Page 21 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Community

Could you tell us why and what
kind of work you do with them?
Thank you. I think one of the
things is that I grew up without a
father. Then there were these two
men who intervened. Then the
other thing is that when working
with people in prisons, like cur-
rently, there is some work I am are
doing and I realized that we have
14% of ladies in prison, compared
to 85% of men, young men, and
these are teenagers. So my ques-
tion is, why do we have young men
Watch the video interview here. in prison? When you look at the
statistics, especially for the people
who are dying in our society, talk of
to dignify. And empowering involves from isolation. And, even though a crime-related situation. You think
communicating by giving knowl- some of them are facing depres- about traffic, like now Boda-Bodas
edge, then enlightening the hearts sion, anxiety, and such things, they and all that most of them are men.
of people and allowing these people have someone to talk to, and so, And as a result of that, I find that
to be involved, engaged in what in that helps us intensify our support, you need to do something about it,
what you’re doing. Simply creating a especially for such groups. I also and that is intervention and res-
web in the society where people can volunteer in hospitals, I remember cue. Number two, when you think
hold each other and rise up. there is this one time I was in a pri- about gender equality, abuse among
vate hospital and someone, one of women, perpetrators are men. So, if
That’s beautiful. I love it because my colleagues said, “You know here we want to make sure that children
increasingly in society, what’s you will have a hard time, because and women are safe, then we need
happening is that people are when you’re helping the middle to equip this man. And equipping
being taught how to be isolated. class, they will be asking you about this man is mainly helping the man
So, do you find it challenging to your qualifications. But when you’re know his identity, helping the man
bring people together? Are they helping people in a public hospital, educate his vision, helping the man
responsive to the ideas and sug- they are willing to receive, because know that he has something that he
gestions that you make when you that’s the best they can get as a re- carries, as a man. There’s also this
go out and reach out to them? sult their socio-economic situations one situation where, you know, I
I would say actually, that is working, or circumstances. So, there’s a lot of hear people saying that women are
but I find it working more among isolation in our society, and how is their own enemies. I don’t believe
the broken. And this because when the isolation built? It’s simply by us so because I think for men it’s bad.
I’m working with people, in the moving our identity from who we 2017 I come, my constituency, some
informal settlements, for them, they are, to the things that we have. By cops are deployed to come and curb
have human connection. When I’m doing so, we are building walls, by a situation. So, this one day decided
working with people in prison, they doing so, people will interact with to go to a police station. And I car-
have human connection, these are you based on what you do, or where ried a manual, ‘Father to Son’. And
people who have reached this space you work, not necessarily because so I found the OCPD and the OCS
where they’re saying that “I’m grate- you’re a human being. So, our drive deploying the cops, and so I decided
ful this thing happened, because I here is to help people remember to have a conversation with them
met myself.” And I am not in any that they’re human beings, and they before they leave, and I remember
way advocating poverty, and pain can connect and support each other. one cop saying, “Wakirusha, tunaru-
and all those things. But I think sha!” “If they throw stones, we
these are people who’ve reached a So you work a lot with young shoot” or something like that. And
place where they are not addicted men. I told him, man, what if it’s your
to individualism, they have moved Yes. son throwing that stone? Would
you shoot him?” And he said, “We

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