Establishing Shots
Social Worker Interviews Orphans
S/W: Baba Mwangi. Gaka gokire re?
Papa Mwangi, when did this one come?
Baba Mwangi: Ndugemwnya tudu nyina akwire 99.
It is difficult to tell because his mother died in 99.
S/W: Alifanyika nini?
What happen to your mother?
Dom: Alikuwa Mgonjwa, aka kaa nyumbani, halafu akapelekwa hospitali. Akakufia
hospitali.
She became sick and remained at home for a while. Then she was taken to hospital and that was where she died.
Baba Mwangi: Nyudo wa murimo uria twagaga.
Because of that disease we were talking about.
S/W: And she died of HIV.
S/W: Nani alikuleta huku, Good Samaritan?
Who brought you here to Good Samaritan?
Zubeida: Mamangu.
My mother.
S/W: What is the name of your mother?
Zubeida: Mi sijui.
I don't know.
S/W: Hiaya. You don't know the name of your mother.
Oh my. You don’t know the name of your mother.
S/W: Ni kugongeka ama?
Did she get sick or what?
George: Sasa Kuplekwa Kenyatta, ilikuwa kama weeki mbili tulikuja tukapewa reporti
amekufa.
Upon her admission to Kenyatta hospital, two weeks did not even go by
when someone came with the report that she had died.
(After two weeks at Kenyatta Hospital, someone came to tell us
she had died.)
Introductory Text
The Good Samaritan Children’s Home is an orphanage and primary school in the Mathare Slum of Nairobi, Kenya.
It is one among many private, Christian homes in this deeply religious country.
Mercy “Auntie” Thuo started Good Samaritan in 1991 after children began living on the streets in her neighborhood.
Auntie Speaks
Auntie: People, they are dying because of AIDS. In fact, people are dying.
Woman: They are normally dying.
Auntie: They are dying. But I ask a question: You are thinking of people who are dying. Why not thinking of the children who are left?
Orphans of Mathare
a film by Randy Bell and Pacho Velez
Day 1
Morning at the Home
Girl: Bwana katubariki as we take it in Jesus Name have we prayed, trusted and believed
Lord bless us as we take it in, Jesus' name have we prayed, trusted and believed.
All: Amen.
Auntie: Twitigirite Mwathani ni hinya waku, tugwitigire we mwathani wakwa, oro t hiinii wa Ritwa ria Jesu Kristo, ni ndahoya na ndetikia. Amen.
In fear of your majesty we honor you my Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray and believe. Amen.
Ithe witu, Jehova Ngai wa Israel ungirire umuthi.
My father, Jehova, God of Israel Watch over me today.
Morning!
Pacho: Morning!
Auntie: We have just been praying.
Asante Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
Today I'm very very tired.
Morning in the Yard
Auntie: Tathii urii atiriri . . .
Can you go and ask . . .
Muthoni!
Muthoni: Eeh?
Yeah?
Auntie: Ambia huyo ako huko alete chakula na sahani zote.
Tell that person over there to bring the food and all the plates.
Students: Good morning Teacher!
Class about Christianity
Freddy: You are prisoners of sin. You are prisoners of sin. Belonging to a rich
family does not mean that you are free. Belonging to a royal family does not
mean you are free, unless you come out of your sins. That is when you will be
free and free forever. It means, if you have come to school, you have got enough
knowledge, don't go back to the streets! Because you have already received God's love, isn't it? It is by love that we are here, isn't it?
Students: Yes.
Freddy: Isn't it?
Students: Yes.
Freddy: It is by love that we are teaching you, isn't it?
Students: Yes.
Freddy: It is by love that you are sitting comfortably in class. When we have
AIDS killing our fathers, when we have AIDS killing our mothers, isn't it? The
Lord has an assurance for us. He is saying that he will come and free you from
the prison of?
All: Sadness.
Interview with Chalo and Boss
Chalo: I can’t like the life on the street. So hard . . . Imagine somebody staying outside
like a car and being rained, eating the dust bins. There’s no one to volunteer for you or to give you money or something to eat, so you should look for yourself. It is a hard life.
Randy: How long did you live on the street?
Chalo: For one year.
Randy: You lived on the street for one year?
Chalo: Yeah. Approximately one year.
Randy: Chalo, did you ever do glue?
Chalo: No I didn’t. If I could have taken glue it could have affected my brain.
Boss: Like me.
Randy: Boss, did you ever do glue?
Boss: Yeah!
Randy: Tell me about glue, Boss.
Boss: When you have sniffed the glue it make your mind all the time to disturb people in
the street. Sometimes they make you high. You don’t become lazy. At morning
you don’t have anything to drink. You’re shaking. And then . . . The life of street
is not good.
Randy: How long did you live on the street?
Boss: For three years.
Randy: Why did you go out on the street in the first place?
Boss: Because sometimes my mother beat me I decide to go to the street.
Randy: What about your father?
Boss: My father died.
Randy: What did he die of?
Boss: Got killed by some thief.
Chalo: He was killed by thugs.
Boss: Gangsters. In 1995.
Soccer Game in Yard
Helen Visits Ochieng
Helen: Unasikia mzuri? Eh?
Are you feeling better?
Fred: Sio mbaya na sio vizuri.
Not so bad and not so good.
Helen: Now what is paining you most?
Stomach? Were you given some drugs for that? Or just the same medicine that
you are . . . They’re the same tablets you’re using. Let me see these ones.
Paracetamol. This one you’re supposed to take one . . . times three daily. And are you swallowing them?
Hi mbazi zinaisha.
They are running out.
It is only paracetamol that is over. Remaining one . . .
What have you eaten?
Ochieng: Chai
Tea.
Helen: You are feeling hot?
Tour
Freddy: And now that is our center. That is our school, on the other side. And
this is the area that is housing around two hundred and fifty thousand people.
Some of them are living in those small story houses that you are seeing, and
others are living in the slums.
Discussion About Condoms and AIDS
Helen: Down the Valley when you tell somebody that: “You know there is AIDS” they
don’t know. They say that somebody if you start thinning up or you’re coughing,
or maybe you start lying there, it is not AIDS, that somebody’s . . . Maybe there’s some evil spirit haunting you but not AIDS. They believe on tradition, you see.
Chalo: People should be encouraged how to live. If young children are being educated
how to prevent themselves from AIDS, maybe from Nursery to Secondary, and
even colleges. . .
Helen: Like the last time the President was in America, see they were saying that people
who have AIDS should be given funds so that at least some can take that money
to the hospital, they buy some drugs to keep them staying for some times. Now, the President was saying that if at all somebody cannot keep himself or herself free from AIDS then let them use condoms.
Chalo: To me it is wrong!
Helen: So he was telling them to use condoms.
Chalo: A tractor can get a puncture. What about those condoms? They can.
Helen: A tractor can get a puncture but these are human beings.
Chalo: But these still, they can get expired.
If you quote the Bible, giving out condoms . . .
Helen: Chalo look here, people are being told: “Be faithful,” but people are not faithful.
Maybe yourself you are faithful but your partner is not faithful. Chalo, you see
that. Human beings are not . . .
Chalo: This, it is encouraging prostitution.
Helen: Not really. What we are trying to discourage is the rate of people dying of AIDS.
But you find that people who are like that, they think that when they have that
condom they use it ruthlessly the way you are saying. So that is . . . chances of it bursting is high. And that is the time now you can be infected. Because it is not 100%. It is 99. So don’t have that mind that it is the Bible says “what what what.” This time we are not putting the Bible in.
Chalo: You should put the Bible first.
Helen: If you say the Bible does not talk about condom, automatically you are going to
die.
Boys Bedroom at Night
Freddy: Endeni mkalale pale mnalala
Go where you sleep, always!
(Go to your beds.)
Malonza: Tokeni mtuache huko tuendelee na mastori yetu.
Go. Leave us alone so that we can continue talking.
Freddy: Kule , nani. . .
Hey, pay attention
We, enda ulale pahali unalala
Youe, go where you sleep.
Wahome: Niwamenya kiria nikio kirahitha iroboto guku.
Do you know that is the one who brings fleas here?
(Hey, that kid’s got fleas.)
Freddy: Pita ukalale.
Pass and go to sleep.
Boss nenda ukalale pahali unalale.
Boss, go and sleep where you sleep.
(Boss, go to your bed.)
Boss:: Boss, mimi halala huko leo.
I'm sleeping here tonight.
Day 2
Students: Good morning Teacher!
Common Cold
Freddy: Common cold. What causes common colds? Someone to answer. What causes
common colds? Yes?
Student: The virus.
Freddy: The virus. Boss, where do you think we get that virus?
Boss: The dust.
Freddy: From the dust, isn’t it? Which means the dust is manufacturing virus for
common colds?
Students: No.
Freddy: When somebody sneezes and that person has virus . . . that person has common
colds. So you will be able to do for me this little exercise. I have given you
leprosy. I’ve given you common colds . . . common cold and I’ve given you plague and then I’ve given you tuberculosis. I’ve given you tuberculosis.
Ochieng Talks About His Parents and Family
Ocieng: It started with headache. Now after headache, now my legs started swelling and
my lips was very very dry. At the same time I was vomiting. Now the doctor took my feces, and the blood. Now he find I have typhoid, amoeba, and hookworm.
Me first I cam here because my parents died.
Randy: How did your parents die?
Ochieng: First it was my father, and he was just sick, you see? But some of the people
believed it was a witchcraft. But me, I didn’t believe . . . I don’t believe in
witchcraft, because I’m saved, by the way. Now, then my mother . . . We don’t
know how she died, but me I was suspecting that she had AIDS. That’s what I
was suspecting. But the people were saying it was not AIDS, but according to me
I was suspecting that was AIDS. And now we were three. We were three . . .
There is my elder sister, my younger brother, and I.
Randy: Where is your sister now?
Ochieng: She now started walking with other ladies. Now these ladies they started
smoking bhung . . . Now useless . . . Now even when I meet her I don’t even want to talk to her because I don’t like that kind of behavior. If someone has changed into a prostitute it means she can get any disease, and I’m afraid she can get AIDS.
Cooking Beans
Sitting and eating
Boss: Ushateremka?
Have you gone down the hill yet?
Boy: Bado.
Not yet
Boss: Tutateremka?
Shall we go?
(Do you want to go?)
Boy: Una ngaji
Do you have money?
Boss: Eeh, si kugawagawa!
Yeah. Let’s split the cost.
Boss: Do you know poker?
Pacho: Yeah.
Boss: Really?
But we have it here.
Chalo Preparing to Preach
Chalo Preaching
Chalo: Bwana asifiwe.
Praise the Lord!
All: Amen
Chalo: Zale, shoutini Amen.
That is not good enough. Shout Amen!
Bwana asifiwe.
Praise the Lord!
All: Amen!
Chalo: Vijana nimeokoka.
Fellow youth, I am saved.
Wacheni kelele sababu giza, kuna giza.
Stop making noise because of the dark. It was already night.
Juzi, nilikuwa nikienda hivi, nikakutana na msichana, amejirembesha huku. Bwana asifiwe. Bwana asifiwe. Amejirembesha mdomo umekuwa white. Mzungu, yeye aliumbwa na mdomo mwekundu. Bwana asifiwe! Bwana asifiwe. Mzungu aliumbwa na mdomo mwekundu. Wewe ukiona mzungu ana mambo, wewe unamfuata tu unamkimbilia. Bwana asifiwe. Bwana asifiwe. Wewe ni mwafrika, una mdomo mweusi, yafurahie vile Mungu alivyokuumba. Jishiklie kwa Yesu! Tulikuwa pale tukaambiwa ukitazama katika upande wa Somali, Bwana asifiwe, vita iko huko. Ukivuka mpaka Uganda, Burundi, vita imezidi. Bwana asifiwe. Shukuru Mungu kwa mahali amekuweka. Bwana asifiwe. Hebu tusimame.
The other day I ran into a girl, and she was all made-up. Lord be praised. Lord be praise. She had made-up her mouth. It looked white. The white man, he was made with a red mouth. Lord be praised! Lord be praised! The White Man was made with a red mouth. When you see a white man withj his styles, you just follow him, you run after him. Lord be praised! Lord be praised! You’re African, you have a black mouth. Rejoice in how God has made you. Hold on to Christ. We were told that in Somalia, Praise the Lord, there is war. If you go to Uganda, Burundi, there is war. Praise the Lord. Thank God for where he has put you. Praise the Lord. Let us stand.
All (singing): Hakuna Mungu kama wewe, hakuna popote . . .
There is no God like you, none anywhere . . .
Day 3
Talking About Dead Man
Peter: Ata nilikuwa nafikiria ni hapa kwa ndaranja sasa naambiwa ni huko bali.
Even I thought it is here by the classes now I'm being told it is over there.
(I thought he was near, but now I’m being told he is over there.)
Freddy: Auntie, mtu amechinjwa pale kama ngombe.
Somebody was slaughtered over there like a cow.
Auntie: E halia?
Is he there?
(Over there?)
Peter: Ii. Wabici-ini ya DP
Yes. By the DP office.
(Near the District Police office.)
Man: Mundu?
A man?
Others: Ii.
Yes.
Man: Kichwa kando?
Is the head off?
(Is his head cut off?)
Freddy: Hapana. Hii tu ndio imembakia kwa kichwa.
No. only this part is remaining.
(No, but close.)
Ati ni… Warikuwa wanakunywa pamonja kwa nyumba ya mutu,
It's like… they were drinking together at somebody's house,
na wakatoka hapo wakamtoa kwa hiyo nyumba ya mama mmonja hapo
kwa mti,
and they left there, they took him from that house belonging to a certain woman by that tree,
(They were drinking together and they found him with another man’s woman.)
Man: Na jana mwingine St Tereza's
and yesterday another one at St. Treza's.
Auntie: Machaa, tuthie nawe field. Tutiraikara ithui turacooka. Twathie kwona mundu uria ungeetwo haria.
Machaa, lets go to the field. We wont be long we are coming back. We are going to see that man who was slaughtered.
(Let’s go see the man who was slaughtered.)
Dead Man
Auntie: Turenda riri? No turipote kwa ngathiti.
We want… we can report to the press.
(We should report this to the press.)
Lady: kwa ngathiti? Ii andu a ngathiti nio twetereire.
The press? Yes we are waiting for the press.
(We are waiting for them.)
Football
Freddy: We don't have shoes but we'll play as if we have good shoes. Play as if you
have those good shoes . . . they have good shoes. All right, can you arrange
yourselves.
Where is Boss? You’re the sub.
Come on, hautacheza.
Come on, you will not play.
Boss: Kwani ni watu wa seko peke yake wanacheza?
Do you mean only secondary school students are playing?
Boy: Si hao ndio wanawezana na hao watu, we huwezani.
They are the ones who can tackle the other guys, you can’t.
Boss: Wee mi najua ball! Mtu asiniletee saa hii.
You! I know (how to play) ball!. Nobody should tell me anything right now.
(You! I know how to play football. Don’t say I don’t.)
Boy: Haujui ball!
You don’t know (how to play) ball!
Boss:. Haujui ball!
You don’t know (how to play) ball!
Wee dogi usiniletee mbwa hii. Wee hatusikizani na wewe.
You dog, leave me alone, you dog. I cannot cope with you.
(I can’t be bothered by you.)
Sitaki ujinga.
I don’t want any foolishness.
(Don’t mess with me.)
Freddy: Haya wale watu wako ndani ingieni pale.
Okay, those who are in (the game), go in there.
Boy: Boss toka nje.
Boss get off the field.
They play football
Freddy: Simama hapa boss. Ndio juu unataka kwenda sub.
Stand here Boss. Because you would like to go as a sub.
A goal is scored
Boy: Goal!
A fight
Boy: Unaniita mbwa, unaniita mbwa.
You are calling me a dog, you are calling me a dog.
Boss picks at his boot.
Chalo KCPE Interview
Chalo: Geography, History, and Civics and the CRE are combined together. Then Home
Science and Business, they are combined together. Those are two papers. Then Art, Craft, and Music, they are combined. And those are three. Then English, Maths, and Kiswahili. You see, we are doing seven papers. And then the total marks was about seven hundred. So if you get five hundred marks you are to be taken to a national school. And I know I . . . we are going to pass. The whole class. Because nobody there . . . Nobody was born poor. So that’s what I’m waiting too. Maybe people might be laughing at us. Laughing at the kind of environment we are living in. Or the kind of education that we are learning. But you know by December, when the results come they’ll have to know why I’m in school.
Day 4
Auntie Goes to Children’s Welfare Office
Auntie: 8B
Freddy: 8th floor.
Auntie: 8th floor? 8th floor, 8b.
I think 28.
Let us go with this one. Nice time.
Radio: The best mix of music, Capital FM.
Radio Announcer: Capital News Beat. News and information for …. Seven suspected
gangsters shot dead by police. Workshop opening to discuss coming WTO
conference. And …. people killed in flash floods in Pakistan. Good morning I’m
Dale Ramira. A workshop begins today in Nairobi that will discuss the
forthcoming ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization that is to be
held in Quatar in November. The conference in Quatar is expected to make
decisions on further trade liberalization, and also agree on the pace of
liberalization in trade and agriculture. Developing countries are concerned over
the European Unions proposals to initiate new trade discussions on investment
and competition policy. More than 150 people have died in flash floods and
landslides that have hit northern Pakistan.
At Children’s Welfare Office
Auntie: Habari zani?
How are you?
Musau: Yes Mama, how are you?
Auntie: I'm fine.
Musau: I closed a home at Donholm – Spring Chicken. And we've got some six orphans
from there. Can you take them for us? They’re all girls. Yeah, they’re all girls.
Auntie: There’s a space for them, although you know girls are very stubborn.
Musau: You can’t say that because the work these days is fighting for the girl child.
Because they’re the ones who are the most abused in the African world. You can
bring them, these other children?
Auntie: Yeah.
Musau: Yeah, because we want this mzungu . . . he has abused the children. They’re
actually sexually abused. That’s why we closed the home.
Auntie: It’s the bad days, for the AIDS . . .
Musau: Yeah, and the HIV. Even these children, some of them were found today with
syphilis. They were found sick, so because you have not had cases of abuse, we’d like you to keep the girls for us. And on Friday you’ll come, take home the
abused children. So make sure you make that appointment.
Classroom Scene about Sex in Traditional African Society
Girl: Preventing sex before marriage in traditional African society.
Freddy: Yes, was sex allowed before marriage in traditional African society?
Girl 2: No!
Freddy: It was not allowed. If you give birth before you are married, what they used to
do is they would take you and marry you to an old man. If you were a girl of 17
years, and you get pregnant before marriage, what they used to do is, they would
be able to marry you to a man of over 70 years.
All react loudly
Freddy: Now, let’s try to see why was it done like that? It was a lesson to the rest, so that the rest would not be able to commit such an offense. Also in traditional African society, boys and girls never met. They never?
All: Met!
Freddy: They never were together. So girls were only . . . they were taken to a house where grandmothers and women would be able to talk to the…
All: to them.
Freddy: While boys were taken in a separate home . . . in a separate house, where the old men, that is grandfather would be able to talk to the . . .
All: to them.
Freddy: So the work of guiding and counseling, it was done by grandpa . . .
All: parents!
Ochieng's Sister Visits.
Sister: Angaa timi?
What’s wrong with you?
Ochieng: Anatho kae
I’m dying here
This is my sister.
Sister: Angaa timi?
What's wrong with you?
Ochieng: Typhoid…
Sister: Ochaki chon?
Have you had it for long?
Ochieng: Dwe achiel emoserumo
It’s just about one month now
In oki nyal kata biro lima?
Why haven’t you come to visit me yet?
Sister: Onge ngat mose ngisa Ochieng. An bende ok a dak machiegni kae. Nyamin
Mutoko be emo nyisa sani. An onyisa ni kata chung daki chung, kata loso daki los.
Nobody told me about this earlier; I do not live close enough to you to have known. Mutoko’s sister has just told me. From what I was told, you were so sick that you were not able to stand independently or even talk.
Ochieng: Loso, nyocha oka los. Kata wuok oko kae
Until recently I could not talk. Even getting out of the house was a problem.
Sister: Pod idyewo adiyewa?
Are you still suffering from diarrhea?
Ochieng: Adyewo sana
Yes the diarrhea is heavy
Sister: Idyewo remo?
Is it mixed with blood?
Ochieng: A-ah.
No it is not.
Sister: Pi mayware?
Is it watery and slippery?
Ochieng: A-ah. Mabiro ko makore omakore. Ok gin pi sana.
No. It’s kinda clumped together. Not too watery.
Sister: Ti ngok?
And are you vomiting as well?
Ochieng: A-ah. Ok angogi
No I’m not vomiting.
Sister: Koso nitingo gik moko ki ae dala.
Or did you pick up something when you went to the countryside?
Ochieng: Onge
Nothing
Sister: Ang na dhi atemni ka ja lemo. Nikech an abiro ka koro rach ni mondo wateri
Kenyatta.
I will go to the priest and try to get them to pray for you. I came bearing in mind that if you are not so fine, we could take you to Kenyatta hospital.
(I came to see how sick you are, and to take you to Kenyatta Hospital.)
Ochieng: An angeyo Nyasaye biro konya.
I believe that God will help me.
Sister begins to cry.
Ochieng: Ywak onge gi ma biro konyo. Iywak to pok a tho?
Crying will not help in any way. Why are you crying and I am not dead yet?
Freddy: These are your sisters?
Ochieng: Ongea na huyu,ongea na huyu. Ongea na huyu,ongea na huyu. Ye naye
ameenda amepotea.
Please talk to her. Please talk to her. She hasn't been here in so long.
Freddy: Unasikia kiswahili?
Do you understand Kiswahili?
Sister: Yes
Freddy: Kuja Kuja upande huu.
Come. Come on this side
Ochieng has no problem.
Ni typhoid.
It is only typhoid.
Si mtu was ku nini, kana malaria kidogo na whatever.
He is not a sickly one, just occasional mild malaria and whatever.
Sasa ni kurecover. Ni chakula tu Ochieng anahitaji ndio iweze kumuweka very strong.
Now he is just recovering. Ochieng just needs food to make him very strong.
Sister: Ochieng’ adok ot adhi kelo ni gimoro matin.
Ochieng, I am going back to the house to get you something to eat.
Freddy: Ochieng Amuka Amuka uonge na hawa hapa nje.
Ochieng wake up and talk with these ones outside here.
Amuka Amuka, ama?
Get up, what do you think?
Sister: Kuna baridi.
It is cold.
Freddy: Ama kaa chini muongee nao.
Or sit up and talk with them.
Kaeni hapa muongee na Ochieng.
Sit down here and talk with Ochieng.
Sister: Koro nyisa gima idwaro
Tell me what you want
Ochieng: Inyaa kelo squash.
Bring Juice.
Sister: Squash? Anyieo kure?
Juice? Where do I buy it?
Ochieng: Nii Supermarket
At the supermarket.
Chalo does laundry
Kids sweep yard.
Day 5
Church
All (singing): Tawala maisha yangu uu
Tawala tawala
Tawala maisha yangu uu
Tawala maisha Bwana.
Oh, take control of my life.
Take control, take control.
Oh take control of my life
Take control of my life, oh Lord.
How powerful is your name
How powerful is your name, Oh Lord!
Preparing Food
Auntie: Uweke maji mbakuli tatu.
Put three bowls of water in the pot.
Auntie: Lete maji hapa, Muthoni….tuoshe nyanya
Bring some water, Muthoni….to wash the tomatoes
Rehe bakuli
Bring the bowl
Chokia nyanya iyo, chokia nyanya iyo, rudisha
You keep stealing tomatoes. Stealing tomatoes. Return it!
Wa mangamu
Gluehead!
Boss: Tigana na nyina wa Mwangi.
She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Auntie: Wa mangamu
Gluehead!
Boss: That's my name.
Auntie Attacks Boss
Auntie: Eku?
Where is he?
Serving Food
Auntie: Waambie wangoje, waoge mikono
Tell them to wait and wash their hands
Boy: Missing Transcription
Hey, wait there.
Boy 2: Weka hiyo maji
Put some water
The kids burst in
Auntie: Wee ngojeni hapa
Hey, wait here.
Boy: Missing Transcription
Wait for me to eat, I’m hungry.
Boy 2: Missing Transcription
Bring it!
Interview with Boss about Church
Randy: Boss, where were you this morning for church?
Boss: After taking the porridge, I’ve gone to the field, there where we are on Friday.
Randy: The football field?
Boss: Yeah. But I’m not liking to get in the church.
Randy: Does Auntie care? Does Auntie care that you don’t go to church?
Boss: Auntie?
Randy: Yeah.
Boss: Yeah, sometimes. But when it’s Sunday I take the porridge and then I go. I go to the field.
Randy: How did you come in here in the first place?
Boss: That day, my grandmom . . . They’d come with this . . . Auntie. The come to Eastleigh, and they come to search me. And then they get me. I was sniffing, I was sleeping, and they catch me. They come and beat me. They take me to the police, Muthaiga police. I stay there for one week, and then they come and take me from there. And then I decide to come to the school.
Day 6
Children’s Welfare Office
Musau: CREDOL . . . good morning. Yeah I’m Mrs. Musau. I’m calling from the
Children’s Department. But I just reported today and my officers are telling me
that the children were arrested. Why were they arrested? How could the police arrest such small children to stay in the cell? That’s why we had requested you guys to intervene because we noticed the police in Buru Buru . . . I don’t know . . . I suspected the police was not really for the . . . for the children’s side. The children are being subjected to abuse. They are being pushed here. Pushed here. Why was the mzungu sleeping in a house where there was no administration? There was no matron. This is what we are asking. There was no matron. There was no house keeper. You see, in the Code of Employment there has to be from stage one this this this this. Why was he . . . Because this is where our argument was. Even if there is no tangible evidence to the sperms, why was this mzungu not employing proper personnel? And again, he had no . . . he has no certificate to operate that nini. He is not registered with us. He is not registered with the bureau of NGOs. We checked with them. There was no registration.
Now these children, I think now, are they still inside now? Oh. Yeah, so just call me, and bring them because the Good Samaritan people are waiting for the children just here.
The watoto anakuja.
The children are coming.
The children are coming. Those are also children of HIV orphaned parents.
The report from the doctor indicates that the girls have got a venereal disease, and the doctor was ready to give evidence in court, but the court is arguing that even if they have the venereal, is it the mzungu who gave it to them? Even by the time we went to court because I have seen the justice, the way it goes, you are told first of all there has to be sperms, they have to be present and the children continue being abused because of this logic. So and the children were examined, they are not virgins, and they were living with a man they accused to have abused them. Every child wants to have something good, something better, something they can do. They will say: “Yes, because I can go to America, let me be abused.”
Eh! Come in! Come in! At long last you have landed.
Woi-ii hebu kunjeni. Habari yenu?
Oh my! Just come in. how are you?
Woman: huyu anaitwa Mrs Musau,
this is Mrs Musau,
(And this lady is called Mrs. Musau.)
Musau: You have done such a good thing for them.
Woman: This is Mtindi, this is Alice, na huyu ni Rosemary.
This is Mtindi, this is Alice, and her name is Rosemary.
Auntie: Rosie!
Musau: These are the chickens.
Woman: Don’t call them that.
Musau: God, that mzungu is just an animal.
Woman: Let me tell you that story properly. He was seen with a child. You know, a mzungu with a black child
Musau: With a black child . . .
Woman: So what they started saying is: “Oh, where did you get that Spring Chicken
from?” That’s what he’s being told by other people. So he said: “that’s what I’m
going to call my school.”
You also have a school?
Auntie: Yeah, I have a school.
Woman: Munaenda shule.
You will go to school.
Si mulikuwa mukitaka shule? Huyu mama anampeleka shule mzuri.
Didn't you want to go to school? This woman is going to take you to a good school.
Auntie: Utakuwa… ukisoma sana utakuwa nini? Utakuwa mwalimu? Dakitari?,
You will be learning a lot. What will you be? A teacher? Doctor?
Woman: Twende ta shule? OK.
Don’t you like school? OK.
OK, I’ll see you. Mtindi, bye. OK. Thank you so much.
Musau: Yeah, have a nice day.
Woman: You too Mrs. Musau. God Bless.
Musau: Yeah, thank you for the concern.
Rosemary uko na miaka mingapi?
Rosemary how old are you?
Rosemary: Tisa.
Nine.
Musau: Na Mutindi kako na miaka mingapi?
And how old is Mutindi?
Mtindi: Nane.
Eight.
Clerk: Kako eight haka?
This one is eight?
Auntie: Kataweza.
She'll manage.
Musau: Na Alice?
And Alice?
Alice: Ten.
Girls at Home
Auntie: Helen, habari?
Helen, how are you?
Helen: Mzuri sana ..
Very well.
Auntie: Hawa ndio watoto, the children, who were taken to the court. Kujeni
These are the children were taken to the court. Come!
Helen: Habari yenyu.
How are you, children?
Auntie: Huyu ni mwalimu. Si mlisema mnataka kusoma? Kuja!
This is a teacher. Didn't you say you want to learn? Come!
Mnaona shule ni kubwa? Twende.
Isn’t the school big? Let’s go.
Hebu kalia kiti nione. Nendeni mkalie kiti nione. Ee!!
Sit down so I can see you. Sit down so I can see you.
Si ni kuzuri. Kuna stima na tunaenda kanisa.
Isn't it nice.There is electricity and we go to church.
Boy: Kai turetigira Auntie?
Why are they so timid?
Boss: Habari yako? Mimi ndiye head prefect wa shule hii nzima.Mtu akikuchapa uniite.
Unasikia?
How are you? I am the Head prefect in this school. If somebody beats you just call me.
Mtu akikuchapa uniite. Unasikia?. Niwaigua. Mimi ndio nthenya munene huu wa shukuru. Niwaigua! Mundu agukuna uu handu hanono ukamukuna uu.
If someone beats you, call me. I'm the head prefect here, in this school. Have you understood? If someone hits you, hit him back like this.
Boy: Ngamukuna uu
Hit him like this.
Boss: Mundu agukuna, ukandabia. Mimi ndio . . .
If someone hits you, let me know! I am . . .
Aunti: Six years na wewe eight years. Si ndiyo? Nani mkubwa? Ninyi wawili nani
mkubwa. Kenetai ni wewe? Ni wewe mkubwa? Hakuna ni kadonyelee.
Kadonyelee. Kadonyelee. Umeona nimezaa wasichana.
Six years, and you are eight years. Isn't it? Who is bigger? You two, who is bigger? Kenetai, are you the one? Are you the big one? Not at all. You are small. You are small. You are small. Do you see, I have given birth to daughters.
A mother of girls. A mother of girls.
Wacha nimpeleke mkafanywe ni—mwambie huyu akafanye dry.
Let me take you to the salon so they can blow dry your hair.
Wacha twende mkafanywe ni--blow-dry.
Let's go and they will blow dry your hair.
Ochieng Goes to the Hospital
Freddy:: Ochieng, unaweza?
Ochieng, can you manage?
Auntie: Amuka amuka urudi hospitali.
Get up, get up and go back to the hospital.
Lete hii madawa.
Bring that medicine.
Zimeisha. Sasa Amuka wewe.
It is finished. Now you get up.
Unajua sometimes ukilala sana…
You know sometimes if you sleep too much…
Freddy: Inaongeza ugonjwa.
You feel sicker.
Auntie: Lazima uwe strong. Be strong Unajua ukilala sana shetani naye anatake
advantage.
You must be stong. Be strong. You know if you sleep too much, the devil
takes advantage.
Freddy: Advantage, eh!
Auntie: Shetani anatake advantage.
The devil takes advantage.
Na kitu ukipewa unajaribu sababu hutapiki.
And you should try to eat because you are not vomiting
Unajua ukitapika ndio mtu anasemaga hakuli.
If you were vomiting then you could refuse to eat.
Lakini kama hutapiki you must be serious.
But if you are not vomiting then you must be serious!
Freddy: Serious. Ochieng’ vaa nguo tukupeleke….
Serious. Ochieng, dress up so we could take you…
Auntie: Amka amka! Just wake up. Wake up, organize yourself!
Wake up, Wake up. Just wake up. Organize yourself.
Ochieng Goes to the Hospital
Day 7
Classroom Scene about Slavery, Missionaries, and Colonialism
Helen: Now, we are calling those people who abolished the slave trade as the? How do
you call them?
Student: Abolitionist.
Helen: Abolitionist. They said that no more slave trade in Africa. What we want to do
is, we want to spread the Word of God. They wanted the Africans to accept Jesus
as their personal savior isn’t it? Because Africans they believed that they were very primitive. And are Africans primitive surely?
Student: No.
Helen: Now, they were told that they were primitive because of they had bad culture.
Now had it not been for the white man right now we’d have been walking naked. Then if I imagine somebody like Paul walking naked, is that civilization? Is that civilization?
Students: No!
Helen: Is it civilization?
Students: No!
Helen: So when the Europeans came they said: “No, people should put on something
isn’t it, to cover the nakedness. But we have certain communities here in Kenya
which did not accept civilization. Examples are the Dorobo. The Dorobos are found living in caves. They don’t build houses. They are found on top of trees. They are found on hills and mountains. That is where they stay, and they stay there naked. Now we call them primitive, or what? Are they primitive? Or are they just too much into their culture? But culture is good, isn’t it? Do we normally say that:
“Moicha mila nyam tubwa.”
He who leaves his tradition is a slave.
Number 3: Kijinkitile Ngwale was a medicine man in?
Students: Tanzania.
Helen: So he decided to organize the Hehe. He talked to the Nzalamo. He told the Digo:
Come and let us unite so that we fight the? . . . Colonialists. So he told them: I’m a medicine man. I’m going to give you medicine, so we fight the white men, their guns will not penetrate us. What happened? They were killed like flies. Almost 500,000 people died. Homes were broken. Only old and weak people were left in the village, but most of them died, because they were rebelling against the powers they cannot fight with.
Auntie at Kenyatta
Auntie: Amuka kindogo.
Sit up some.
Ochieng: Siwezi.
I can't.
Auntie: Huwezi? Nikuamushe?
You can't? Can I help you?
Freddie: eeee.
Yes.
Auntie: Nikuamshe?
Can I get you up?
Usinjali. Uko joto! Nikuzi… ni kupeleke nyuma? Unashikia baridi sana?
Do not worry. You are so hot! Can I … can I mave you backward?
Do you feel cold?
Auntie: Unataka… Chai ikiletwa unaweza kunywa? Sivyo? Utakuwa ukikunywa chai?
Do you want this? If we bring you tea will you drink it? Right? Do you want tea?
Ochieng: Chai… nilipewa lakini…
I was given tea but…
Auntie: hukuweza? Hakuna mtu alikupea?
You could not? There was nobody to give you?
Ochieng: Ililetwa. Lakini ni chai ingine… sinjui.
It was brought but it is some kind of tea…I didn’t like the look of it.
Auntie: ukikula, utapona halaka.
If you eat, you'll get better quickly.
Helen Grading Papers
Teacher: Forty-five
Helen: Sixty-six. Even Kiswahili this time they've really performed well. I think
Freddy's going to celebrate that.
They're good children. They can all . . .
Teacher: Mainge Charles Chalo.
Helen: Mainge Chalo.
Teacher: Seventy-four.
Helen: Seventy-four.
Chalo is also a good boy. He can do better. Those are people that we have hopes
in.
Wakianguka ametuvu,ja roho.
When they fail, they break our hearts.
Helen: Sasa wenye wanacheza ni, ni nani . . ..
Now the people joking around are . . .
John: Kuria
Helen: Boss. Ataki kujua, wanakula Kitheri pale…..
They don't want to learn. They are just eating beans.
Teacher: Nasaa hiyo wanacheka sana
And now they are laughing
John: Sasa kama huyu….
And now like this one….
Helen: Kuria, hawa atapeleka Capentry
Kuria these ones will go to Carpentry
Mtu kama hawa, wana over 28 Boss, hii ni capentry direct, hakuna ngia
nyengina
Like these ones who score twenty-eight, like Boss, he’ll go into carpentry directly. There is no other path for him.
Boss Making Fun of Malonza
Dominic: taigwa taigwa. Eh eh eh.
Listen Listen. Oh oh.
Mimi Mwenyewe kuna siku niendaga chuo, si jaenda chuo mwezi moja.
Even me there was a time I went to school after not having gone for a while for about a month.
(Once I went to school after not having been in a month.)
Nilishikaga hiyo kuvuli hivi na imefungwa saa kumi na mbili chuo.
I found that the door to class had been padlocked as it was 6 in the evening.
(It was 6pm so the door had been padlocked.)
Nika shika nikapray nikafuruta hivi hiyo kuvuli ikafunguka.
I got hold of that lock, prayed and upon pulling it the lock opened.
(I grabbed the lock, prayed, and pulled it open.)
Nikaingia daro, zile maexercise nili do, nilienda nilido maexercise zote na sikuwauliza mtu hata moja nika do zote.
I entered the class and I did all the assignments and I never asked for anyone's help. I did them all.
(I went into class and did all the assignments without help.)
Kucome ni me peke yangu nimeziget hakuna mtu mingine, na walikuwa wamefunza mi sinja funzwa.
When the class resumed it was only me who had gotten them all right no one else had inspite of their having been taught and I had not been taught.
(And I was the only one to get them all right, despite not having been taught.)
Na tena nilikuwa nime do the right exercises zote. Niambiye.
And above that all the exercises I had done were the right ones. What do you have to say?
(I had done all the right exercises. What do you say to that?)
Chalo: Vitu Kama hizo mtu hajuangi. Mtu huja kuziamini baadaye.
Such things one does not know, you come to believe them later on.
(You can’t know these things. You only come to believe them later on.)
Boss: lakini We hizi no zako.
But those are tall tales.
Dominic: Mungu moja.
Honest to God.
Boss: Atiunashika.
Yeah that you hold on to the lock and act like this!
Dominic: Haiya ati unona ni uwongo.
Oh you seem to think that I am lying to you.
Boss; Ati inangoka. We wacha zako.
And then it comes off? Stop lying to us.
Ati anashika kuvuli hivi na ana omba.
That he holds the lock like this and then…
We wacha.
Gimme a break.
Girl: Boss.
Night Dinner
Boy: Tokeni sasa nyinyi mmekula
Go out now, because you have eaten.
Auntie: Irio ciaganana gutiri mundu ungiruga thani.
Once the portions are all equal, there will be no competing.
Hey you, Satan, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Background: Ashindwe!
Be defeated!
Auntie: Satan is disturbing our mind always.
In the Dark
Auntie: Kame kula haka?
Has she eaten?
Mkalize hapa
Help her to sit down.
Malonza: Na sasa
How are you?
Auntie: Na huyu ni mwingine ananisumbua ati hataki kukula mboga. Sika.
And this one is a bother because she doesn't want vegetables. Eat this.
Malonza: Good.
Auntie: Nitakutolea nyama wapi. Hii nimekula.
From where will I get meat to give you? (How can I afford to buy meat for you?) This is what I ate too.
Malonza: Anaitangwa je?
What is her name?
Girl: Mtindi.. Etagwo Mtindi.
Mtindi. Her is name is Mtindi.
Auntie: We! Wake up and go.
Kuja ukalale.
Go and sleep.
Hujamaliza. Maliza chakula.
Haven't you finished? Finish your food.
Malonza: Maongo. Mtindi yee.
You are lying. Hey Mtindi?
Mtindi yee, ndunena.
Mtindi, are you not going to speak?
Mtindi yee kai werira? Kai wera?
Mtindi, you are eating?
Dark AIDS Talk
Freddy: In some of the Kenyan traditional societies the grandfathers and grandmothers
are given the responsibility . . . they are given the responsibility to talk about sex. To talk about . . . family life education. But when you look at this, people of nowadays do not reach 45, 46, 45, 46 – they don’t reach there. In fact even some end in 30’s, some even in 24’s. Now we don’t have old people. We don’t have elders now. Now, this is now the work that has to be done by people. Do we still need old men to do the same job?
Girl: No.
Freddy: Where do we find those people?
Girl: Me, I’m used to guide and counsel others about those . . . about those things.
Freddy: That’s good. But if we have to talk about AIDS in all ages, including in
traditional African society, we should learn traditional ways of driving the message. So, we have to empower people who are coming from those communities because they know their tradition. And we are not saying that children should not be taught about AIDS. If it is possible AIDS should start even as low as year one. Children to learn about AIDS. They grow up with that message about AIDS.
Girl: They’re supposed first to be taught about the dangers of having sex because sex is
the one that is leading somebody to AIDS. So, if you are taught about the dangers of sex, you are going to abstain.
Boy: The more people are being educated about AIDS, the more people are getting it.
The more you are telling people: “Don’t pass this way,” the more they are following that way.
Freddy: So it is as if you are spreading the message to them improperly.
Girl: Let me tell you one thing, the prophets prophesied about these last days, so it is a
disease which was prophesied, so we can’t . . . If it is for you, you have to get it. So, because it has been prophesied . . . So you have to accept Jesus, for you not to have that . . .
Malonza: Yes. Yes. Gotta gotta yes! That’s the solution!
Freddy: But now the problem is: a few people are saved and they follow that
faithfulness, but many of them, they just go in church just to listen to what is being taught. So we want to reach out to those people who just go to the church and listen and then go and do the opposite of what they are taught in the church, isn’t it? But now, we are not saying that condoms are the best things to use, no way. Condom we don’t believe that condom is 100% sure. But what we are saying is that we want at least to save a little fraction of these people who are dying. Just imagine – 700 people. We are losing 700 people per day.
Auntie Braiding Hair
Auntie: Kunja nikushone nywele.
Come I braid your hair
uka.
Come
Ii, angalia na huku. Kalia hapa.
Yes, face this way. Sit here.
sasa…?
Now…
Nakugatha? Nindakugucia? Zamani nilikuwa najua kushuka
I'm I making it too tight? Long time ago I was good at this.
Kid: Nikalete kichanuo?
Can I get the comb?
Auntie: eee, lete kichanuo.
Yes. Bring the comb
Kid: nikusuke?
Can I braid your hair
Auntie: Mimi?
Me?
Kid: eee nyuele yako imekaa vibaya, wacha nikalete.
Yes, you hair looks bad
Auntie: eee, nenda ukalete.
Yes get it.
Roho yangu iwe na imani leo. Sina wema…
My heart have faith now. I have no…
Missing Transcription
Stop pulling my hair so hard.
Muzuri, wachana naye. Umekuwa smart. Usuge usiku tumatuta. Pia wewe ni
smart. Siku hizi umasunda
nice. Don’t touch it. You look smart. Apply some oil at night.
Endeni. Amuka Ndegwa, nikukute nje. Kwanja wee ndwendete kanitha.
Go. Get up, Ndegwa, I'll find meet you outside. Especially you, you do not like the church.
thii-I kanitha.
Everybody go to the church.
Boy: Chakula! Chakulua! Chakula!
Food! Food! Food!
Auntie: Mimi nakunja, Ndung'u. Mwambie kira mtu aende kwa church.
I'll right there, Ndung'u. tell everubody to go to the church.
Church and End
Song: Ii tene tene tene kiambiriria
Long, long time in the beginning
Mundu ombitwo mature na Ngai
People were born to live with God
Na niahingicirwo ni caitaini
But he was confused by Satan
Akiia watho wa Ngai akiingatwo
So he broke God’s commandment and he was chased away
Jesu okite acokie andu mugunda
Jesus came so he could take people back to the garden
Mugunda uria twarutururirwo
The garden that we were removed from
Etc.
End Credits
Social Worker Interviews Orphans
S/W: Baba Mwangi. Gaka gokire re?
Papa Mwangi, when did this one come?
Baba Mwangi: Ndugemwnya tudu nyina akwire 99.
It is difficult to tell because his mother died in 99.
S/W: Alifanyika nini?
What happen to your mother?
Dom: Alikuwa Mgonjwa, aka kaa nyumbani, halafu akapelekwa hospitali. Akakufia
hospitali.
She became sick and remained at home for a while. Then she was taken to hospital and that was where she died.
Baba Mwangi: Nyudo wa murimo uria twagaga.
Because of that disease we were talking about.
S/W: And she died of HIV.
S/W: Nani alikuleta huku, Good Samaritan?
Who brought you here to Good Samaritan?
Zubeida: Mamangu.
My mother.
S/W: What is the name of your mother?
Zubeida: Mi sijui.
I don't know.
S/W: Hiaya. You don't know the name of your mother.
Oh my. You don’t know the name of your mother.
S/W: Ni kugongeka ama?
Did she get sick or what?
George: Sasa Kuplekwa Kenyatta, ilikuwa kama weeki mbili tulikuja tukapewa reporti
amekufa.
Upon her admission to Kenyatta hospital, two weeks did not even go by
when someone came with the report that she had died.
(After two weeks at Kenyatta Hospital, someone came to tell us
she had died.)
Introductory Text
The Good Samaritan Children’s Home is an orphanage and primary school in the Mathare Slum of Nairobi, Kenya.
It is one among many private, Christian homes in this deeply religious country.
Mercy “Auntie” Thuo started Good Samaritan in 1991 after children began living on the streets in her neighborhood.
Auntie Speaks
Auntie: People, they are dying because of AIDS. In fact, people are dying.
Woman: They are normally dying.
Auntie: They are dying. But I ask a question: You are thinking of people who are dying. Why not thinking of the children who are left?
Orphans of Mathare
a film by Randy Bell and Pacho Velez
Day 1
Morning at the Home
Girl: Bwana katubariki as we take it in Jesus Name have we prayed, trusted and believed
Lord bless us as we take it in, Jesus' name have we prayed, trusted and believed.
All: Amen.
Auntie: Twitigirite Mwathani ni hinya waku, tugwitigire we mwathani wakwa, oro t hiinii wa Ritwa ria Jesu Kristo, ni ndahoya na ndetikia. Amen.
In fear of your majesty we honor you my Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray and believe. Amen.
Ithe witu, Jehova Ngai wa Israel ungirire umuthi.
My father, Jehova, God of Israel Watch over me today.
Morning!
Pacho: Morning!
Auntie: We have just been praying.
Asante Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
Today I'm very very tired.
Morning in the Yard
Auntie: Tathii urii atiriri . . .
Can you go and ask . . .
Muthoni!
Muthoni: Eeh?
Yeah?
Auntie: Ambia huyo ako huko alete chakula na sahani zote.
Tell that person over there to bring the food and all the plates.
Students: Good morning Teacher!
Class about Christianity
Freddy: You are prisoners of sin. You are prisoners of sin. Belonging to a rich
family does not mean that you are free. Belonging to a royal family does not
mean you are free, unless you come out of your sins. That is when you will be
free and free forever. It means, if you have come to school, you have got enough
knowledge, don't go back to the streets! Because you have already received God's love, isn't it? It is by love that we are here, isn't it?
Students: Yes.
Freddy: Isn't it?
Students: Yes.
Freddy: It is by love that we are teaching you, isn't it?
Students: Yes.
Freddy: It is by love that you are sitting comfortably in class. When we have
AIDS killing our fathers, when we have AIDS killing our mothers, isn't it? The
Lord has an assurance for us. He is saying that he will come and free you from
the prison of?
All: Sadness.
Interview with Chalo and Boss
Chalo: I can’t like the life on the street. So hard . . . Imagine somebody staying outside
like a car and being rained, eating the dust bins. There’s no one to volunteer for you or to give you money or something to eat, so you should look for yourself. It is a hard life.
Randy: How long did you live on the street?
Chalo: For one year.
Randy: You lived on the street for one year?
Chalo: Yeah. Approximately one year.
Randy: Chalo, did you ever do glue?
Chalo: No I didn’t. If I could have taken glue it could have affected my brain.
Boss: Like me.
Randy: Boss, did you ever do glue?
Boss: Yeah!
Randy: Tell me about glue, Boss.
Boss: When you have sniffed the glue it make your mind all the time to disturb people in
the street. Sometimes they make you high. You don’t become lazy. At morning
you don’t have anything to drink. You’re shaking. And then . . . The life of street
is not good.
Randy: How long did you live on the street?
Boss: For three years.
Randy: Why did you go out on the street in the first place?
Boss: Because sometimes my mother beat me I decide to go to the street.
Randy: What about your father?
Boss: My father died.
Randy: What did he die of?
Boss: Got killed by some thief.
Chalo: He was killed by thugs.
Boss: Gangsters. In 1995.
Soccer Game in Yard
Helen Visits Ochieng
Helen: Unasikia mzuri? Eh?
Are you feeling better?
Fred: Sio mbaya na sio vizuri.
Not so bad and not so good.
Helen: Now what is paining you most?
Stomach? Were you given some drugs for that? Or just the same medicine that
you are . . . They’re the same tablets you’re using. Let me see these ones.
Paracetamol. This one you’re supposed to take one . . . times three daily. And are you swallowing them?
Hi mbazi zinaisha.
They are running out.
It is only paracetamol that is over. Remaining one . . .
What have you eaten?
Ochieng: Chai
Tea.
Helen: You are feeling hot?
Tour
Freddy: And now that is our center. That is our school, on the other side. And
this is the area that is housing around two hundred and fifty thousand people.
Some of them are living in those small story houses that you are seeing, and
others are living in the slums.
Discussion About Condoms and AIDS
Helen: Down the Valley when you tell somebody that: “You know there is AIDS” they
don’t know. They say that somebody if you start thinning up or you’re coughing,
or maybe you start lying there, it is not AIDS, that somebody’s . . . Maybe there’s some evil spirit haunting you but not AIDS. They believe on tradition, you see.
Chalo: People should be encouraged how to live. If young children are being educated
how to prevent themselves from AIDS, maybe from Nursery to Secondary, and
even colleges. . .
Helen: Like the last time the President was in America, see they were saying that people
who have AIDS should be given funds so that at least some can take that money
to the hospital, they buy some drugs to keep them staying for some times. Now, the President was saying that if at all somebody cannot keep himself or herself free from AIDS then let them use condoms.
Chalo: To me it is wrong!
Helen: So he was telling them to use condoms.
Chalo: A tractor can get a puncture. What about those condoms? They can.
Helen: A tractor can get a puncture but these are human beings.
Chalo: But these still, they can get expired.
If you quote the Bible, giving out condoms . . .
Helen: Chalo look here, people are being told: “Be faithful,” but people are not faithful.
Maybe yourself you are faithful but your partner is not faithful. Chalo, you see
that. Human beings are not . . .
Chalo: This, it is encouraging prostitution.
Helen: Not really. What we are trying to discourage is the rate of people dying of AIDS.
But you find that people who are like that, they think that when they have that
condom they use it ruthlessly the way you are saying. So that is . . . chances of it bursting is high. And that is the time now you can be infected. Because it is not 100%. It is 99. So don’t have that mind that it is the Bible says “what what what.” This time we are not putting the Bible in.
Chalo: You should put the Bible first.
Helen: If you say the Bible does not talk about condom, automatically you are going to
die.
Boys Bedroom at Night
Freddy: Endeni mkalale pale mnalala
Go where you sleep, always!
(Go to your beds.)
Malonza: Tokeni mtuache huko tuendelee na mastori yetu.
Go. Leave us alone so that we can continue talking.
Freddy: Kule , nani. . .
Hey, pay attention
We, enda ulale pahali unalala
Youe, go where you sleep.
Wahome: Niwamenya kiria nikio kirahitha iroboto guku.
Do you know that is the one who brings fleas here?
(Hey, that kid’s got fleas.)
Freddy: Pita ukalale.
Pass and go to sleep.
Boss nenda ukalale pahali unalale.
Boss, go and sleep where you sleep.
(Boss, go to your bed.)
Boss:: Boss, mimi halala huko leo.
I'm sleeping here tonight.
Day 2
Students: Good morning Teacher!
Common Cold
Freddy: Common cold. What causes common colds? Someone to answer. What causes
common colds? Yes?
Student: The virus.
Freddy: The virus. Boss, where do you think we get that virus?
Boss: The dust.
Freddy: From the dust, isn’t it? Which means the dust is manufacturing virus for
common colds?
Students: No.
Freddy: When somebody sneezes and that person has virus . . . that person has common
colds. So you will be able to do for me this little exercise. I have given you
leprosy. I’ve given you common colds . . . common cold and I’ve given you plague and then I’ve given you tuberculosis. I’ve given you tuberculosis.
Ochieng Talks About His Parents and Family
Ocieng: It started with headache. Now after headache, now my legs started swelling and
my lips was very very dry. At the same time I was vomiting. Now the doctor took my feces, and the blood. Now he find I have typhoid, amoeba, and hookworm.
Me first I cam here because my parents died.
Randy: How did your parents die?
Ochieng: First it was my father, and he was just sick, you see? But some of the people
believed it was a witchcraft. But me, I didn’t believe . . . I don’t believe in
witchcraft, because I’m saved, by the way. Now, then my mother . . . We don’t
know how she died, but me I was suspecting that she had AIDS. That’s what I
was suspecting. But the people were saying it was not AIDS, but according to me
I was suspecting that was AIDS. And now we were three. We were three . . .
There is my elder sister, my younger brother, and I.
Randy: Where is your sister now?
Ochieng: She now started walking with other ladies. Now these ladies they started
smoking bhung . . . Now useless . . . Now even when I meet her I don’t even want to talk to her because I don’t like that kind of behavior. If someone has changed into a prostitute it means she can get any disease, and I’m afraid she can get AIDS.
Cooking Beans
Sitting and eating
Boss: Ushateremka?
Have you gone down the hill yet?
Boy: Bado.
Not yet
Boss: Tutateremka?
Shall we go?
(Do you want to go?)
Boy: Una ngaji
Do you have money?
Boss: Eeh, si kugawagawa!
Yeah. Let’s split the cost.
Boss: Do you know poker?
Pacho: Yeah.
Boss: Really?
But we have it here.
Chalo Preparing to Preach
Chalo Preaching
Chalo: Bwana asifiwe.
Praise the Lord!
All: Amen
Chalo: Zale, shoutini Amen.
That is not good enough. Shout Amen!
Bwana asifiwe.
Praise the Lord!
All: Amen!
Chalo: Vijana nimeokoka.
Fellow youth, I am saved.
Wacheni kelele sababu giza, kuna giza.
Stop making noise because of the dark. It was already night.
Juzi, nilikuwa nikienda hivi, nikakutana na msichana, amejirembesha huku. Bwana asifiwe. Bwana asifiwe. Amejirembesha mdomo umekuwa white. Mzungu, yeye aliumbwa na mdomo mwekundu. Bwana asifiwe! Bwana asifiwe. Mzungu aliumbwa na mdomo mwekundu. Wewe ukiona mzungu ana mambo, wewe unamfuata tu unamkimbilia. Bwana asifiwe. Bwana asifiwe. Wewe ni mwafrika, una mdomo mweusi, yafurahie vile Mungu alivyokuumba. Jishiklie kwa Yesu! Tulikuwa pale tukaambiwa ukitazama katika upande wa Somali, Bwana asifiwe, vita iko huko. Ukivuka mpaka Uganda, Burundi, vita imezidi. Bwana asifiwe. Shukuru Mungu kwa mahali amekuweka. Bwana asifiwe. Hebu tusimame.
The other day I ran into a girl, and she was all made-up. Lord be praised. Lord be praise. She had made-up her mouth. It looked white. The white man, he was made with a red mouth. Lord be praised! Lord be praised! The White Man was made with a red mouth. When you see a white man withj his styles, you just follow him, you run after him. Lord be praised! Lord be praised! You’re African, you have a black mouth. Rejoice in how God has made you. Hold on to Christ. We were told that in Somalia, Praise the Lord, there is war. If you go to Uganda, Burundi, there is war. Praise the Lord. Thank God for where he has put you. Praise the Lord. Let us stand.
All (singing): Hakuna Mungu kama wewe, hakuna popote . . .
There is no God like you, none anywhere . . .
Day 3
Talking About Dead Man
Peter: Ata nilikuwa nafikiria ni hapa kwa ndaranja sasa naambiwa ni huko bali.
Even I thought it is here by the classes now I'm being told it is over there.
(I thought he was near, but now I’m being told he is over there.)
Freddy: Auntie, mtu amechinjwa pale kama ngombe.
Somebody was slaughtered over there like a cow.
Auntie: E halia?
Is he there?
(Over there?)
Peter: Ii. Wabici-ini ya DP
Yes. By the DP office.
(Near the District Police office.)
Man: Mundu?
A man?
Others: Ii.
Yes.
Man: Kichwa kando?
Is the head off?
(Is his head cut off?)
Freddy: Hapana. Hii tu ndio imembakia kwa kichwa.
No. only this part is remaining.
(No, but close.)
Ati ni… Warikuwa wanakunywa pamonja kwa nyumba ya mutu,
It's like… they were drinking together at somebody's house,
na wakatoka hapo wakamtoa kwa hiyo nyumba ya mama mmonja hapo
kwa mti,
and they left there, they took him from that house belonging to a certain woman by that tree,
(They were drinking together and they found him with another man’s woman.)
Man: Na jana mwingine St Tereza's
and yesterday another one at St. Treza's.
Auntie: Machaa, tuthie nawe field. Tutiraikara ithui turacooka. Twathie kwona mundu uria ungeetwo haria.
Machaa, lets go to the field. We wont be long we are coming back. We are going to see that man who was slaughtered.
(Let’s go see the man who was slaughtered.)
Dead Man
Auntie: Turenda riri? No turipote kwa ngathiti.
We want… we can report to the press.
(We should report this to the press.)
Lady: kwa ngathiti? Ii andu a ngathiti nio twetereire.
The press? Yes we are waiting for the press.
(We are waiting for them.)
Football
Freddy: We don't have shoes but we'll play as if we have good shoes. Play as if you
have those good shoes . . . they have good shoes. All right, can you arrange
yourselves.
Where is Boss? You’re the sub.
Come on, hautacheza.
Come on, you will not play.
Boss: Kwani ni watu wa seko peke yake wanacheza?
Do you mean only secondary school students are playing?
Boy: Si hao ndio wanawezana na hao watu, we huwezani.
They are the ones who can tackle the other guys, you can’t.
Boss: Wee mi najua ball! Mtu asiniletee saa hii.
You! I know (how to play) ball!. Nobody should tell me anything right now.
(You! I know how to play football. Don’t say I don’t.)
Boy: Haujui ball!
You don’t know (how to play) ball!
Boss:. Haujui ball!
You don’t know (how to play) ball!
Wee dogi usiniletee mbwa hii. Wee hatusikizani na wewe.
You dog, leave me alone, you dog. I cannot cope with you.
(I can’t be bothered by you.)
Sitaki ujinga.
I don’t want any foolishness.
(Don’t mess with me.)
Freddy: Haya wale watu wako ndani ingieni pale.
Okay, those who are in (the game), go in there.
Boy: Boss toka nje.
Boss get off the field.
They play football
Freddy: Simama hapa boss. Ndio juu unataka kwenda sub.
Stand here Boss. Because you would like to go as a sub.
A goal is scored
Boy: Goal!
A fight
Boy: Unaniita mbwa, unaniita mbwa.
You are calling me a dog, you are calling me a dog.
Boss picks at his boot.
Chalo KCPE Interview
Chalo: Geography, History, and Civics and the CRE are combined together. Then Home
Science and Business, they are combined together. Those are two papers. Then Art, Craft, and Music, they are combined. And those are three. Then English, Maths, and Kiswahili. You see, we are doing seven papers. And then the total marks was about seven hundred. So if you get five hundred marks you are to be taken to a national school. And I know I . . . we are going to pass. The whole class. Because nobody there . . . Nobody was born poor. So that’s what I’m waiting too. Maybe people might be laughing at us. Laughing at the kind of environment we are living in. Or the kind of education that we are learning. But you know by December, when the results come they’ll have to know why I’m in school.
Day 4
Auntie Goes to Children’s Welfare Office
Auntie: 8B
Freddy: 8th floor.
Auntie: 8th floor? 8th floor, 8b.
I think 28.
Let us go with this one. Nice time.
Radio: The best mix of music, Capital FM.
Radio Announcer: Capital News Beat. News and information for …. Seven suspected
gangsters shot dead by police. Workshop opening to discuss coming WTO
conference. And …. people killed in flash floods in Pakistan. Good morning I’m
Dale Ramira. A workshop begins today in Nairobi that will discuss the
forthcoming ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization that is to be
held in Quatar in November. The conference in Quatar is expected to make
decisions on further trade liberalization, and also agree on the pace of
liberalization in trade and agriculture. Developing countries are concerned over
the European Unions proposals to initiate new trade discussions on investment
and competition policy. More than 150 people have died in flash floods and
landslides that have hit northern Pakistan.
At Children’s Welfare Office
Auntie: Habari zani?
How are you?
Musau: Yes Mama, how are you?
Auntie: I'm fine.
Musau: I closed a home at Donholm – Spring Chicken. And we've got some six orphans
from there. Can you take them for us? They’re all girls. Yeah, they’re all girls.
Auntie: There’s a space for them, although you know girls are very stubborn.
Musau: You can’t say that because the work these days is fighting for the girl child.
Because they’re the ones who are the most abused in the African world. You can
bring them, these other children?
Auntie: Yeah.
Musau: Yeah, because we want this mzungu . . . he has abused the children. They’re
actually sexually abused. That’s why we closed the home.
Auntie: It’s the bad days, for the AIDS . . .
Musau: Yeah, and the HIV. Even these children, some of them were found today with
syphilis. They were found sick, so because you have not had cases of abuse, we’d like you to keep the girls for us. And on Friday you’ll come, take home the
abused children. So make sure you make that appointment.
Classroom Scene about Sex in Traditional African Society
Girl: Preventing sex before marriage in traditional African society.
Freddy: Yes, was sex allowed before marriage in traditional African society?
Girl 2: No!
Freddy: It was not allowed. If you give birth before you are married, what they used to
do is they would take you and marry you to an old man. If you were a girl of 17
years, and you get pregnant before marriage, what they used to do is, they would
be able to marry you to a man of over 70 years.
All react loudly
Freddy: Now, let’s try to see why was it done like that? It was a lesson to the rest, so that the rest would not be able to commit such an offense. Also in traditional African society, boys and girls never met. They never?
All: Met!
Freddy: They never were together. So girls were only . . . they were taken to a house where grandmothers and women would be able to talk to the…
All: to them.
Freddy: While boys were taken in a separate home . . . in a separate house, where the old men, that is grandfather would be able to talk to the . . .
All: to them.
Freddy: So the work of guiding and counseling, it was done by grandpa . . .
All: parents!
Ochieng's Sister Visits.
Sister: Angaa timi?
What’s wrong with you?
Ochieng: Anatho kae
I’m dying here
This is my sister.
Sister: Angaa timi?
What's wrong with you?
Ochieng: Typhoid…
Sister: Ochaki chon?
Have you had it for long?
Ochieng: Dwe achiel emoserumo
It’s just about one month now
In oki nyal kata biro lima?
Why haven’t you come to visit me yet?
Sister: Onge ngat mose ngisa Ochieng. An bende ok a dak machiegni kae. Nyamin
Mutoko be emo nyisa sani. An onyisa ni kata chung daki chung, kata loso daki los.
Nobody told me about this earlier; I do not live close enough to you to have known. Mutoko’s sister has just told me. From what I was told, you were so sick that you were not able to stand independently or even talk.
Ochieng: Loso, nyocha oka los. Kata wuok oko kae
Until recently I could not talk. Even getting out of the house was a problem.
Sister: Pod idyewo adiyewa?
Are you still suffering from diarrhea?
Ochieng: Adyewo sana
Yes the diarrhea is heavy
Sister: Idyewo remo?
Is it mixed with blood?
Ochieng: A-ah.
No it is not.
Sister: Pi mayware?
Is it watery and slippery?
Ochieng: A-ah. Mabiro ko makore omakore. Ok gin pi sana.
No. It’s kinda clumped together. Not too watery.
Sister: Ti ngok?
And are you vomiting as well?
Ochieng: A-ah. Ok angogi
No I’m not vomiting.
Sister: Koso nitingo gik moko ki ae dala.
Or did you pick up something when you went to the countryside?
Ochieng: Onge
Nothing
Sister: Ang na dhi atemni ka ja lemo. Nikech an abiro ka koro rach ni mondo wateri
Kenyatta.
I will go to the priest and try to get them to pray for you. I came bearing in mind that if you are not so fine, we could take you to Kenyatta hospital.
(I came to see how sick you are, and to take you to Kenyatta Hospital.)
Ochieng: An angeyo Nyasaye biro konya.
I believe that God will help me.
Sister begins to cry.
Ochieng: Ywak onge gi ma biro konyo. Iywak to pok a tho?
Crying will not help in any way. Why are you crying and I am not dead yet?
Freddy: These are your sisters?
Ochieng: Ongea na huyu,ongea na huyu. Ongea na huyu,ongea na huyu. Ye naye
ameenda amepotea.
Please talk to her. Please talk to her. She hasn't been here in so long.
Freddy: Unasikia kiswahili?
Do you understand Kiswahili?
Sister: Yes
Freddy: Kuja Kuja upande huu.
Come. Come on this side
Ochieng has no problem.
Ni typhoid.
It is only typhoid.
Si mtu was ku nini, kana malaria kidogo na whatever.
He is not a sickly one, just occasional mild malaria and whatever.
Sasa ni kurecover. Ni chakula tu Ochieng anahitaji ndio iweze kumuweka very strong.
Now he is just recovering. Ochieng just needs food to make him very strong.
Sister: Ochieng’ adok ot adhi kelo ni gimoro matin.
Ochieng, I am going back to the house to get you something to eat.
Freddy: Ochieng Amuka Amuka uonge na hawa hapa nje.
Ochieng wake up and talk with these ones outside here.
Amuka Amuka, ama?
Get up, what do you think?
Sister: Kuna baridi.
It is cold.
Freddy: Ama kaa chini muongee nao.
Or sit up and talk with them.
Kaeni hapa muongee na Ochieng.
Sit down here and talk with Ochieng.
Sister: Koro nyisa gima idwaro
Tell me what you want
Ochieng: Inyaa kelo squash.
Bring Juice.
Sister: Squash? Anyieo kure?
Juice? Where do I buy it?
Ochieng: Nii Supermarket
At the supermarket.
Chalo does laundry
Kids sweep yard.
Day 5
Church
All (singing): Tawala maisha yangu uu
Tawala tawala
Tawala maisha yangu uu
Tawala maisha Bwana.
Oh, take control of my life.
Take control, take control.
Oh take control of my life
Take control of my life, oh Lord.
How powerful is your name
How powerful is your name, Oh Lord!
Preparing Food
Auntie: Uweke maji mbakuli tatu.
Put three bowls of water in the pot.
Auntie: Lete maji hapa, Muthoni….tuoshe nyanya
Bring some water, Muthoni….to wash the tomatoes
Rehe bakuli
Bring the bowl
Chokia nyanya iyo, chokia nyanya iyo, rudisha
You keep stealing tomatoes. Stealing tomatoes. Return it!
Wa mangamu
Gluehead!
Boss: Tigana na nyina wa Mwangi.
She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Auntie: Wa mangamu
Gluehead!
Boss: That's my name.
Auntie Attacks Boss
Auntie: Eku?
Where is he?
Serving Food
Auntie: Waambie wangoje, waoge mikono
Tell them to wait and wash their hands
Boy: Missing Transcription
Hey, wait there.
Boy 2: Weka hiyo maji
Put some water
The kids burst in
Auntie: Wee ngojeni hapa
Hey, wait here.
Boy: Missing Transcription
Wait for me to eat, I’m hungry.
Boy 2: Missing Transcription
Bring it!
Interview with Boss about Church
Randy: Boss, where were you this morning for church?
Boss: After taking the porridge, I’ve gone to the field, there where we are on Friday.
Randy: The football field?
Boss: Yeah. But I’m not liking to get in the church.
Randy: Does Auntie care? Does Auntie care that you don’t go to church?
Boss: Auntie?
Randy: Yeah.
Boss: Yeah, sometimes. But when it’s Sunday I take the porridge and then I go. I go to the field.
Randy: How did you come in here in the first place?
Boss: That day, my grandmom . . . They’d come with this . . . Auntie. The come to Eastleigh, and they come to search me. And then they get me. I was sniffing, I was sleeping, and they catch me. They come and beat me. They take me to the police, Muthaiga police. I stay there for one week, and then they come and take me from there. And then I decide to come to the school.
Day 6
Children’s Welfare Office
Musau: CREDOL . . . good morning. Yeah I’m Mrs. Musau. I’m calling from the
Children’s Department. But I just reported today and my officers are telling me
that the children were arrested. Why were they arrested? How could the police arrest such small children to stay in the cell? That’s why we had requested you guys to intervene because we noticed the police in Buru Buru . . . I don’t know . . . I suspected the police was not really for the . . . for the children’s side. The children are being subjected to abuse. They are being pushed here. Pushed here. Why was the mzungu sleeping in a house where there was no administration? There was no matron. This is what we are asking. There was no matron. There was no house keeper. You see, in the Code of Employment there has to be from stage one this this this this. Why was he . . . Because this is where our argument was. Even if there is no tangible evidence to the sperms, why was this mzungu not employing proper personnel? And again, he had no . . . he has no certificate to operate that nini. He is not registered with us. He is not registered with the bureau of NGOs. We checked with them. There was no registration.
Now these children, I think now, are they still inside now? Oh. Yeah, so just call me, and bring them because the Good Samaritan people are waiting for the children just here.
The watoto anakuja.
The children are coming.
The children are coming. Those are also children of HIV orphaned parents.
The report from the doctor indicates that the girls have got a venereal disease, and the doctor was ready to give evidence in court, but the court is arguing that even if they have the venereal, is it the mzungu who gave it to them? Even by the time we went to court because I have seen the justice, the way it goes, you are told first of all there has to be sperms, they have to be present and the children continue being abused because of this logic. So and the children were examined, they are not virgins, and they were living with a man they accused to have abused them. Every child wants to have something good, something better, something they can do. They will say: “Yes, because I can go to America, let me be abused.”
Eh! Come in! Come in! At long last you have landed.
Woi-ii hebu kunjeni. Habari yenu?
Oh my! Just come in. how are you?
Woman: huyu anaitwa Mrs Musau,
this is Mrs Musau,
(And this lady is called Mrs. Musau.)
Musau: You have done such a good thing for them.
Woman: This is Mtindi, this is Alice, na huyu ni Rosemary.
This is Mtindi, this is Alice, and her name is Rosemary.
Auntie: Rosie!
Musau: These are the chickens.
Woman: Don’t call them that.
Musau: God, that mzungu is just an animal.
Woman: Let me tell you that story properly. He was seen with a child. You know, a mzungu with a black child
Musau: With a black child . . .
Woman: So what they started saying is: “Oh, where did you get that Spring Chicken
from?” That’s what he’s being told by other people. So he said: “that’s what I’m
going to call my school.”
You also have a school?
Auntie: Yeah, I have a school.
Woman: Munaenda shule.
You will go to school.
Si mulikuwa mukitaka shule? Huyu mama anampeleka shule mzuri.
Didn't you want to go to school? This woman is going to take you to a good school.
Auntie: Utakuwa… ukisoma sana utakuwa nini? Utakuwa mwalimu? Dakitari?,
You will be learning a lot. What will you be? A teacher? Doctor?
Woman: Twende ta shule? OK.
Don’t you like school? OK.
OK, I’ll see you. Mtindi, bye. OK. Thank you so much.
Musau: Yeah, have a nice day.
Woman: You too Mrs. Musau. God Bless.
Musau: Yeah, thank you for the concern.
Rosemary uko na miaka mingapi?
Rosemary how old are you?
Rosemary: Tisa.
Nine.
Musau: Na Mutindi kako na miaka mingapi?
And how old is Mutindi?
Mtindi: Nane.
Eight.
Clerk: Kako eight haka?
This one is eight?
Auntie: Kataweza.
She'll manage.
Musau: Na Alice?
And Alice?
Alice: Ten.
Girls at Home
Auntie: Helen, habari?
Helen, how are you?
Helen: Mzuri sana ..
Very well.
Auntie: Hawa ndio watoto, the children, who were taken to the court. Kujeni
These are the children were taken to the court. Come!
Helen: Habari yenyu.
How are you, children?
Auntie: Huyu ni mwalimu. Si mlisema mnataka kusoma? Kuja!
This is a teacher. Didn't you say you want to learn? Come!
Mnaona shule ni kubwa? Twende.
Isn’t the school big? Let’s go.
Hebu kalia kiti nione. Nendeni mkalie kiti nione. Ee!!
Sit down so I can see you. Sit down so I can see you.
Si ni kuzuri. Kuna stima na tunaenda kanisa.
Isn't it nice.There is electricity and we go to church.
Boy: Kai turetigira Auntie?
Why are they so timid?
Boss: Habari yako? Mimi ndiye head prefect wa shule hii nzima.Mtu akikuchapa uniite.
Unasikia?
How are you? I am the Head prefect in this school. If somebody beats you just call me.
Mtu akikuchapa uniite. Unasikia?. Niwaigua. Mimi ndio nthenya munene huu wa shukuru. Niwaigua! Mundu agukuna uu handu hanono ukamukuna uu.
If someone beats you, call me. I'm the head prefect here, in this school. Have you understood? If someone hits you, hit him back like this.
Boy: Ngamukuna uu
Hit him like this.
Boss: Mundu agukuna, ukandabia. Mimi ndio . . .
If someone hits you, let me know! I am . . .
Aunti: Six years na wewe eight years. Si ndiyo? Nani mkubwa? Ninyi wawili nani
mkubwa. Kenetai ni wewe? Ni wewe mkubwa? Hakuna ni kadonyelee.
Kadonyelee. Kadonyelee. Umeona nimezaa wasichana.
Six years, and you are eight years. Isn't it? Who is bigger? You two, who is bigger? Kenetai, are you the one? Are you the big one? Not at all. You are small. You are small. You are small. Do you see, I have given birth to daughters.
A mother of girls. A mother of girls.
Wacha nimpeleke mkafanywe ni—mwambie huyu akafanye dry.
Let me take you to the salon so they can blow dry your hair.
Wacha twende mkafanywe ni--blow-dry.
Let's go and they will blow dry your hair.
Ochieng Goes to the Hospital
Freddy:: Ochieng, unaweza?
Ochieng, can you manage?
Auntie: Amuka amuka urudi hospitali.
Get up, get up and go back to the hospital.
Lete hii madawa.
Bring that medicine.
Zimeisha. Sasa Amuka wewe.
It is finished. Now you get up.
Unajua sometimes ukilala sana…
You know sometimes if you sleep too much…
Freddy: Inaongeza ugonjwa.
You feel sicker.
Auntie: Lazima uwe strong. Be strong Unajua ukilala sana shetani naye anatake
advantage.
You must be stong. Be strong. You know if you sleep too much, the devil
takes advantage.
Freddy: Advantage, eh!
Auntie: Shetani anatake advantage.
The devil takes advantage.
Na kitu ukipewa unajaribu sababu hutapiki.
And you should try to eat because you are not vomiting
Unajua ukitapika ndio mtu anasemaga hakuli.
If you were vomiting then you could refuse to eat.
Lakini kama hutapiki you must be serious.
But if you are not vomiting then you must be serious!
Freddy: Serious. Ochieng’ vaa nguo tukupeleke….
Serious. Ochieng, dress up so we could take you…
Auntie: Amka amka! Just wake up. Wake up, organize yourself!
Wake up, Wake up. Just wake up. Organize yourself.
Ochieng Goes to the Hospital
Day 7
Classroom Scene about Slavery, Missionaries, and Colonialism
Helen: Now, we are calling those people who abolished the slave trade as the? How do
you call them?
Student: Abolitionist.
Helen: Abolitionist. They said that no more slave trade in Africa. What we want to do
is, we want to spread the Word of God. They wanted the Africans to accept Jesus
as their personal savior isn’t it? Because Africans they believed that they were very primitive. And are Africans primitive surely?
Student: No.
Helen: Now, they were told that they were primitive because of they had bad culture.
Now had it not been for the white man right now we’d have been walking naked. Then if I imagine somebody like Paul walking naked, is that civilization? Is that civilization?
Students: No!
Helen: Is it civilization?
Students: No!
Helen: So when the Europeans came they said: “No, people should put on something
isn’t it, to cover the nakedness. But we have certain communities here in Kenya
which did not accept civilization. Examples are the Dorobo. The Dorobos are found living in caves. They don’t build houses. They are found on top of trees. They are found on hills and mountains. That is where they stay, and they stay there naked. Now we call them primitive, or what? Are they primitive? Or are they just too much into their culture? But culture is good, isn’t it? Do we normally say that:
“Moicha mila nyam tubwa.”
He who leaves his tradition is a slave.
Number 3: Kijinkitile Ngwale was a medicine man in?
Students: Tanzania.
Helen: So he decided to organize the Hehe. He talked to the Nzalamo. He told the Digo:
Come and let us unite so that we fight the? . . . Colonialists. So he told them: I’m a medicine man. I’m going to give you medicine, so we fight the white men, their guns will not penetrate us. What happened? They were killed like flies. Almost 500,000 people died. Homes were broken. Only old and weak people were left in the village, but most of them died, because they were rebelling against the powers they cannot fight with.
Auntie at Kenyatta
Auntie: Amuka kindogo.
Sit up some.
Ochieng: Siwezi.
I can't.
Auntie: Huwezi? Nikuamushe?
You can't? Can I help you?
Freddie: eeee.
Yes.
Auntie: Nikuamshe?
Can I get you up?
Usinjali. Uko joto! Nikuzi… ni kupeleke nyuma? Unashikia baridi sana?
Do not worry. You are so hot! Can I … can I mave you backward?
Do you feel cold?
Auntie: Unataka… Chai ikiletwa unaweza kunywa? Sivyo? Utakuwa ukikunywa chai?
Do you want this? If we bring you tea will you drink it? Right? Do you want tea?
Ochieng: Chai… nilipewa lakini…
I was given tea but…
Auntie: hukuweza? Hakuna mtu alikupea?
You could not? There was nobody to give you?
Ochieng: Ililetwa. Lakini ni chai ingine… sinjui.
It was brought but it is some kind of tea…I didn’t like the look of it.
Auntie: ukikula, utapona halaka.
If you eat, you'll get better quickly.
Helen Grading Papers
Teacher: Forty-five
Helen: Sixty-six. Even Kiswahili this time they've really performed well. I think
Freddy's going to celebrate that.
They're good children. They can all . . .
Teacher: Mainge Charles Chalo.
Helen: Mainge Chalo.
Teacher: Seventy-four.
Helen: Seventy-four.
Chalo is also a good boy. He can do better. Those are people that we have hopes
in.
Wakianguka ametuvu,ja roho.
When they fail, they break our hearts.
Helen: Sasa wenye wanacheza ni, ni nani . . ..
Now the people joking around are . . .
John: Kuria
Helen: Boss. Ataki kujua, wanakula Kitheri pale…..
They don't want to learn. They are just eating beans.
Teacher: Nasaa hiyo wanacheka sana
And now they are laughing
John: Sasa kama huyu….
And now like this one….
Helen: Kuria, hawa atapeleka Capentry
Kuria these ones will go to Carpentry
Mtu kama hawa, wana over 28 Boss, hii ni capentry direct, hakuna ngia
nyengina
Like these ones who score twenty-eight, like Boss, he’ll go into carpentry directly. There is no other path for him.
Boss Making Fun of Malonza
Dominic: taigwa taigwa. Eh eh eh.
Listen Listen. Oh oh.
Mimi Mwenyewe kuna siku niendaga chuo, si jaenda chuo mwezi moja.
Even me there was a time I went to school after not having gone for a while for about a month.
(Once I went to school after not having been in a month.)
Nilishikaga hiyo kuvuli hivi na imefungwa saa kumi na mbili chuo.
I found that the door to class had been padlocked as it was 6 in the evening.
(It was 6pm so the door had been padlocked.)
Nika shika nikapray nikafuruta hivi hiyo kuvuli ikafunguka.
I got hold of that lock, prayed and upon pulling it the lock opened.
(I grabbed the lock, prayed, and pulled it open.)
Nikaingia daro, zile maexercise nili do, nilienda nilido maexercise zote na sikuwauliza mtu hata moja nika do zote.
I entered the class and I did all the assignments and I never asked for anyone's help. I did them all.
(I went into class and did all the assignments without help.)
Kucome ni me peke yangu nimeziget hakuna mtu mingine, na walikuwa wamefunza mi sinja funzwa.
When the class resumed it was only me who had gotten them all right no one else had inspite of their having been taught and I had not been taught.
(And I was the only one to get them all right, despite not having been taught.)
Na tena nilikuwa nime do the right exercises zote. Niambiye.
And above that all the exercises I had done were the right ones. What do you have to say?
(I had done all the right exercises. What do you say to that?)
Chalo: Vitu Kama hizo mtu hajuangi. Mtu huja kuziamini baadaye.
Such things one does not know, you come to believe them later on.
(You can’t know these things. You only come to believe them later on.)
Boss: lakini We hizi no zako.
But those are tall tales.
Dominic: Mungu moja.
Honest to God.
Boss: Atiunashika.
Yeah that you hold on to the lock and act like this!
Dominic: Haiya ati unona ni uwongo.
Oh you seem to think that I am lying to you.
Boss; Ati inangoka. We wacha zako.
And then it comes off? Stop lying to us.
Ati anashika kuvuli hivi na ana omba.
That he holds the lock like this and then…
We wacha.
Gimme a break.
Girl: Boss.
Night Dinner
Boy: Tokeni sasa nyinyi mmekula
Go out now, because you have eaten.
Auntie: Irio ciaganana gutiri mundu ungiruga thani.
Once the portions are all equal, there will be no competing.
Hey you, Satan, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Background: Ashindwe!
Be defeated!
Auntie: Satan is disturbing our mind always.
In the Dark
Auntie: Kame kula haka?
Has she eaten?
Mkalize hapa
Help her to sit down.
Malonza: Na sasa
How are you?
Auntie: Na huyu ni mwingine ananisumbua ati hataki kukula mboga. Sika.
And this one is a bother because she doesn't want vegetables. Eat this.
Malonza: Good.
Auntie: Nitakutolea nyama wapi. Hii nimekula.
From where will I get meat to give you? (How can I afford to buy meat for you?) This is what I ate too.
Malonza: Anaitangwa je?
What is her name?
Girl: Mtindi.. Etagwo Mtindi.
Mtindi. Her is name is Mtindi.
Auntie: We! Wake up and go.
Kuja ukalale.
Go and sleep.
Hujamaliza. Maliza chakula.
Haven't you finished? Finish your food.
Malonza: Maongo. Mtindi yee.
You are lying. Hey Mtindi?
Mtindi yee, ndunena.
Mtindi, are you not going to speak?
Mtindi yee kai werira? Kai wera?
Mtindi, you are eating?
Dark AIDS Talk
Freddy: In some of the Kenyan traditional societies the grandfathers and grandmothers
are given the responsibility . . . they are given the responsibility to talk about sex. To talk about . . . family life education. But when you look at this, people of nowadays do not reach 45, 46, 45, 46 – they don’t reach there. In fact even some end in 30’s, some even in 24’s. Now we don’t have old people. We don’t have elders now. Now, this is now the work that has to be done by people. Do we still need old men to do the same job?
Girl: No.
Freddy: Where do we find those people?
Girl: Me, I’m used to guide and counsel others about those . . . about those things.
Freddy: That’s good. But if we have to talk about AIDS in all ages, including in
traditional African society, we should learn traditional ways of driving the message. So, we have to empower people who are coming from those communities because they know their tradition. And we are not saying that children should not be taught about AIDS. If it is possible AIDS should start even as low as year one. Children to learn about AIDS. They grow up with that message about AIDS.
Girl: They’re supposed first to be taught about the dangers of having sex because sex is
the one that is leading somebody to AIDS. So, if you are taught about the dangers of sex, you are going to abstain.
Boy: The more people are being educated about AIDS, the more people are getting it.
The more you are telling people: “Don’t pass this way,” the more they are following that way.
Freddy: So it is as if you are spreading the message to them improperly.
Girl: Let me tell you one thing, the prophets prophesied about these last days, so it is a
disease which was prophesied, so we can’t . . . If it is for you, you have to get it. So, because it has been prophesied . . . So you have to accept Jesus, for you not to have that . . .
Malonza: Yes. Yes. Gotta gotta yes! That’s the solution!
Freddy: But now the problem is: a few people are saved and they follow that
faithfulness, but many of them, they just go in church just to listen to what is being taught. So we want to reach out to those people who just go to the church and listen and then go and do the opposite of what they are taught in the church, isn’t it? But now, we are not saying that condoms are the best things to use, no way. Condom we don’t believe that condom is 100% sure. But what we are saying is that we want at least to save a little fraction of these people who are dying. Just imagine – 700 people. We are losing 700 people per day.
Auntie Braiding Hair
Auntie: Kunja nikushone nywele.
Come I braid your hair
uka.
Come
Ii, angalia na huku. Kalia hapa.
Yes, face this way. Sit here.
sasa…?
Now…
Nakugatha? Nindakugucia? Zamani nilikuwa najua kushuka
I'm I making it too tight? Long time ago I was good at this.
Kid: Nikalete kichanuo?
Can I get the comb?
Auntie: eee, lete kichanuo.
Yes. Bring the comb
Kid: nikusuke?
Can I braid your hair
Auntie: Mimi?
Me?
Kid: eee nyuele yako imekaa vibaya, wacha nikalete.
Yes, you hair looks bad
Auntie: eee, nenda ukalete.
Yes get it.
Roho yangu iwe na imani leo. Sina wema…
My heart have faith now. I have no…
Missing Transcription
Stop pulling my hair so hard.
Muzuri, wachana naye. Umekuwa smart. Usuge usiku tumatuta. Pia wewe ni
smart. Siku hizi umasunda
nice. Don’t touch it. You look smart. Apply some oil at night.
Endeni. Amuka Ndegwa, nikukute nje. Kwanja wee ndwendete kanitha.
Go. Get up, Ndegwa, I'll find meet you outside. Especially you, you do not like the church.
thii-I kanitha.
Everybody go to the church.
Boy: Chakula! Chakulua! Chakula!
Food! Food! Food!
Auntie: Mimi nakunja, Ndung'u. Mwambie kira mtu aende kwa church.
I'll right there, Ndung'u. tell everubody to go to the church.
Church and End
Song: Ii tene tene tene kiambiriria
Long, long time in the beginning
Mundu ombitwo mature na Ngai
People were born to live with God
Na niahingicirwo ni caitaini
But he was confused by Satan
Akiia watho wa Ngai akiingatwo
So he broke God’s commandment and he was chased away
Jesu okite acokie andu mugunda
Jesus came so he could take people back to the garden
Mugunda uria twarutururirwo
The garden that we were removed from
Etc.
End Credits