Today was the first day meeting KU students and I must say meeting them in person was great. Although Facebook was a great first point of contact, being face to face was much better. I found the students really bright and easy to talk to. We played an icebreaker ‘cheerleader rock paper cissors’ which everybody got into. It was the first time I initiated a icebreaker and I am  really happy for how it turned out.  

The second part of the afternoon, we got into groups so we could start working on our projects for the exhibition. I am in the audio group  which is quite exciting for me. I have very little experience doing this, but I do think that my skills :interviewing and basic editting skills will come in handy. My groups is really sweet I felt comfortable with them very quickly. Our ideas developed and we got to know each other quite well, just in the space of couple of hours. I think that working as a team towards a common goal (producing a podcast) is a really good way to get to know people. Although I enjoy the regular chitchat, of getting to know somebody, Working on a project together is a way to develop a common interest. This sets an intention to collaborate and it is a way to get to know somebody through their ideas, skills and their behaviour in a group. 

All in all, I really enjoyed the day I feel like we did some good progress, I think these next couple days will be quite intense with gathering material feigning our ideas and producing content ! Very exciting ! 

yesterday, was a travel, day. Across the Alps, over the islands Mediterranean. I saw the desert of Sudan, and spotted a few oasis too. The plane was quite full, mixed, so many different travellers with different motivations for going to Kenya. To be honest, I never really thought of going to Kenya before this trip, and my imaginary of this land is restrained by photographs on national geographic. I imagine, beautiful woman, amazing fabrics and fresh fruit. Stepping off the plane , was quite parculiar, the air was warm and embraced my body. Not too hot, nor cold, . Just right.. We Left the airport and I love seeing smiley faces buzzing around and waiting to collect arriving guest ! I felt a warm welcome, safe and happy to be in Africa! Jambo!  

Arriving at night, all is obscured, until the next morning as sunshine reveals the surroundings. 

 We are staying in a cute little guesthouse which has a lovely courtyard dropping with mangoes and pink flowers. There is some cool graffitis of elephants, giraffes, and hippos. We had an amazing breakfast, covered ourselves with bug spray and ventured into town. We soon became part of slow moving traffic. We were able to do a bit of people watching and observe what street vendors had to sell. I made eye contact with locals to exchange a simple smile or a wave. 
We drove past the biggest slum in East Africa called Kibera, it was a very grey landscape made up of corrugated steel roofs. 1 million people live there, it a huge part of nairobie. The stigma of slum is so strong that even thinking about what the quality of life ‘in there’ gives me goosebumps. But humans, like you and me, live there. They must have families, cook food and enjoy spending time with their friends. We are the same, although the media present it as “us” and “them”. A dangerous “them”, a violent “them” a uneducated “them”, and the list goes on. 

I wish to dispel this idea I have of this imaginary of the slum with real first hand testimony of Kibera inhabitants. Reporting, documenting and learning about theses communities first hand could be a  way to dispel the myth of “Kibera ” perpetuated by the maintpstream media .