Diary Project workshops were held in several secondary schools in Western Kenya during 2009, as part of a student cultural exchange project. Twenty five participants from each school took part, using such media as creative writing, photography and video to tell their stories. The programs are part of a cultural exchange between youth in the US, Africa and Russia. Students made a series of films, photodiaries and audio recordings, including performance arts, to be viewed by their counterparts in the US.  They also went to a fishing village located on Lake Victoria, where they conducted interviews, took photographs and filmed the everyday lives of the fishermen and the boat builders.  In addition, they interviewed residents who perform other important jobs, such as recording and transporting the catch of the day.  All of this material was organized into a presentation for their NY counterparts as part of an effort to show them some of Kenyan culture. The youth in Kisumu, Kenya also interviewed each other on video about important issues affecting them, including living through post election violence and HIV/AIDS. They have created a comprehensive project for an exchange with New York public high school students. The New York City youth, after reviewing the Kenyans’ work, will respond with their own photography and video project documenting their culture and issues important to them as youth growing up in New York City.

Students shared their personal stories and experiences during the post election violence and tribal clashes.  They spoke about what they witnessed and how these events have changed their lives and how they see their future.  

Students and teachers, representing a number of tribes, at Oasis Secondary School held a school-wide debate about the post election violence as a means to help heal some of the deep wounds. 

As part of the Kiboko Projects Youth Project, some students from Kisumu visited a fishing village on Lake Victoria where they interviewed several local fishermen. The interviews, recorded on film, documented the fishermen’s personal stories and aspects of the fishing business - from catching and selling to marketing of their product.  In addition to the videos, the student created books including photographs and text about the lives of the fishermen and the ecology of the lake.

They also photographed the fish being recorded, weighed and processed for transport to the market by (boda boda) bicycles.

A New York City student asks questions, via a webcam, about the life of a Kenyan student

One of a series of videos created by the Kenyan students presented to the New York City students.

A project in process and ongoing…