This week I met up with George at the ACREF center in Baba Dogo before going into the community to meet some of Sisi Ni Amani's partners. George and the other Sisi Coordinators have spent months identifying and cultivating relationships with the people and grassroots organizations who can be their…
Last week I felt like a kid in a candy store during a visit to the set and studio of the cutting edge The XYZ Show. Puppet master and activist Tony Mboyo is one of the first Kenyans I met while working on Peace in Our Pockets. Tony moderated the…
As I shared last week, the pre-election climate in Kenya is very different now from my previous trips. The pace of Sisi Ni Amani's work is much faster as the March 4th election approaches. I continue to be encouraged and impressed with the diversity of peace work and large number…
I’ve been settling in to Nairobi life and a big time change, setting my schedule, and meeting with folks to plan for the coming weeks. The daily papers are filled with pre-election stories – post-debate analysis, Presidential running-mates debate, ICC related rulings and motions and pre-trial happenings, and regional and…
I arrived at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport late last night for my 3rd production trip. It was an historic day for Kenya. When I walked to the International Arrivals line I noticed that all of the work stations were empty. As several Immigration officials scrambled to their desks, I…
Interviewing Coordinators in Nairobi In the past week, Peace in Our Pockets cinematographer Dan Adeli and I focused on shooting sit-down interviews with Sisi ni Amani Coordinators in Nairobi. It was interesting and inspiring to hear about their childhoods, their experiences working for peace and development, and their plans to…
Mapping with Simon in Mathare Since arriving in Kenya two weeks ago, I have been looking forward to spending more time getting to know Sisi Ni Amani’s Nairobi team. This week I met up with Coordinators Simon and Shiku in their home communities of Mathare and Huruma. Having grown up…
Meeting John Githongo Week 2: On Wednesday, I interviewed Kenyan peace activist and government whistle-blower, John Githongo. I first learned about John’s important contributions to Kenyan politics and civic dialogue from Michela Wrong’s book, It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower. After working as a journalist…
Greetings from Nairobi! I am writing this first news blog at the start of my second production trip for Peace in Our Pockets. While I am still shaking off the jet lag and back stiffness from two long flights from North Carolina to Kenya, I’m excited about the month ahead…
Welcome to the website for the documentary film, Bending Sticks: The Sculpture of Patrick Dougherty. We are well along in post production and expect to complete the film in first part of 2012.