Poverty as entertainment?

This post is a direct response to Rasna Warah's post in Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper of 20 March 2011. I came across it here where it was reposted.

I watched Famous, Rich and in the Slums (here on YouTube) when it was aired in Britain by the BBC recently and my consternation at the issues featured was directed neither at the makers of the documentary, nor at those who participated in it. My anger, instead, was directed at the authorities in Kenya, who seem to be clueless as to their responsibility towards the country's citizens and in particular, the inhabitants of Kibera, a slum area in the country's capital city. Lest I incur the angst of my readers, I make haste at this point to clarify that this is not intended as an onslaught on the aptitude of the Kenyan government singly, since such failure is characteristic of the majority of the governments of Africa.

The author in the Daily Nation opined:

"There are dozens, if not hundreds, of charities operating in Kibera and other slums like it, with few significant results to show for their efforts. 

There may be slightly more sanitation facilities in the slums now, but the living conditions have become only slightly less appalling - they have not improved dramatically. And the slum continues to grow."

And I ask, in all of this where are the Kenyan authorities? What function does the municipal authority in Nairobi perform when a sizeable segment of the city's population are forced to live in such squalid conditions? The author in the Daily Nation was critical of the NGOs that operate in the slum and seemed unhappy about what was referred to as "slum tourism", but I beg to differ.

It's puzzling that we do nothing about a problem and then think that we are justified in criticising the foreigners who make an effort to tackle our problem, one which we have previously ignored. Why do we become angered when westerners point at our festering sores that we have pretended did not exist? Most annoying for me is the fact that Raila Odinga, Kenya's Prime Minister, holds the parliamentary seat for Langata Constituency, which covers much of the Kibera slum.

My take on this is that it was never the intention of the makers of and participants in this documentary, (participants who in any event, include a considerable number of Kibera residents themselves), merely to provide entertainment for the film's viewers. What the film did for me was to vividly highlight the failure by another of Africa's governments to take an interest in, and responsibility for the welfare of those whom they govern. The situation is the same in much of Africa and I have written about the same thing in relation to Nigeria previously on this blog.

Homophobia within UK African communities

Hostility towards gay and lesbian African men and women by the wider African community in the UK is reported to be widespread and on the increase. The story, first broken by Mambo, a UK based health and lifestyle magazine for Africans published by HIV and sexual health charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, has been carried widely, and not only in the gay press.

According to Mambo:

"There is just as much homophobia in the African community in the UK as there is in Africa. As a result many African gay men in the UK have kept their sexuality secret."

The current edition of the magazine reveals the experiences of gay men and lesbians in UK African communities, where people can experience lifelong victimisation, abuse and discrimination based on misconceptions and wrong beliefs about homosexuality. And although in the UK it is a criminal offence to discriminate against gay, lesbian or transgender people, Africans who are gay often silently suffer serious abuse, verbal and physical assault from their own community. Some have even been disowned by their family. The hostility means that only very few gay Africans have had the courage to openly declare their sexuality. And these are facts which I, the author of this blog, can attest to by my own personal experiences.

One of the benefits for the immigrant of the diverse and multicultural nature of modern British society, is that living in the UK can often feel like home away from home. The presence of an already existing large immigrant population guarantees that most new immigrants will find, and rely on, various forms of support from kith and kin.

I always knew that I would not live the whole of my life in the closet. My true nature was bursting to be revealed, to come out. But when I still lived in Nigeria it was almost impossible to 'come out', for the simple reason that there was no one to come out to, save for my brother with whom I enjoy a very close relationship. Growing up, I thought I was the only person in the world who experienced same-sex attraction, and it was not until after many years of lonesome self-enquiry that to my astonishment, I discovered scores of others who shared the same feelings as I did. I came across the "gay scene" in Lagos. But I also quickly realised that even though there were many others like me, almost all of them thought of their sexual orientation as something which was to be kept hidden. And of course I could understand why, since I too was well acquainted with our society's negative impression of homosexuality.

However, I did not share in that negative impression, nor did I agree with it. My thinking was that unless one agreed that to be gay is wrong, the gay person ought to embrace his sexuality and be proud of it even. I knew that there was nothing wrong with me, I was just different from most people. Meeting others who were like me only reaffirmed my conviction that it cannot be wrong for a person to be who he is. It was difficult living in Nigeria, because most others hid their sexuality and there was the requirement constantly to be careful not to reveal your true nature. This was especially essential if you were ambitious and career-minded and I found this problematic.

For me there was a sense of dread, because I knew deep down that I would not be able to maintain the facade indefinitely. And since pretence is not one of my strong points, it was not surprising that cracks began to appear in the facade. The rumour mill was rife with gossip about my sexuality, and it hurt. It hurt not because of what they were saying, but because there was no mechanism, no opportunity by which to confirm it to them once and for all, and quell the rumours. I desperately wanted to scream it at them: "YES, I AM GAY!" But I didn't, because I couldn't.

And so the opportunity, when it came, to relocate to a different country was seized with both hands, even though I had no inkling what it would be like to forge my way in a foreign land. Fortunately, I am blessed to have been born into an enlightened family. In this regard, I refer to my immediate family, and not to the wider extended family. Members of my immediate family have been supportive and very accepting of me. Unfortunately though, they are not present with me in the UK and I am deprived somewhat of that support. So I found that during the early days after I arrived in the UK to live, I had to seek out acquaintances and relatives, just as many other new arrivals have to do. And as you probably can imagine, these are people from back home in Nigeria who are now living in the UK. I soon found, however, that although I was in the UK, it was as if I was back in the same position that I was when I was still in Nigeria, people seizing the opportunity to demonstrate their hostility towards me, a person they thought might be homosexual.

I was verbally abused and I was snubbed at social events. I was even asked to leave a new job after only a few weeks, and although my boss, (a Nigerian), did not say so, I knew it was because he had heard about me. What they did not realise was that their actions only strengthened my resolve to live my life as the gay man that I am, a resolve that emboldened me to openly declare my sexuality. We are in a country where I can live my life free of their influence and I have adopted the deliberate policy of excluding them from my life. Sure, I am aware of the potential consequences, emotional and otherwise. The editor of Mambo magazine said:

"Being forced to live in the closet can have serious health and social consequences, not just for the individual, but for the wider African community. People who are subjected to abuse and ridicule can feel isolated (even from family members) and find it hard to cope emotionally, losing self-confidence or the ability to forge meaningful relationships.."

I do not feel forced to live in the closet, but there are social consequences of being openly gay too. Nevertheless, I would rather that I engaged in social contact only with those who know that I am gay, yet who accept and respect me regardless. And I believe that today I am happier for it. I have removed myself from the reach of those who will subject me to abuse and ridicule and I find myself in a relationship with the most amazing African man.

I think I can safely say that we can rise above our societies' negative attitudes. But it is also important for us to recognise that some of the responsibility for achieving change in these attitudes lies with us the gay Africans. If we accept that those negative attitudes are fed by misinformation and misconceptions about homosexuality, we owe a duty to ourselves and to future generations of gay Africans, to demonstrate through our lives that although we are different, we are normal too. As we do this, we provide to our people a more accurate description of who a homosexual person is. When we continue to hide and keep our sexuality secret, we contribute towards perpetuating the very attitudes that we deplore.

We are not immoral, many of us are upstanding and responsible individuals. Those of us who live in countries (like the UK, among others) where we need not fear criminal prosecution just for being who we are, should see this freedom from fear as an opportunity; an opportunity which must be exploited towards fostering a better understanding of homosexuality among the wider African community. It is quite possible to be gay and to be respectable at the same time. And it is our responsibility to make this known.

More reading: News Africa, Voice Online, Pink Paper, Pink News, THT Media

Female mechanics..

I find this very heartening. Its always interesting to see a challenge to what we consider to be the norm..

African Bloggers Statement on David Kato and Uganda

"We the undersigned wish to express our deep sadness at the murder of Ugandan human rights defender David Kato on 26 January 2011. David's activism began in the 1980s as an Anti-Apartheid campaigner where he first expressed a strong passion and conviction for freedom and justice which continued throughout his life. David was a founding member of Sexual Minorities Uganda where he first served as Board member and until his death as Litigation and Advocacy Officer and he was also a member of Integrity Uganda, a faith-based advocacy organisation.

David was a man of vision and courage. One of his major concerns was the growth of religious fundamentalism in Uganda and across the continent and how this would impact on the rights of ordinary citizens including lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered / Gender Non-Comforming and Intersex [LGBTIQ] persons. Years later his concerns were justified when the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill backed by religious fundamentalists was outlined in 2009. David was also an extremely brave man who had been imprisoned and beaten severely because of his sexual orientation and for speaking publicly against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Many African political and religious leaders in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Gambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi and Botswana, have publicly maligned LGBTIQ people and in some cases directly incited violence against them whilst labeling sexual minorities as “unAfrican”.

In October 2010, the Ugandan tabloid, Rolling Stone published the names and photographs of "100 Top homos" including David Kato. David along with two other LGBTIQ activists successfully sued the magazine on the grounds of "invasion of privacy" and most importantly, the judge ruled that the publication would threaten and endanger the lives of LGBTIQ persons.

The court did not only rule that the publication would threaten and endanger the lives of LGBTIQ persons but it issued a permanent injunction against Rolling Stone newspaper never to publish photos of gays in Uganda, and also never to again publish their home addresses.

Justice Kibuuka Musoke ruled that,

"Gays are also entitled to their rights. This court has found that there was infringement of some people’s confidential rights. The court hereby issues an injunction restraining Rolling Stone newspaper from future publishing of identifications of homosexuals."

Every human being is protected under the African Charter of Peoples and Human Rights and this includes the rights of LGBTIQ persons. We ask the governments of Uganda and other African countries to stop criminalizing people on the grounds of sexual orientation and afford LGBTIQ people the same protections, freedoms and dignity, as other citizens on the continent."

Molisa Nyakale, Molisa Nyakale
Anengiyefa Alagoa, Things I Feel Strongly About
Anthony Hebblethwaite African Activist
Barbra Jolie, Me I Think
Ben Amunwa, Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa
Bunmi Oloruntoba, A Bombastic Element
Chris Ogunlowo, Aloofaa
Eccentric Yoruba, Eccentric Yoruba
Exiled Soul ExiledSoul
Francisca Bagulho and Marta Lança, Buala
Funmilayo Akinosi, Finding My Path
Funmi Feyide, Nigerian Curiosity
Gay Uganda Gay Uganda
Glenna Gordon, Scarlett Lion
Godwyns Onwuchekwa, My Person
Jeremy Weate, Naija Blog
Kayode Ogundamisi Canary Bird
Kadija Patel Thoughtleader
Keguro Macharia, Gukira
Kenne Mwikya, Kenne’s Blog
Kinsi Abdullah Kudu Arts
Laura Seay, Texas in Africa
Llanor Alleyne Llanor Alleyne
Mark Jordahl, Wild Thoughts from Uganda
Matt Temple Matsuli Music
Mia Nikasimo, MiaScript
Minna Salami, MsAfropolitan
Mshairi, Mshairi
Ndesanjo Macha Global Voices
Nyokabi Musila, Sci-Cultura.
Nzesylva, Nzesylva’s Blog
Olumide Abimbola, Loomnie
Ory Okolloh, Kenyan Pundit
Pamela Braide, pdbraide
Peter Alegi, Football is Coming Home
Rethabile Masilo, Poefrika
Saratu Abiola, Method to Madness
Sean Jacobs, Africa is a Country
Sokari Ekine, Black Looks
Sonja Uwimana, Africa is a Country
Spectra Speaks, Spectra Speaks
TMS Ruge, Project Diaspora
Toyin Ajao StandTall
Tosin Otitoju, Lifelib
Val Kalende, Val Kalende
Zackie Achmat, Writing Rights
Zion Moyo, Sky, Soil and Everything in Between

Writers and Academics Against Homophobia

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and others have condemned the murder of Ugandan gay activist, David Kato. On Monday a group referring to itself as Writers and Academics Against Homophobia issued a press release. Feel free to share this petition through your social networks.

PM News reports it thus:

Nobel Laureate, Proessor Wole Soyinka, authors and academics have condemned the murder of Ugandan gay activist, David Kato.

They called on the Ugandan government to find and prosecute those involved in the murder of David Kato who was a well known gay campaigner in Uganda.

According to the group which includes BCC award winners and best selling authors, misgiving about homosexuality should not be a matter for the government to delve into. They therefore urged African governments to expunge all anti-homosexuality provisions in their constitutions. The group said that scientific research has cleared the fog of ignorance that some religions foisted on the people concerning homosexuality.

Similarly the group called on all African governments to emulate South Africa which has expunged her laws that criminalise homosexuals or treat them as unworthy of the same rights as other citizens.

The document was signed by at least 60 signatories including Damola Awoyokun, Wale Adebanwi, Diran Adebayo, Joe Agbro and Anengiyefa Alagoa.

The Petition

We the undersigned condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of Mr David Kato the Ugandan gay rights campaigner. We wish to state emphatically that homosexuality is neither a sin nor a social or cultural construct. It is a biological given. Homosexuals are human beings like everybody else. Scientific research has been helpful in clearing the fog of ignorance entrenched by some religious texts in regards to homosexuality. Our opinions of homosexuality must change for the better just as our opinion of slavery has changed even though it was endorsed by those same religious texts. All violence against gays and people deemed to be gay in Africa must cease forthwith.

We call on the government of Uganda to find and prosecute all those involved in the murder of Mr Kato, including the newspaper that called for the hanging of gays. We also call on African governments to learn from the South African example by expunging from their laws all provisions that criminalize homosexuality or treat homosexuals as unworthy of the same rights and entitlements as other citizens. African states must protect the rights of their citizens to freedom and dignity. Homosexuals must not be denied these rights.

Undersigned:

1. Wale Adebanwi, PhD, University of California, US

2. Diran Adebayo, Writer, UK

3. Jide Adebayo-Begun, Writer, Nigeria

4. Kayode Adeduntan, PhD, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

5. Biola Adegboyega, University of Calgary, Canada

6. Shola Adenekan, Editor, The New Black Magazine, UK

7. Pius Adesanmi, PhD, Carleton University, Canada

8. Akin Adesokan, PhD, Indiana University, US

9. Chimamanda Adichie, Writer, Nigeria

10. Faith Adiele, Writer, US

11. Joe Agbro, Journalist, Nigeria

12. Anthony Akinola, PhD, Oxford, UK

13. Anengiyefa Alagoa, Writer, UK

14. Ellah Allfrey, Deputy Editor, Granta Magazine, UK

15. Alnoor Amlani, Writer, Kenya

16. Ike Anya, Public health doctor and writer, UK

17. Bode Asiyanbi, Writer, Lancaster University, UK

18. Sefi Atta, Writer, US

19. Lizzy Attree, PhD, University of East London, UK

20. Damola Awoyokun, Writer, UK

21. Doreen Baingana, Writer, Uganda

22. Igoni Barrett, Writer, Nigeria

23. Tom Burke, Bard College, US

24. Brian Chikwava, Writer, UK

25. Jude Dibia, Writer, Nigeria

26. Chris Dunton, PhD, National University of Lesotho, Lesotho

27. Ropo Ewenla, Artist, Nigeria

28. Chielozona Eze, PhD, Northeastern Illinois University, US

29. Aminatta Forna, Writer, UK

30. Ivor Hartmann, Writer, South Africa

31. Chris Ihidero, Writer, Lagos State University, Nigeria

32. Ikhide R. Ikheloa, Writer, US

33. Sean Jacobs, PhD, New School, US

34. Biodun Jeyifo, PhD, Harvard University, US

35. Brian Jones, Professor Emeritus, Zimbabwe

36. Martin Kiman, Writer, US

37. Lauri Kubuitsile, Writer, Botswana

38. Zakes Mda, PhD, Ohio University, US

39. Colin Meier, Writer, South Africa

40. Gayatri Menon, PhD, Franklin and Marshall College, US

41. Valentina A. Mmaka, Writer, Italy/South Africa

42. Jane Morris, Publisher, Zimbabwe

43. Joseph Sndanni Mwella, Advocate of High Court, Kenya

44. Mbonisi P. Ncube, Writer, South Africa

45. Iheoma Nwachukwu, Writer, Nigeria

46. Onyeka Nwelue, Writer and filmmaker, India/Nigeria

47. Fred Nwonwu, Writer and Journalist, Nigeria

48. Nnedi Okorafor, PhD, Writer, Chicago State University, US

49. Ebenezer Obadare, PhD, University of Kansas, US

50. Juliane Okot Bitek, Writer, Canada

51. Tejumola Olaniyan, PhD, University of Wisconsin, US

52. Ngozichi Omekara, Trinidad and Tobago

53. Akin Omotosho, Actor and filmmaker, South Africa

54. Kole Omotosho, PhD, Africa Diaspora Research Group, South Africa

55. Samuel Sabo, Writer, UK

56. Ramzi Salti, PhD, Stanford University, US

57. Namwali Serpell, PhD, Writer, Harvard University, US

58. Brett L. Shadle, PhD, Virginia Tech, US

59. Drew Shaw, PhD, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe

60. Lola Shoneyin, Writer, Nigeria

61. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate for Literature

62. Olufemi Taiwo, PhD, Seattle University, US

63. Kola Tubosun, Writer, Fulbright Scholar, US

64. Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Writer, Nigeria

65. Abdourahman A.Wab7eri, Writer, US /Djibouti

66. Binyavanga Wainaina, Writer, Kenya

67. Ronald Elly Wanda, Writer & Lecturer, Marcus Garvey Pan-Afrikan Institute, Uganda

68. Kristy Warren, PhD, University of Warwick, UK

69. Cornel West, PhD, Princeton University, US

Note: Since time of posting some additional signatories have been included. The author of this blog is at number 13 on the list of signatories.

Hiatus

Hello everyone, there has definitely been a break or interruption in the continuity of this blog. Please bear with me. I will be back soon. 

Cheers.

Anengiyefa