The Breakdown

After a long break, Maisha ni Matamu got together again this week for a special art trip. Unfortunately, our beloved van broke down on the road.


All the kids were very helpful and co-operative in getting us safely off the road and towed back home.


While we waited for Bernard to tow us, the kids all got a pack of colour pencils, a rubber, a sharpener and a ruler - courtesy of "The Chets and Sona Art Fund"


Hopefully, we'll be back next week!

URGENT CALL FOR ACTION

A very good friend of mine, Philo Okonya was arrested yesterday outside parliament. Last Sunday, Philo spent the afternoon with is reading in Uhuru Park from her latest book, "The Kenyan Boy Who Became President of America.". She mentors Kenyan girls raped in the post-election violence, protests government corruption, wields her pen with fierce, lyrical intelligence in the global media. Philo organizes, campaigns, writes, sings, publishes and raises her son single-handedly. Yesterday, along with other activists, she stood outside Kenya's Parliament, holding a 2-kilogram bag of maize flour in silent protest at the government corruption that has led to mass hunger in Kenya. She and two other activists, Chrispus Fwamba and Patrick Kamotho, were grabbed and manhandled by the police, and are now being held, without charges, in Nairobi police stations.

An email from the PEN Kenya treasurer, Khainga Ookwemba, says:
Philo has been physically brutalized by a police officer, who pulled her chest as she demanded the police give her a phone, which had been taken away. Lawyers Elisha Ongoya and Anne Njogu are demanding her release so that she can receive medical treatment. By the time of writing this note, they had denied her bond and release.

A press release from the Mars Kenya Group says:
Philo Ikonya's clothes were ripped off and the police have refused her access to clothing. Please ACT TODAY, to have Philo Ikonya, and the others arrested with her, released. Take the steps below. Post this call to your networks, websites, listserves.

1. Send a text message TODAY, to Kenya's President and Prime Minister. Use the one below, or craft your own.
To President Mwai Kibaki (via his spokesperson, Alfred Mutua):
Cellphone number + 254 721 240 443
To Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Cellphone + 254 733 620 736
Attorney General:
Amos Wako + 254 722 772 453

Mr. Kibaki / Mr. Odinga - we hold u accountable 4 police violence and illegal arrests of Philo Ikonya n other civil society activists. Release them NOW and fire Police Commissioner Ali!


2. Send an email
To President Mwai Kibaki president@statehousekenya.go.ke
To Prime Minister Raila Odinga railaodinga@yahoo.com

Suggested Message:
Mr Kibaki / Mr. Odinga, I urge you to act immediately to release Philo Ikonya, Fwamba Chrispus, and Patrick Kamotho from illegal police custody. Police Commissioner Ali must be fired for presiding over escalating police violations of civil and human rights in Kenya.
Signed: Name, Organization / Affiliation (if any), City, Country

3) If you are a Kenyan repeat steps 1) and 2) with your own MP and other parliamentarians. Contact details for Kenyan MPs here or here

4) If you live outside Kenya, repeat steps 1) and 2), directing the texts and emails to the Kenyan Ambassador or High Commissioner in your country.

5) If you are a foreign national living in Kenya, repeat steps 1) and 2) with the Ambassador or High Commissioner of your country in Kenya.

6) Copy to the Feedback Form on the site of the Kenyan Police Force: http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke/contactus.asp

7) Copy Kofi Annan, in his capacity as the head of the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Process, through his spokesman: Nasser.Ega-Musa@unon.org

And they asked him:
Why do you sing?
And he answered, as they seized him:
I sing because I sing

And they searched his chest
But could only find his heart
And they searched his heart
But could only find his people
And they searched his voice
But could only find his grief
And they searched his grief
But could only find his prison
And they searched his prison
But could only see themselves in chains

From Poem Of The Land, by Mahmoud Darwish

The Jungle Playground

After a failed and somewhat disturbing attempt to visit this interesting art project in Kibera, we decided to go instead to the Jungle Gym Playground on Limuru Road.

Maisha ni Matamu has to take a break for a couple of weeks, but we'll be back on March 15th. And we will see the art project in Kibera!

Levi ponders the futility of it all:

There's nothing these kids love more than chips and soda.

Levi and Karanja take a break before busting out the ice cream:

Sylvester and Kennedy took home all the "silliest beans" awards:

Mungai and Gitau:

Gitau sandwiched between the Karanja's:

Uhuru Park Book Reading

Uhuru Park was buzzing when we got there. There were preachers, musicians, families, horses, boats and an endless supply of vendors trying to entice the kids into buying balloons and toys.

We were so lucky to have Philo Ikonya with us. She is the author of the children's book "The Boy Who Became President of America."

Before she arrived, we begun our picnic with ham sandwiches, crisps and juice:

Maisha ni Matamu purchased a copy of Philo's book for each of the children:

Although all the children knew of Barack Obama, they were inspired and amazed by the stories about him and his family.

Philo and her protege, Rene (left) began reading:

All the children had a turn:

After the reading, they all had their books signed by the author:

A big thank you to Philo and Rene for their time and kind words.

Ramoma - Museum of Modern Art and Arboretum

This week, we visited the beautiful Modern Art Gallery - RaMoMA on 2nd Parklands.

A beautiful and creative Christmas tree made out of recycled bottles:

Mungai and Melody:

After the amazing dose of artistic inspiration, we went to the Nairobi Arboretum for a picnic and some football.


Thanks to the beautiful Susan Njuhi for coming along with us!

Village Market - Dreamzone

We started the year by hanging out at the Village Market Dreamzone play area near the upstairs parking. Afterwards, we ate at Steers.

Naomi:

Melody:

Sydney:

Gitau

Joy:

Christmas Cards Art Day - City Park

After running into some trouble with the Narobi City Council for the Partnership for Change T-Shirts we were wearing, we finally managed to make some beautiful Christmas cards at the City Park in Nairobi - Thanks to the random act of kindness from Elias and his lovely wife.

After the creative afternoon in the sun, we headed out for a picnic at Aga Khan Junior Academy. Thanks again to Jyoti for sponsoring the afternoon.

The little revolutionaries of Maisha ni Matamu:

If these children can understand our constitution, our leaders should be able to too!

Join us in the fight for:

Implementation of the Waki Report - End to Impunity

No Taxes for MP's, No Taxes for Ordinary Kenyans

Reduced taxes on: Food, Electricity and Kerosene

Read up on what your leaders are doing with your taxes.

Every rose has a thorn - Naivasha

This week, the wonderful Mahmud Abdulla of Lake Flowers in Naivasha treated us to a tour of his greenhouses. The gorgeous roses they grow at Lake Flowers are sent all over the world.

Our tourguide Yobes gathers the troops and sets some stern ground rules before we begin:

We see how roses are cut:

And grafted:


Yobes tells us lots of interesting things about the right temperature, humidity levels and even the reasons why every rose has a thorn.

Cheeky little Joy on Alice's back:

We see 5 of the greenhouses

On our way out, we see these 3 workers carrying the cut roses to the grading room:

In the grading room, flowers are categorized by height and packed in bunches of 20:




Then put into the cooler:

We leave with this beautiful bouquet of roses:

Thank you Mahmud, Yobes and everyone at Lake Flowers for this funucational Sunday.

And a special thank you to Bernard Muinde for driving the kids to Naivasha. We hope you and your kids enjoyed hanging out with us for the day!

Blankets and Wine (Juice) Concert

This week, we went to the second Blankets & Wine© music festival at Tayiana Stables, near the Windsor Golf & Country Club. Blankets & Wine© is a picnic style Afro based music festival designed to showcase outstanding musicians creating the emerging genres of Afro fusion music.

Maureen and Mungai:

Ham sandwiches and juice, not wine!

Naomi, Melody and Yvonne:


Karanja and Levin:

Muthoni (right) is one of the most talented singers, songwriters, poet and performer to hit the East African music scene. Using a blend of rhythms, Muthoni's music is a collection of conscious messages informed by the urban African experience. Her running commentary on Afro- politics, Love, Relationships and New Spirituality, delivered in song and a type of spoken poetry called "Floems" is entertaining and awakening.

Other performers included Valerie Kimani: the stunning, fresh new face of world music, her debut album 'Baisikeli' reflects her jazzy influences while its maturity is reminiscent of Cesaria Evora with a youthful energy; and Hellon: East Africa's premier Jazz recording saxophonist.

Thank you to Shane Solanki for sponsoring Kshs 3,000/- for festival entrance costs and also to the angellic Muthoni Ndonga for comping the rest.

Football and Trampoline

This week, the ever lovely Ashini Patel had us over for some football, trampolining, sandwiches and lemonade.

Ken and Sylvester:

Mungai:

Ochieng:

Eric:

This week's relatively small group with our wonderful hosts Ashini and Rohan: