Joseph’s Story

Joseph is a 20 years old Kibera native, who lives with his father and three siblings. Joseph’s family had many struggles such as access to food, education and shelter when he was growing up. He joined Harambee Arts when he was four years old. After attending the first session, he fell in love with the program. “I felt a lot of peace in my mind after every session that I could not explain “. His mum might have been okay with him attending the sessions except for the fact that Joseph spilled paints on his clothes. As punishment for this she sent him to visit his aunt during the weekends so that he could not go for the Saturday sessions. “Because I loved painting, I would still find a way to sneak to the sessions. Due to his hard work and determination, Gloria noticed his efforts and he was enrolled as a junior staff in 2017 when he was still in high school. He was given some stipend that helped him buy necessities for school. “Being the first born I was much attached and close to my mum, she was my mentor and my teacher,” he shared. “She taught and trained me so that I could pass her teachings on to my younger siblings. I did not know that she was HIV positive until she died. This also stressed me out. In 2004 she started ailing, the sickness was on and off. At some point I had to step in and do her chores at a young age like preparing my brothers to go to school since she wasn’t feeling well. I give thanks to her for training me. One day I came back home from school and found her in the house, I was so happy to see her such that I hugged her tightly. Little did I know that that was the last time we would spend time together.” The following morning Joseph was informed that his mother had passed away. At first it did not hit him since they were in the company of relatives who came to mourn. When his relatives left after the burial, he felt the gap and began experiencing life’s difficulties at the age of eleven. Joseph feels he and his siblings were neglected by other family members since they did not see anything valuable in them. He appreciates his dad for always being there for them despite the challenges they face. After his KCSE (Final exams in high school).he started doing odd jobs to help his single father. The money he earns from his work with Harambee Arts goes towards helping his father pay for food, rent and school fees for his siblings. He was officially promoted to a staff member with Harambee in 2020. Joseph believes the hardships he has undergone have sharpened his mind. The memories of the difficulties they as a family faced in life keep ringing in his mind and that keeps him working hard in order to help his family. He believes the program has had a great impact on him. “I used to go through a lot in silence, which affected me mentally. I’m glad my colleagues showed me warmth. I slowly started opening up. My work is something that makes me feel more grounded and relieved “. Joseph has also improved socially. In the slums where he comes from, most male teenagers are perceived to be criminals, associated with drugs and negativity especially when coming from such a humble background. “Now I have friends who accept me the way I am and never judge me. This brings me more closer to them.” Joseph looks forward to creating a warmer environment for the upcoming teenagers. Currently Joseph is mentoring young boys that he works with at the Harambee Arts program. Joseph believes in empowering people by giving chances and believing in them. He believes that expressive art heals, educates and helps one become whole again. “Through art you can speak and spread any message” he said. “It allows one to express themselves freely without any fear or judgement and in their own space using their own style thus expressing their individuality.” He is inspired by his immediate environment, and he hopes to bring change to his home and community. Life after high school hasn’t been easy especially when having nothing productive to do… Joseph hopes to enroll in college to become a social worker. Hopefully he will find the support he needs to make his dream come true.