our day!!

We loved exchanging with Avido and Agripina, both natives of Kibera and hearing about their gratitude towards this sense of coming together and amazing sense of community in Kibera.

Despite the daily challenges and dangers that everyone can go through while living there, they both affirmed that Kibera has given them so much to a point that they “will never turn [their] back on Kibera”. We noticed that everyone who has succeeded to find a good job or have a good situation, they all want to give back and let the whole community benefit from their own success and lead the way! We should all follow their footsteps!

HARAMBEE is the very essence of Kibera!

Can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventure!!!

Raphaele