SIT Fall 2009, People

This post if for all the wonderful people of SIT Fall 2009. (:

Thanks for all the colourful memories, and I hope these photos, in someways would preserve these memories, a little longer...



Mzee Odoch, after calling timeout at the soccer match in Shirazi.



Jamal, just before snorkeling


Miltone @ the Headquarters


Mama Mary, at SIT office



Melanie, Jordon and Johanna on the Tuk-Tuk to Snorkeling in Malindi


Gilia, Malindi.


Caroline at Sunrise, Malindi



Sophie, Malindi


Dennis, MYSA


Jordon, Malindi


Becca, Catherine, Melissa and Alyson in their Kangas, Shirazi


Greta, Sammy and Lindsay @ MYSA


Melissa and Alix, Gede Ruins


Kathleen with the catch of the day, Shirazi


Catherine, Sipi Falls


John, Shirazi Farewell


Johanna, Malindi


Melanie, Mary Beth,and Kathleen taking a jump, Malindi

Mikako

Kali in Shirazi


Sindhya in Shirazi


Ben, Mombasa

Women, Economic Empowerment and Development

Abstract

Gender equality and women’s empowerment have been given much attention by international institutions and governments for their role in development. However, the views on women’s rights vary across cultures, religions, and socio-economic lines. More recently, economic empowerment of women has seen to be one of the culturally sensitive methods of promoting development through women’s empowerment. Even as governments and organizations engage in economic empowerment of women, it is important to recognize the distinctions in the definitions of success and empowerment, according to the women themselves, in order to achieve the goals of gender equality and women empowerment.

This study gives voice to 20 Kenyan women in the coastal area to express their own definitions and ways of achieving success and empowerment, as well as their perspectives on challenges and solutions in their efforts towards economic empowerment. According to these women, money and children are fundaments of a successful woman. Their desires to improve the lives of their children encourage these women to take up work. Their aspirations for work stems from their self-identity as a mother, indicating the strong family ties attributable to culture and religion. It is also found that economic empowerment could lead to women empowerment, as women become more confident, independent and respected through work. However, this finding is not consistent for all modes of employment. Additionally, unlike the widely accepted view that traditionally defined gender roles hinder women empowerment efforts, these 20 women interviewed expressed that deviation from gender roles could cause disempowerment of women and troubled marriages.

Here are some of the portraits. Please note that the quotes are excerpted from the interview.


*Please email me, if you would like a copy of the paper.

Living in cities have made me accustomed to many things; noise is one of them. At times, silence is more audible than any other sound to me.

I found that out the last Sunday, as I sipped a hot cup of chai. I came close to burning my tongue, from drinking the tea too quickly, a habit I have developed over time. For about 6 years in Singapore, I, like many others, have tight morning schedules. Wake up at 5.50. Toilet, brush teeth, shower. 15 minutes. Get dressed, comb hair. 5minutes. Breakfast. 10 minutes. Socks, shoes and keys. 3 minutes. Out of the house by 6.25am, in time to catch the 6.40 train to school.

But that morning, in Naivasha (a small town just an hour outside Nairobi), I just sat at the cafe, enjoying the feel of the sweet hot liquid down my throat. I was too caught up in blowing, and sipping the tea, I hadn't noticed the loud alarm of the car just outside the cafe, until my friend, Kali, who was sitting across the table pointed out. That was probably another habit acquired over the course of living in busy, noisy places.

You just block out what you don't need to see or hear. Anything that gets in the way of completing your (endless list of) tasks lined up for the day is redundunt. Ignore it, or you will be wasting time and your schedule would be messed up. Life is short, gotta do what you gotta do to live to the fullest. No time to waste. Always on the go.

That lifestyle is satisfying to me. And I think I have become too accustomed to revert it. But the trip to Naivasha has also shown me, how slowing down and enjoying simple things. If you paused and looked carefully enough, nature has many things to offer and teach us.

Kali and I had just woken up, at 5.50 again. But this time, there were no places we had to be in minutes. We strolled to the edge of slope overlooking lake Naivasha and the mountains in the great Rift Valley. We sat there, wating the sunlight slowly filling colours to the gigantic sky and the range of mountains, like an invisible paint brush colouring a canvas. (I could describe what I saw, but it could become a like a paragraph in the novels...)

I felt small and humble amidst those mountains, and thankful, for a chance to breath the air, the sounds and the sights of a beautiful morning unfold. The evening before, we had also been blessed to see the sun set. That, and several other beautiful sights.


Sunset.
Photo by Alex Kamweru





Resilience. A small plant, holding on to the dry, hard rock with its fragile roots and a strong will to survive.
Photo by Alex Kamweru



Alex.
The photographer and a friend, who has taught me resilience and compassion.

Streets of Old Town Mombasa

The streets of Old Town Mombasa have a colourful diversity of history, people and architecture.
As complex as the demographic and geographic make up is, the streets also hold many puzzles, and I often get lost (literally or in thoughts), as I walk these narrow allies and busy streets.

Tuk-Tuk or a Three wheel vehicle serve as taxis.




Muslim children on their way to Saturday morning school.




Another form of transport, that is a trolley/cart.




Allies.
Roof.

Photography

Photography has its controversies.

The process of taking a picture restricts the photographer to the narrow, constructed frame of the lens, taking away the reality of the moment. And yet, it could preserve this moment for an infinite period of time.

In the media, it is an unbiased form of reporting information to the masses. And yet, it has also been accused of sterotyping groups of people. What is the first thing that comes to mind, when you see a picture of skin to bone children with swollen bellies?

Africa?

Surely, I have been affected by these stereotypes, and had preconceived notions of what African countries are like, and this was, undebatably affected by photos I have seen.

Photography that could be a truthful representation could be misleading and controversial.

In the last few months, I have had a chance to practice this and I wonder about the role I am playing in this controversies. And I have also witnessed some contradictions.

Here is an example- Walking around with a camera invites different reactions from the locals, depending on where I am. Sometimes, it makes me the star of the moment, when people (children especially) want me to take their photos. On other occasions, I had to ask if I could take a picture and the responses vary. Some would say a blunt no. Some would smile in response. Some say no, but really meant yes.

And sometimes, I would be asked for money. These are the people who feel that they have been exploited by photography and tourists who feed on the visual representation of their lives, that are often representations of poverty. To these people of urban slums, photography has negative connotation, related to exploitation of poverty by the rich, insensitive tourists or foreigners.

Not always though.

An organization called The Mwelu Foundation has used photography as a stepping stone to instill life skills and leadership in children of the Mathare Slum. I had the privilege of visiting one of their meetings one Saturday and it is startling how motivated these children are.

Every Saturday, they would meet in a humble but welcoming apartment to learn about photo taking and editing skills. But before each meeting, all of them (about 20 odd children) would cram into a small room to discuss topics pertaining to life. The topic of that afternoon was success. The discussion was facilitated by an 18 year old, but facilitation was barely necessary. The kids were mature and confident to talk about the success, what it means, how to achieve it and so on. It was actually harder stopping the discussion than starting one.

It was my first time there but I could sense that their spirit of community was strong, and that they enjoy these meetings. To these kids in the slums, photography was something they look forward to.



Here are some photos I have taken to appease children who are eager to be photographed:



Children in Shirazi (small village in the south coast) gather to play their afternoon away. They would play soccer, catching or pretend to be swimming in the sea of dust and sand.


This is another side of the life of children who grow up in an environment unlike Shirazi.
These pictures are taken at a private nursery in Mombasa called Teddy Steps, when they were having a swimming competition.