Support the Kibera Film School.

This is a project that my lovely Nate dreamt of a while back. The need to give an opportunity to the lovely youth of Kibera a chance to tell their stories. The need to get off the television the negative images of Kibera. Yes, there is poverty, yes, the sanitation is zero, but yes, there is so much talent its unbelievable. He founded the Hot Sun Foundation, which enabled them to make films and work in little projects. Now it is a reality. The Kibera Film School is up and running, one month and counting.

The instructors are drawn form the Kenyan film industry, practising professionals who are dedicating time and resources, and knowledge to give these kids a chance to tell their stories, make films and earn an income.

So you are wondering what you can do to help? How about donating as little as $10, or as much as you want. $10 will buy lunch for 10 students. What would you have done with that $10?

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That was meant to be for you to state the things you can do without that you spend your $10 on. Now, this is what we spend the $10 on:

1. $10 - Buys a nutritious lunch for 10 youth trainees at the Kibera Film School. Yep, $1 for each trainee!
2. $25 - Buys filmmaking materials for one youth trainee at the Kibera Film School.
3. $50 - Provides a youth filmmaker trainee with a monthly stipend. Remember, most of them are the breadwinners. As much as they love and want the chance to train at the Kibera Film School, they have to provide for theirs siblings. To keep them in school, we provide a monthly stipend for them that will at least help them in taking care of their home expenses as they come to school
4. $60- Buys a rechargeable video camera battery
5. $100 - Buys fuel to a generator to provide electricity for one month. Given Kenya's current situation, no rains, no water, hence no electricity as this is generated by water... the govt has resulted to power rationing. The school, which runs from Monday to Saturday, gets power twice a week, which means that we have to use a generator on the other 4 days. This is costly, given the price of fuel in Kenya.

I encourage you to visit this the the Global Giving site - link on the widget below- to see how else the money is used.

Go on, support this worthy cause...invest in the future of a youth that is determined to change the way you look at slums.

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A girl and her man

This is the title of  my new blog. As if i dont have enough already. But this is purely about Nate and I and all the stuff that comes from being love. That was, instead of subjecting all you loveless creatures out there to mindless rant about what he said, what I said and how much sex we are having, you get to chose whether you want to know that or not. Not that this blog does contribute to your mental growth anyway, but that might give you pointers. Yeah you know what I am talking about. Occasionally, maybe Nate himself will post. Who knows. I don't, you dont...

So, in case you cant keep your curiousity in check, here's introducing (pause for effect, drum roll and confetti)

A girl and her Man!

Horray! Now sit...thank you.

Yeah, its also open for comments. Except when you wnat to hate on us. Then you can go to hell. Without sunblock and a plan B.

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New beginnings

I have been running this blog for about 4 years now. From the humble beginnings on My space, to Blogger, to Wordpress (for a few hours yesterday night).

As I was sitting in the office, in the dead of the night, it came to me. My blog has been undergoing the same changes as me. It has been reflecting the mood, state of mind and state of being of what is going on in my life. I think that is what blogs are supposed to do anyway.

I noticed that when Nate and I got together, I changed my blog template. I had been meaning to do that, I just never got around to doing it. I guess there is an unconcious need in me to change my stuff with a new change in my life.

So, I have changed the blog's header to Nate's Girl. Because that is what I love being. His girl. I have refrained from getting all mushy and lovey on the blog for the period we have been together, and most of my readers have no idea who this Nate is that i suddenely started blogging about. Not to worry, I will tell all soon. And possibly , you will notice that he is about to become a permanent fixture on this blog. Along with Frosty, Biggie and Blackie. Anf Togetherness Supreme, our film. No, the film is not about us. It's about this.

Welcome to the changes.

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Temporary Insanity

...that is what I had yesterday night. It was a blessing in disguise as it made my mind so tired, I promtly fell I asleep when I finally went to bed. At 1 am. Trying to figure out CSS and contemplating my new move.

I had a short stint at Wordpress. Long enough to discover that I could not make any changes to my CSS. Oh, I could make changes, I just could not save them. Until I purchased the upgrade. I am cheap, when it comes to blogging. I know maintaining these things requires money, but in my reasoning, since my blogging is not for money but to merely bore entertain you with my life escapades, I chose to stay here at Blogger. 

I just noticed that they (Blogger) have also reworked their text  / post editor and its now so much better! Maybe my threat to move did get some heads rolling!

Blogger, I am back.

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Being a Woman

Today is one of those days when I am in a mood. A mood that makes me even hate to be with myself. The most annoying thing about this mood is that I don't understand it myself. If I did, I would know how to get out of it, right? Maybe...

I can't seem to want to enjoy anything. Not even Nate's attempt at dinner by making what he knows best. Hotdogs. Oh, those are his second best. His first is the source of my woes. Pasta.

So while in this in mood, I have decided that Blogger is crap. I have no idea why since I don't know the first thing about blogging in Wordpress.

So, I have packed all my bags ( read posts) and moved to Wordpress. And I am going to hate myself fo this. I know this. I will curse this move. And i might be not  come back But I am in a mood that is out to punish me... and I am playing along. Here I come Wordpress.

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Adopt-a-Black-Baby.com

We live in a quiet, if you like, leafy suburb, with everything within a 10 -15 minutes walking distance. Serious, we walk our lovely spitz-terrier to the vet, wakj to the gymn, walk to the shopping mall, cinema, bookstore, grocery and if we ever get kids while still here, they will literally walk to school.

We are also suspect that we are dangerously close to some adoption agency. More than 30% of the apartments have a white couple with a little pram that houses a black baby. They like to walk them to the above mentioned facilities and speak to them in Dutch. At first, it was a joke between Nate and I as to where they get the babies. I suggested that maybe there is a Babies R US but i later found out that that shop deals with Baby Stuff not babies themselves. Then we thouhgt that maybe they get the babies from some website called something in the line of adopt-a-black-baby.com. I Googled that, just for kicks, and for sure, it exists! I found adopt-a-black-baby.com.

Their motto is, We are better than Oxfam!


They also realise the importance of marketing. And what best way to do that than to post this:

All I need to do is find out the physical location. As i said, it can't be too far from us!

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World's Oldest Student is Dead

He made headlines, in Kenya and internationally as being the oldest pupil in the world. He had taken advantage of the free primary school that the Kenyan Thieves Government had pretended to offer for free. His main aim for going to school was, he said, to learn how to read the bible.

At the (tender) age of 84, he enrolled at Kapkenduiywo Primary School in Eldoret. The post elections violence that rocked most parts of the Rift Valley and other areas in Kenya, Maruge lost his property and had to move to Nairobi. At one time, he almost quit school. He moved to Nairobi, moved to the not so affluent Kariobangi Estate, where he continued his studies.

In May this year, he was baptised during the celebration of the World Communications Day ay the Kariobangi Holy Trinity Parish in Nairobi, taking 'Stephen' as his patron saint. He died at Cheshire Home for the Aged, in Nairobi’s Kariobangi South estate where he has been staying, according to police and officials there.

“He passed away at 1.30pm; his body is still lying in the house. He has been sick and his condition had deteriorated lately,” an official at the home Donatila Ekuyi said.

Maruge, a widower whose life is about to become a major Hollywood film will never see his life epitomised on film. The film has been going back and forth, between the international producers, with a 'fight' as to where the film will be shot; South Africa or Kenya.

Given that the man championing for it to be brought to Kenya has tendered his resignation from the Kenya Film Commission, David Maingi was seen to be the one to help shape the country's industry, and have films like The First Grader shot here. After all, it is a Kenyan story... Maybe Maruge's death will touch the hearts of the thie...ahem, I mean the hearts of the government (people) to give rebates and tax breaks and make sure that the film is shot here, if only to honor the courageous man.

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Sad Saturday

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon, and having just done a productive instructors meeting at the Kibera Film School which is opening on Monday, ( a story for another day Nate and I are lying in bed watching badly produced afternoon TV shows. I flip the channel and there is the breaking news.

A plane has crashed over Nairobi's Highrise Estate. The plane owned by AIM was on its way to Kibera to take pictures / film. The plane, with 4 on board, hit an electricity post, caught fire, and then crashed next to a house in Highrise Estate the middle class apartments adjoining Kibera. The plane came down at around 3PM (Kenyan time, +3GMT) having taken off Wilson Airport.
It is feared that 2 of the passengers have died on the spot, while the other two have been rushed to hospital with intensive burns.The nationalities of those on board is yet to be established.

I don't normally report any news here but this is very close to me. On July 5, less than a month ago, I was on a mission similar to that - filming over Kibera on a plane that we had hired from ALS, an air charter company based at the same airport.

Whatever caused the crash, it is still sad.

Later I will post photos I took from that filming trip

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