Picha Mtaani
“Is a youth led peace initiative that primarily seeks to create space for young people to reconcile and become agents of reconciliation to their respective communities. Two years after Kenya’s worst election violence that left 1,500 dead and hundreds of thousands internally displaced, Kenya is a nation in search of its identity again.
Purpose
Picha Mtaani’s purpose is peace building, violence prevention, mitigation, creation of livelihoods and for promoting peaceful co-existence among young people in conflict affected centres in Kenya. Both rural and informal settlements in urban centres. Organisers want to provide a platform for national reflection and building local reconstruction consensus through photo exhibitions and conversation. It’s aimed at organising target communities to play their part in the reconciliation and reconstruction process.
The Organisers hope that by staring at the horror they inflicted on each other, they can steer an individual towards personal reflection, towards a willingness to have honest dialogue and they also hope to create a space for community healing and reconciliation.
National Peace Building Initiative and Exhibition Tour
The Picha Mtaani National Peace Building Initiative and Exhibition Tour, successfully visited five of the most election-violence affected towns including Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kericho and Kisumu. It has enjoyed tremendous support from the Kenyan public. It was launched at a colourful ceremony in Nairobi. The launch was presided over by the UN Senior Peace and Development Advisor, and Chief, Peace Building and Conflict Prevention (UNDP), Dr.Ozonnia Ojielo.
Working with District Peace Committees and up to 200 community youth groups including 40 volunteers per town, Picha Mtaani intends to facilitate space for reflection through emotive street picture exhibitions that will inspire dialogue and truth telling amongst the youth in rural and urban settlements.
The Project Co-ordinator
George Gachara, the Project Co-ordinator of Picha Mtaani, said that, “these are the silent victims who are currently at the tail end of on-going peace initiatives in the country, and were mostly the executers of the violence.”
The Director of Picha Mtaani
Boniface Mwangi, the Director of Picha Mtaani, believes that pictures are a strong medium that captures reality in a genuine and unbiased manner hence the appropriate tool for reflection, dialogue and peace building. Peace caucuses will be established in every town at the end of the every tour to work in partnership with District Peace Committees, to provide a framework and the tools to carry on the initiated peace processes.
He covered the post-election violence at a great personal risk and sacrifice, more so given the heavy-handedness that the Kenyan police displayed at times. His coverage of those attacks entailed great danger as, more often than not, he had to falsify his ethnic identity.
Understanding that every image has to tell a story, providing context and hinting at future implications. He had to show courage in documenting the plight of ordinary Kenyans caught up in the pre and post election violence that rocked the country and see the story through.
Boniface was the eye of Kenyans during the post-election violence and showed courage and compassion to capture the images across the country that made newspaper headlines all over the world.”
