Radio DJs give up food in blood drive

• Three presenters camp in makeshift studio for six days in rare campaign to urge their fans to donate blood to save lives

Three radio presenters have been starving for six straight days but continued to work as usual. All they have been taking is water and energy drinks.

Since Monday, three Ghetto Radio presenters Mbusi, DJ Prince and DJ Musty have been outside Nairobi’s Hilton Hotel in a glass make-shift studio.

Their mission — to get radio fans to donate blood. Saturday is their last day.

“The make-shift studio has everything, including washrooms and a sleeping bunk. They were not let out and worked in shifts for six days,” says Julius ‘Majimaji’ Owino, the station’s manager.

Make-shift studio

The studio moved from their normal location at the Sarakasi Dome in Ngara to the make-shift glass studio.

Outside the glass house is a concert area where artistes perform for the live audience after donating blood.

“We have the live audience between 9am to 6.30pm daily outside the glass studio while others call in and others interact with our presenters through social media,” Majimaji says.

The final concert will be on Saturday where a number of local musicians and DJs will perform.

Among those who have performed since Monday are Jaguar, STL, Size 8, Wyre and Rabbit.

DJs include Kalonje, Stylez, Steel, Miss Ray, Kaydee, the Kubamba Krew, the System Unit and Papa Charlie.

Ghetto Radio presenter Mbusi, said of the event; “I’m motivated by the worthy cause we are doing. We are happy because of the positive response we are getting from fans and everybody else coming out to donate blood,” he says.

Every year, the station comes up with a cause to support during the one-week fast popularly known as ‘The Serious Request’.

While last year’s theme was on HIV/Aids testing, this year they are encouraging Kenyans to donate blood.

According to a Kenya Red Cross volunteer, Kweya Obedi, who joined the fast for three days, Kenyan hospitals are in dire need of blood.

“One out of every 10 patients who go to hospital need blood. We need about 100 pints of blood daily, but we get between 50 and 70 pints a day, which is not enough,” says Mr Obedi.

The need for blood shoots up when there is a disaster like a fire or road accidents, he adds.

Last year, 2,141 people were tested for HIV/Aids during the campaign and more than 8,000 visited the Serious Request site at Hilton. Radio presenters at the time included Diana Kamau.