Good Road

Nairobi, Kenya: The Power Of Story

In this episode, The Good Road explores the impact storytelling can have on the youth of underprivileged communities in Nairobi, Kenya. Craig and Earl hear the story of a leading technologist and designer, Mark Kamau (recently featured in National Geographic Magazine). Mark grew up in Matheri Slum in Nairobi but through a surprising series of events, he was able to escape the crime and poverty surrounding him and build a new life. But Mark wasn't content with keeping his new life for himself. He takes Craig and Earl back to Matheri to meet some of his old friends and to meet some of the youth he mentors. Mark dreams of everyone in Matheri getting the same opportunities he had and his story acts as a model for that next generation to rise above their circumstances. In another part of the city Craig and Earl then meet Ken Oloo, one of the founders of Filamujuani. Filamujuani's primary goal is to support underprivileged young people by training them how to become professionals in the TV and Film industry. Much like Mark, Ken also grew up in the slums and his story shows that next generation what is possible. For many, storytelling is a means of survival in Nairobi. And by helping people from the slums tell their own stories, Ken is giving a whole new generation a voice. One example of this is Ijawa Obeid. The Good Road meets her on the production set of the popular East African TV comedy One in a Million (kind of the Kenyan equivalent of The Beverly Hillbillies). Ijawa works as the Assistant Director for the show and many of the show's crew members came up through Ken's program. Ijawa invites Craig and Earl to her home in the Kibera slums where the team gets to hear what her daily life is like before hearing the amazing story of her adopted son, whom Ijawa literally rescued from exposure in the streets of Kibera.