Pernille Baerendtsen writing in Global Voices:
The sun hangs low as the hosts of Fatuma’s Voice step on stage at a crowded venue in Nairobi. Words make the space hum. English mixed with Swahili and Sheng (local slang). People turn and twist mobile phones to capture photos, which are Instagrammed and tweeted with tags like #fatumasvoice. We are at Pawa254, a creative hub situated between the university and State House in the capital of Kenya.
The darkness of the early evening embraces us, and the stark, bright light from the ceiling lamps bounces off the leaves on the trees outside the windows. The leaves reflect back a fluorescent green light, creating a fitting backdrop for what’s about to happen.
#FatumasVoice: 1 in every 3 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime? Approximately 2 out of 3 women know or are related to the person who assaults them.Sitawa Wafula is a two time award winning rape survivor living with Epilepsy and a Mental Health condition – Activist of the Year 2013, East Africa Youth Philanthropist 2013 and Spark*Kenya Change-makers Fellow 2013. Ten years ago, at the age of 18, Sitawa was raped; got depressed, was suicidal and developed a mental health disorder that she struggles with to date.Poem Narrator: Sitawa Wafula (my mind, my funk)Actress: Patricia Kihoro #FatumasVoice
Posted by Fatuma's Voice on Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Fatuma’s Voice is a weekly event where people are invited on stage to recite poems, make statements, perform music. This evening a group sharing their experiences with police harassment opens the show. The previous week they’d been doing improvised spoken word street performances around Nairobi that the police perceived as a provocation. On stage the group recounts stories of how they were forced to roll in mud as punishment. Among the audience there is no doubt that these young guys are true heroes. The audience shows appreciation for their courage with loud cheering and applause...[continue reading]