POORISM: Genuine celeb charity or shock value?

Kibera is a great tourist destination; many people know this but few admit it. It has probably been visited by more international celebrities than State House itself, and could easily rival the Masai Mara. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Visiting celebs don’t inquire about what happened to their last donation, they only publicise the problems and give out money. Kibera has produced many famous and productive people but we never see that in the media. Also, these slum pictures paint a negative image of Kenya.
  • Fredrick Omondi Otieno is the founder of Kibera Tours, which conducts slum visits at a fee. Each tour takes you through seven of the 14 villages in Kibera, with pit stops at key community projects. A part of the proceeds of the tours fund community projects.
  • Award winning photo-journalist Boniface Mwangi is becoming synonymous with the struggles of the Kenyan youth. Though known for social-political activism, he surprisingly supports ghetto tours and other “efforts that make slum life better”.

Kibera is a great tourist destination; many people know this but few admit it. It has probably been visited by more international celebrities than State House itself, and could easily rival the Masai Mara. It is part of a growing trend of “poorism”, also referred to as slum tourism or ghetto tours.

Barack Obama, Ban Ki-Moon, Madonna, 50 Cent, Hillary Clinton, Russell Brand, Gordon Brown, Katie Lowes and many leaders and celebs have made their way to Kibera. Some tour agents even put Kibera on their website and hire local guides to escort camera-wielding bigwigs taking selfies and ogling at poverty.

Kibera Tours offers this service. For Sh2,500 you can visit a slum near you. From Bronx in New York, Favela’s in Brazil, Mumbai (India) to Soweto (South Africa), poorism is the in-thing. Some people claim it is educational, with celebrities using their appeal to raise cash for worthy causes. But others see it as exploitation; a Public Relations gimmick to popularise the celebs and raise money for non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Perhaps the most extreme example of poorism was the BBC TV show: Famous, Rich and in the Slum. In it, four British celebrities were stripped of all luxuries and immersed into Kibera for a week, with just Sh200.

Comedian Lenny Henry, actress Samantha Womack, TV and radio star Reggie Yates and presenter and journalist Angela Rippon starred in the show that was used by Comic Relief to raise awareness and money for poverty alleviation projects. For a week, they lived, worked, ate and slept like Kibera people do. Watching the show, one wonders whether it was used for shock value, entertainment or education.

Singer Madonna was recently on the receiving end of Kenyans on Twitter for posting images of Kibera during her visit. Many people took issue with the negative images and their effect on Kenya’s brand as an investment destination.

But now, local celebrities are coming out to give, hopefully, a better face to slum life, believing that improving people’s lives must be the goal and not just public relations gimmicks.

Groove Award winning artiste Eko Dydda, fondly referred to as the Ghetto President, is the founder of Ghetto Championship, a youth project that uses football for social empowerment. Eko is known for songs such as Ghetto, Me and My House, Psalms 23 and Beautiful People. His music highlights the plight of slum dwellers. Having grown up in a slum, sang about poverty and experienced national success, Eko has firsthand experience on ghetto life.

SEEKING RELEVANCE

“Why do we show only the negative side of ghettos yet we have many positive things there?” he asks.

“Visiting celebs don’t inquire about what happened to their last donation, they only publicise the problems and give out money. Kibera has produced many famous and productive people but we never see that in the media. Also, these slum pictures paint a negative image of Kenya. The international community ends up knowing more of the poverty in Kibera than of the prosperity in Runda,” he says.

Dydda also says many NGOs are not effective. “We have over 600 NGOs in Kibera but there’s still poverty; they’re just business ventures. Most of these briefcase firms paint a bad picture of slums and use celebs to raise money. In the hood, we call them masangwenyas (meaning??).

“If it is really about change, let us show both sides of the ghetto,” he says.

Local comedian Smart Joker has built a persona around slum life. He refers to himself as the “sweet-talking smart joker from Kibera”, while dressing like a typical slum dweller. His skits and narratives are designed to make you laugh and relate to ghetto life.

“I know how celebs seek relevance. Many ghetto visits are just PR gimmicks. How does washing your hands with poor children, eating with them and taking pictures improve their situation?” he asks.

“If they want to make a change, let them give money quietly; as the Swahili say: Tenda wema nenda zako (Do good without expecting a reward).

“Considering all the celebrities who have visited Kibera, it should be an estate now, not a slum. There is a lot we need to change, but we should begin with people’s perceptions. Our greatest poverty is in the mind.”   

Fredrick Omondi Otieno is the founder of Kibera Tours, which conducts slum visits at a fee. Each tour takes you through seven of the 14 villages in Kibera, with pit stops at key community projects. A part of the proceeds of the tours fund community projects.

“You should try it, the tour really changes people’s perception,” he says. “Unless you have grown up in a ghetto, you can’t really understand how it feels. We host both local and international visitors. Slum tourism is global; we have picked a lot from Brazil, India, and Soweto slums, where Nelson Mandela’s old house is a major attraction.”

MAKING LIFE BETTER

Samuel Otieno is a direct beneficiary of Ghetto Classics, a music programme in Korogocho that is funded by proceeds from Safaricom Jazz Festival. As part of the itinerary, international jazz artistes visit the community-based project and perform with children. Some artistes have donated instruments while others offer time to train the children via Skype after the show.

“Visiting artistes have opened opportunities for the children in our programme. Some fly out of the country for lessons and performances, while others receive sponsorship to hone their skills. Our director and founder, Ms Elizabeth Njoroge, uses her influence and networks to help us beyond the music. My entire education, from primary to secondary level, has been funded by such efforts,” he reveals.

Award winning photo-journalist Boniface Mwangi is becoming synonymous with the struggles of the Kenyan youth. Though known for social-political activism, he surprisingly supports ghetto tours and other “efforts that make slum life better”.

“Celebrities don’t create ghettos; governments do. Slums are real. These celebrities are at least doing something. They may do it to feel good about themselves but they leave something behind,” he says.

“You can’t blame celebrities who tour slums. It is the government’s job to assist the poor and keep tabs on NGOs. If NGOs are exaggerating the population of Kibera for their own reasons, the government should conduct a census and set the record straight.

“Remember also that the biggest slums are behind police lines. Some police officers who protect VIPs share tiny huts with three other families. Celebrities are just scapegoats. Why are we shooting the person who is trying to help?” asks Mwangi.