WHY MASCULINITY HAS GAINED PROMINENCE IN THE KENYAN MEDIA

She starred straight across the court room. She seemed remorseful. It was not  clear whether she truly sorry for her actions or it was the guilt and weight of the events of the last 24 hours that had given her national prominence. When she had arrived the court hours earlier crowds had bayed for her blood. Her crime of passion being that she had chopped off her husband’s manhood for coming home late drank and getting a condom in his pocket.  It was hard to read what was going on in her mind even as the court later released her on the Ksh 20,000 bail.

Weeks later another man from the same region suffered the same fate.  Weeks earlier coincidentally several T.V interviews, radio talks show and articles had started featuring masculinity.  Indeed masculinity has gain prominence in the Kenyan media.

 What are the reasons for increased coverage of masculinity in Kenya or the lack of it?

The answer lies in News values i.e

Relevance – The first reason why many people are interested in the story whether it be on fatherhood, absentee dads, domestic violence against men, neglect of the boy child; is that they find it relevant in one way or the other.

Second is the dimension of Conflict – Conflict makes good stories. The fact that there seems to be  conflict or perceived conflict between the two genders.

Digital media: Shaping & changing media education and consumption patterns

I participated in an interesting discussion on digital media hosted by Media Policy Research Center (MPRC) held over the weekend.

Some of the trends noted were emerging opportunities especially for creative souls, freedom to cover, get covered, and of speech never experienced in the history of mainstream media in Kenya.More and more people are enjoying the MIB; yes money in the bank but probably not enough.

Impact on journalism education and practice

The discussion dwelt on how journalism education and practice was being shaped by the dynamic digital media environment in particular the convergence of the media. – which means the wedding together of at least two previously competitive media delivery formats(platforms) for example, T.V, radio, or newspaper on the internet platform, and delivered through a computer, mobile phone, watch etc.

One of the effects of convergence is that a journalist who is multi-skilled and can write report, handle the camera, handle sound, photography and edit has an added advantage.it is also preferable if they have a command of both English and Kiswahili.

It was noted that although journalism schools have churned more journalists than could fit in the newsrooms, any journalist could start to ply their trade immediately on the digital platform. “The ground has shifted and everybody is taking their space.” A participant shared that their newspaper was widely read in The Netherlands and by individuals who went direct to the website and not through social media.Media educators reported shrinking print media classes as most students were wowed by the glitz and celebrity status of broadcasters wanting to be news anchors rather than writers.If you can deliver interesting pieces, and other content to that busy person on the go – there lots of opportunities for you online one participant said.

Is there Money in the Bank (MIB)?

Advertising follows content is the mantra. Are local platforms or Kenyan owned online platform making money? Well, uh….In terms of revenue the more eyebrow-raising or eyeball-popping the content the more the followers and hits some of which resulted in revenue streams for platforms owners. Some of the rate cards mentioned run a banner advertisement for Ksh300,000. Opportunities arenot just the money earned by writing, films, pictures but also from other websites, crowd funding etc. Reports say that in mid-2014 the bulk of online earning went to search engine giant Google, which continues to be the very biggest player online, collecting $31.4 million in sales which was one third of the total revenue. Amazon came in at number two.

Is there need to be concern about the Brow raising and Eye popping platforms?

On the premise that media shapes public opinion, attitude and could influence culture and behavior  concern was expressed over some of the popular platforms and the content they present. For example a mention was made of the emergence of socialites and some of the principles they espouse. Is there reason for concern and reason to ring the alarm bells? Kenya has an estimated 45million population and online access is dominated by the more educated, urban population. Ventures Africa in its“The State of Social Media in Kenya” mid last year estimates that four million Kenyans, roughly 10 percent of the population,daily engage in social media. Facebook dominates Kenya’s social media with 3.8 million users. Far behind them is LinkedIn with 1.5million users, Twitter with 650,000 users and Google+ with 350,000.In 2013, Kenya had the 6th largest number of Facebook accounts after Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Are the 4million Kenyans impressionable or are they watching what they have always watched?

The concern may lie in ease of access. This has been enhanced by availability and affordability of smartphones, proliferation of cyber cafes in various residential neighbourhoods. The relative anonymity of the blogosphere and other forms of social media has enabled this explosion.

Also, the fact that there are millions of young people with more than just a brushing of basic education has fuelled the wheels of runaway consumerism of any electronic fad.

Is there need for Ethics, public interest and regulation?

There were questions on ethical considerations, public interest and whether the regulators will gain teeth and muscle to govern the online sphere. One participants noted that cautioned that “care must be taken not to damn a whole generation!.”

Celebrating & Mourning Efua

I also mourn and celebrate Efua Dorkenoo who passed on on the 18th of October 2014. I met her some time in the late 2000 when FORWARD in collaboration with AIDOS organised a meeting for partners including AMWIK working to address Female Genital Mutilation in the region.

Fireless Cooker saves you money, time & keeps more forests

Fireless cooker saves you money, time and keeps more forests!

Having walked through the Nairobi Agricultural Society of Kenya(ASK) show - probably for the sixth or seventh time in my life with the usual crowd and dust having been dragged there by my son who could hear nothing about not going to the show.  One of my favourite stands is that of the ministry of agriculture. And recollected how fascinated we would be growing up to see how silk material is woven from silk worms. Another popular lesson was to watch the bees and learn . The attendant said bees work all the time even at night there is some work going on.  I make a mental note to create time to study the bees and their lifestyle!
I  admire the well maintained big cabbage and kale farms. Somebody else was sharing about the rabbit meat and selling pieces of fried rabbit meat at price which literally costed an arm and a leg - he was quick to add that its a wonderful delicacy with low fat and cholestral content.

The Ministry also had on its display a wide array of many energy saving devices mostly jikos stoves .  Why hadnt I seen this before!" This is thought that struck me when I looked at the basket branded the fireless cooker insulated inside and with a black cloth as its covering. Here was the fireless cooker which promised to save you 40 per cent of your domestic expenditure on fuel and I hadnt seen it!. How could have been so blind. So I decided to purchase one.  I fished the 30$ about 2500Ksh and bought the basket. On arriving home I was anxious to test my new find and whether the impulse buying would pay off!

I prepared the rice measured the water two cups of hot water for every cup of rice and let it simmer for while in the gas cooker and then transferred it to the basket and went on do other chores and catch up with news. 30 minutes later the rice was ready. Not only was the rice well cooked but there was not a piece of rice stuck to the cooking pan.  The rice having been cooked with the trapped heat from the insulated material and black cloth.
Why then wasnt the fireless cooker in every house I wondered with such savings.  The more I thought of it the more I realised that much more can be achieved for example, it can save many forests if used in the rural areas where many still rely on firewood.  In the urban areas it will save your electricity or gas if you cook with an electric cooker or gas cooker.

Alice Musau from the Urban food security section of Ministry of Agriculture shares that when it was introduced it was perceived to target only the poor as opposed to all households.
I conclude that solutions to some of our fundamental problems might be simple and within reach.  I thought of the story of the man who sold his farm and went to search for his acres of gold yet his farm was endowed with gold! Look around your environment!

Alice Musau prepares to offer tips on making the fireless cooker  she says you can cook many food items including legumes, vegatables, meat as well as Ugali(made from maize flour and hot water stirred and turned)

These are just some of the steps in making the basket.  So why doesnt everybody have one in Kenya or many parts of Africa. For it has a big role to play in addressing climate change issues.
For these reasons.
1.Saves you time
2.Saves you money.
3.Saves forests
4.Reduces carban emissions

Afro Dispatch on Water & Sanitation

Chikhwawa, Malawi

Matriach helps mobilise water and sanitation for her village in Chikhwawa

Meet Elida Singret Timbenawo the lll(Third),she is the Senior Chief of Timbenawo village, Chikwawa, Malawi. with her leadership and mobilisation, she has collaborated with Water For People, in turning around the fate of her village in terms of access to water and sanitation. 

Elida Singret Timbenawo the lll(Third),is the Senior Chief of Timbenawo village, Chikwawa, Malawi

Timbenawo village has come from being a water scarce, disease prone place where women walk for four hours in search of water to one where communal water is readily available, children are healthier and women look smarter and have more time for themselves. However there are few parts of the village yet to get boreholes.

The joy of having a nearby water source! See what a festival, collecting water at peak hours becomes.


So now there is water! 

And more water even for this young one who is lucky to be born at a time when there is a nearby water source.

What about the operation and maintainance of the hand pump boreholes.  Well each village has a water point committee who oversee the running of the water points and usually the tariff is paid by households on a  monthly basis.

mnyambala@waterforpeople.org

Except for a few parts of Chikhwawa which are yet to get boreholes and Water For People intends to construct additional boreholes in the coming months.  See below a woman gets water from a scoop hole. An sure her story will soon change.

Re -imagine Reflection on the future of Rwandas Water and Sanitation

Online yearly tracking of progress in Water and Sanitation in targetted districts

Marceline Nyambala

The first time I heard about Re- imagine reporting was at Water For People; and it immediately conjured up connotative images of people reflecting on past progress of a project by engaging their imagination.  Having been weaned into a diet of  self-explanatory names like Water For People, Everyone Forever I assumed that Re- imagine reporting was in the same regimen.


Nick Burn Chief of Programmes, Water For People discusses the RIR platform with Water For People Staff at their offices in Kigali.

I finally get a chance to participate in such an exercise of the Water For People just a few weeks after launch of the Re- imagine reporting platform that took place on the 17^th of April 2013 in Denver Colorado. Well it turned out that my connotative meaning was not very far from the actual exercise going by the deliberations of preparatory meeting.    The re-imagine reflection session for Rwanda was scheduled take place between 13- 17 May 2013 in Kigali with the first two days being preparatory sessions.

Day One

On 13 May 2013, I meet for breakfast Mr Gordon Mumbo, the Africa Regional Manager and Nick Burns, Chief of International Progammes and thanks to the photos on Skype and other online platforms with pictures, I easily recognize Burn whom I am meeting for first time. The walk to the Water For People offices from Classic hotel thereafter is less than five minutes. A convenience I did not enjoy the last time I was in Rwanda for the Rulindo “Every One Forever” meeting in November 2012, as the hotel was actually under construction.

We soon get to the office and after a short exchange of pleasantries Mr Mumbo kicks off the meeting. As this is a preparatory sessions, everybody shares about their activities. We hear from Sebastian Ngomanziza, Project Officer that the Water For People, had been receiving favourable ratings from the evaluation team from Immigration department as an agent of change due to relevant and tangible work on the ground.  A factor, he says means that Water For People would continue its operations in the districts of Rwanda. Colleagues confirm that several Civil Society organizations have been suspended after poor ratings and disapproval from their districts of operation. Ngomanziza further reminds us that Eco – san toilet, had been endorsed for all schools seeking to put up pit latrines in Rulindo district during the last Every One Forever meeting in the district. An Eco San, is an ecological toilet, which is urine-diverting system toilet where feaces are separated from urine and reused as fertilizers.

Eco - san toilet; an example of sanitation project by Water For People

We also learn from Steve Mugabo, Business Development Manager that in Ntarabana sector in Rulindo a sacco had approved loans for 49 households to build various toilets including VIP, Pour Flush and Eco- San toilets. However he reveals that some two individuals, have been denied loans by the sacco due to difficulty in paying the last time. The first disbursement is expected in mid-June.  This we are told is within the context and a recent government policy to open up saccos in every sector to encourage savings. The cost of the toilet could be 86,000 RWF but could go down to 25,000 RWF if one has their own resources, with an interest of two per cent on a reducing balance.
Perpetue Kamuyumbu, Rwanda Country Director expressed her excitement at the prospect of the upcoming RIR reflection session. “During the reflection we will see how far we have gone with Everyone,” Kamuyumbu said. She pointed out that 15 people were expected including EWSA, the districts of Rulindo, & Kicukiro and noting that the meeting  had also brought on board Chief of International Programms, the Regional manager and well as Regional Communication & Knowledge management person.
Mugabo said data was collected in the 17 sectors of Rulindo, using FLOW phones uploaded on dash boards.  Genevive Banimana said she hoped issue of co- financing can be brought to the fore. “Often the cost of hardware is clear, however the cost of software is not understood and not planned for including capacity building for staff, monitoring end evaluation.

Thank God for our colleague Eileen Lambert in Denver for uploading the information on the RIR platform online on Kicukiro on http://reporting.waterforpeople.org/kicukiro  & http://reporting.waterforpeople.org/rulindo for Rulindo we had data on the RIR platform to refer to. But what is the RIR platform?  Re-Imagine Reporting platform is an interactive window into Water For People’s progress over time, of its Every One Forever showing the organization’s successes and challenges, while giving stakeholders a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of Everyone Forever versus a spreadsheet with line items and figures. On the platform, you'll find information, data, metrics and stories about our work.

Perpetue Kamuyumbu, Water For People
Country Director with colleague Genevive 

Everyone Forever is Water For People’s initiative whereby the organisation works with other WASH sector players to create a world where ”Everyone”  every family, every school, and every clinic in the areas we work, have access to improved water and sanitation before we rest, or move to a new place. “Forever,” looks beyond the work of installing hardware-tanks, pipes, pumps, and latrines, and focus on building local knowledge and institutional systems that support water and sanitation services forever. Mumbo says the preparatory meeting was spent looking at parameters necessary for the RIR session. 

Every One Forever comes at a cost says Mumbo and it is important to know what the Forever would cost.  Mumbo said there lessons from other countries who have started including various costs operations, maintenance as well as replacement in the tariffs.  Progressively these lessons will be put on the platform.

Water For People Africa Regional Manager shares a point during the preparatory meeting

“Capital required for  Every One Forever in Rulindo or Kicukiro is estimated at $16 million while the existing assets are worth $ 30 million, thus 46 million will be required to replace the system after 25 years,” says Nick Burns, Head of International Programs. Burns says the whole question of where the resources to achieve EF, Forever will be discussed.  A key question with regard to achieving “Every One” is whether we have the capacity to reach Every one, while the question Forever is whether we have institutions and processe to ensure  water and sanitation services forever.

The Water For People partners are expected on  Wednesday 15 May at a hotel Beansejour hotel in Kigali for the RIR sessions.

 

Water For People Launches Re-Imagine Reporting Platform

Water For People Launches Re-Imagine Reporting Platform