Kibera settlement in Kenya's capital city Nairobi always has stories to tell. It is an area depicted in the mainstream media as one of crime and poverty, but arts, culture and talent are pervasive. And there is a growing group of unique reporters, documenting these stories in style.
"We have seen many foreigners from outside Kenya coming and doing stories from Kibera, but they don't exercise the stories well. We, the people who grew up here, who were born and raised here, are the right people to tell our stories," Kibera resident and local journalist Job Bitange Moturi told CGTN.
That's where Shine Kibera TV comes in, a news program run entirely by the children from Kibera, with Moturi as the producer. From reporters, cameramen, anchors and producers, Kibera's young journalists are a well-known sight on the neighborhood streets, always ready to dive into the latest news and features and document life from Kibera.
"The program we are running is giving students an opportunity to practice journalism and do it in a different way, as opposed to how other schools are doing it," Moturi told CGTN. "At Shine Kibera TV, our students become real journalists, they go out, collect news, preview the footage, write the stories and voice packages. They create a news program."
Each week the students work to produce news bulletins and features from Kibera, with the help of Moturi. Started in 2013 as a YouTube channel, the program started with three students. Six years later, it has grown to 65 students, telling stories and building their confidence in the process. In 2018, the program was picked up by local Kenyan TV channel, with a 20-minute show broadcast weekly and the funds going back to school fees and uniforms.
Besides opening up opportunities for training and employment, Shine Kibera TV also aims to address the many challenges faced by young people in Kibera. "The problem that I wanted to tackle is self-esteem," Moturi said. "Most of the students who grow up in the slums feel like they don't get enough opportunities compared to the rest. They feel they are inferior. But they are unique in their own way because the talent is universal."
"I wanted to raise their self-esteem, to improve their confidence, so that they can express themselves, interact with people around, because that is how they get opportunities," he added.
It is clear that journalism has created space for many of Kibera's young residents to do just that. When the camera turns on, Shine TV's anchors smile and speak with professionalism beyond their years, articulating each line perfectly and bringing energy and passion to the screen. Meanwhile in the field, the young producers and cameramen execute their work meticulously.
The program has already produced some top journalists in Kenya, providing inspiration for other young people in the slums. "They have seen some of our former journalists who are actually working right now in the media," Moturi said, adding, "I can say it is motivation for them, because it is easy for them to see, 'if this guy from the slum was doing stories from Kibera, and right now they are working in a big media house, then I can also be like them.'"