Boniface Mwangi: The day I stood up alone

Translator: David Mvoi Reviewer: Joachim Mangilima

People back home call me a heckler,

Nyumbani, watu huniita mpiga makelele,

a troublemaker, an irritant,

mleta matata, msumbufu,

a rebel, an activist,

muasi, mwanaharakati,

the voice of the people.

kioo cha jamii.

But that wasn't always me.

Lakini sikuwa hivyo.

Growing up, I had a nickname.

Utotoni, nilikuwa na jina la utani.

They used to call me Softy,

Waliniita Softi,

meaning the soft, harmless boy.

yaani kijana mwepesi asiye na mambo mengi.

Like every other human being, I avoided trouble.

Kama binaadamu yeyote, niliepuka balaa,

In my childhood, they taught me silence.

Utotoni, walinifunza kimya.

Don't argue, do as you're told.

Usibishane, fanya unachoambiwa.

In Sunday school, they taught me don't confront, don't argue,

Kwenye shule ya dini, walinifunza nisilete bughudha, nisibishane.

even if you're right, turn the other cheek.

hata kama huna hatia, nyenyekea.

This was reinforced by the political climate of the time.

Hili lilisisitizwa na hali ya siasa.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

Kenya is a country where you are guilty

Kenya ni nchi unayochukuliwa kuwa na hatia

until proven rich.

hadi unapojulikana una mali

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

Kenya's poor are five times more likely

Wakenya maskini wanaweza mara tano zaidi

to be shot dead by the police who are meant to protect them

kupigwa risasi na polisi wanaopaswa kuwalinda

than by criminals.

Kuliko wahalifu.

This was reinforced by the political climate of the day.

Haya yalisisitizwa na hali ya kisiasa nyakati hizo.

We had a president, Moi, who was a dictator.

Tulikuwa na rais, Moi, aliyekuwa kiongozi wa kiimla.

He ruled the country with an iron fist,

Aliitawala nchi kwa mabavu,

and anyone who dared question his authority

na yeyote aliyethubutu kukiuka uongozi wake

was arrested, tortured, jailed or even killed.

alishikwa, akapigwa, akafungwa au kuuawa.

That meant that people were taught to be smart cowards, stay out of trouble.

Hivyo wananchi walikuwa waoga werevu, kujiepusha na matata.

Being a coward was not an insult.

Kuwa mwoga halikuwa tusi.

Being a coward was a compliment.

Kuwa mwoga lilikuwa jambo zuri.

We used to be told that a coward goes home to his mother.

Tuliishi kuelezwa kuwa mtu mwoga hurudi nyumbani kwa mamaye.

What that meant: that if you stayed out of trouble you're going to stay alive.

Ilikuwa na maana hii: ukijiepusha na matata utaishi.

I used to question this advice,

Niliushuku wosia huu,

and eight years ago we had an election in Kenya,

na miaka minane iliyopita tukawa na uchaguzi nchini Kenya,

and the results were violently disputed.

na matokeo yakapingwa vikali.

What followed that election was terrible violence, rape,

Kilichofuata kilikuwa fujo mbaya, ubakaji,

and the killing of over 1,000 people.

na mauaji ya zaidi ya watu elfu moja.

My work was to document the violence.

Kazi yangu ilikuwa kunasa fujo hizo.

As a photographer, I took thousands of images,

Kama mnasa picha, nilinasa maelfu ya picha,

and after two months,

na baada ya miezi miwili,

the two politicians came together, had a cup of tea,

wanasiasa hao walikutana, wakapata chai

signed a peace agreement, and the country moved on.

wakatia sahihi mkataba wa amani na nchi ikasonga mbele.

I was a very disturbed man because I saw the violence firsthand.

Nilitatizika sana kwa sababu nilishuhudia rabsha kinaganaga

I saw the killings. I saw the displacement.

Niliona mauaji. Niliona waliofurushwa kutoka kwa makao yao.

I met women who had been raped, and it disturbed me,

Nilipata wanawake waliobakwa, na lilinitatiza,

but the country never spoke about it.

lakini nchi kaikuyajali hayo.

We pretended. We all became smart cowards.

Tulijidai. Tuligeuka kuwa waoga werevu.

We decided to stay out of trouble and not talk about it.

Tuliamua kujiepusha na rabsha na kutojishughulisha.

Ten months later, I quit my job. I said I could not stand it anymore.

Miezi kumi baadaye, niliacha kazi. Singeweza tena kustahimili hayo.

After quitting my job, I decided to organize my friends

Baada ya kuiacha kazi, niliamua kujiunga na marafiki zangu

to speak about the violence in the country,

kuongea kuhusu ghasia nchini,

to speak about the state of the nation,

kuongeakuhusu hali taifa lilipokuwa,

and June 1, 2009 was the day that we were meant to go to the stadium

na Juni Mosi Elfu mwaka wa Mbili na Tisa ilikuwa siku tuliyopanga kufika uwanjani

and try and get the president's attention.

na kujaribu kupata sikio la rais.

It's a national holiday,

Ilikuwa siku kuu,

it's broadcast across the country,

sherehe yenyewe ilitangazwa kote nchini,

and I showed up at the stadium.

na nilifika uwanjani.

My friends did not show up.

Marafiki zangu hawakutokea.

I found myself alone,

Nilijipata peke yangu,

and I didn't know what to do.

na sikujua la kufanya.

I was scared,

Niliogopa,

but I knew very well that that particular day,

lakini nilifahamu vyema kuwa siku hiyo,

I had to make a decision.

Nilihitaji kufanya uamuzi.

Was I able to live as a coward, like everyone else,

Ningeweza kuishi kama mwoga, kama watu wengine,

or was I going to make a stand?

au ningechukua msimamo thabiti?

And when the president stood up to speak,

Na rais aliposimama kuhutubu,

I found myself on my feet shouting at the president,

Nilijipata nimesimama nimkemea,

telling him to remember the post-election violence victims,

nikimwambia awakumbuke waasiriwa wa ghasia za baada ya uchaguzi,

to stop the corruption.

kumaliza ufisadi.

And suddenly, out of nowhere,

Na punde si punde,

the police pounced on me like hungry lions.

polisi walinirukia kama simba wenye njaa.

They held my mouth

Walinifunga mdomo

and dragged me out of the stadium,

na kuniburuta hadi nje ya uwanja,

where they thoroughly beat me up and locked me up in jail.

ambapo walinitwanga na kunitupa jela.

I spent that night in a cold cement floor in the jail,

Usiku huo nililala kwenye sakafu baridi ndani ya jela,

and that got me thinking.

ndipo nikawaza.

What was making me feel this way?

Ni lipi lililonifanya nihisi hivyo?

My friends and family thought I was crazy because of what I did,

Marafiki zangu na jamaa zangu walifikiri nimekuwa kichaa kwa yale niliyofanya,

and the images that I took were disturbing my life.

na picha nilizonasa zilinisumbua.

The images that I took were just a number to many Kenyans.

Picha nilizonasa zilikuwa nambari tu kwa wakenya wengi.

Most Kenyans did not see the violence.

Wakenya wengi hawakushuhudia ghasia.

It was a story to them.

Kwao ilikuwa hadithi tu.

And so I decided to actually start a street exhibition

Hivyo nikaamua kuanza maonyesho mtaani

to show the images of the violence across the country

kuonyesha picha za ghasia hizo nchini kote

and get people talking about it.

na kuwapa watu fursa ya kujadiliana kuhusu ghasia hizo.

We traveled the country and showed the images,

Tulizuru sehemu mbali mbali nchini na kuonyesha picha hizo,

and this was a journey that has started me to the activist path,

na hio ilikuwa safari iliyoniweka katika mkondo wa uwanaharakati,

where I decided to become silent no more,

nilipoamua kutonyamaza tena kamwe,

to talk about those things.

Kuongea wazi kuhusu mambo yale.

We traveled, and our general site from our street exhibit

Tulitembea na ugunduzi uliotokana na kuonyesha picha mitaani

became for political graffiti about the situation in the country,

ukachangia unanzilishi wa picha za kisiasa kuhusu hali iliyokumba nchi yetu,

talking about corruption, bad leadership.

kuongea kuhusu ufisadi, uongozi mbovu.

We have even done symbolic burials.

Hata tumefanya mazishi-ashiria.

We have delivered live pigs to Kenya's parliament

Tumefikisha nguruwe kwenye bunge la Kenya

as a symbol of our politicians' greed.

kuashiria tamaa ya wanasiasa

It has been done in Uganda and other countries,

Hili limeigizwa nchini Uganda na nchi zingine,

and what is most powerful is that the images have been picked by the media

na jambo kuu ni kwamba picha hizo zimechukuliwa na vyombo vya habari

and amplified across the country, across the continent.

na kusambazwa kote nchini, kote Africa.

Where I used to stand up alone seven years ago,

Ingawa nilisimama peke yangu miaka saba iliyopita,

now I belong to a community of many people who stand up with me.

sasa nimekuwa mmoja katika jamii ya watu wanaosimama pamoja nami.

I am no longer alone when I stand up to speak about these things.

Simo peke yangu tena ninaposimama kuongea kuhusu mambo haya.

I belong to a group of young people who are passionate about the country,

Mie ni mmoja kati ya kikundi cha vijana wanaopenda sana nchi yao,

who want to bring about change,

wanaopania kuleta mabadiliko,

and they're no longer afraid, and they're no longer smart cowards.

na hawaogopi tena, na si waoga werevu.

So that was my story.

Hio ndio hadithi yangu.

That day in the stadium,

Siku ile uwanjani,

I stood up as a smart coward.

Nilisimama kama mwoga mwerevu.

By that one action, I said goodbye to the 24 years living as a coward.

Kwa kitendo hicho kimoja, niliipungia mkono wa buriani miaka ishirini na nne ya kuishi kama mwoga.

There are two most powerful days in your life:

Kuna siku mbili kuu zaidi maishani mwako:

the day you're born, and the day you discover why.

ile siku uliyozaliwa, na ile utakapogundua kwa nini.

That day standing up in that stadium shouting at the President,

Siku ile niliposimama uwanjani nikikemea Rais,

I discovered why I was truly born,

Niligundua kwa kweli kwa nini nilizaliwa,

that I would no longer be silent in the face of injustice.

kwamba sitakimya tena nionapo unyanyasaji.

Do you know why you were born?

Je, wajua nia yako ya kuzaliwa?

Thank you.

Asanteni.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

Tom Rielly: It's an amazing story.

Tom Rielly: Hadithi nzuri sana hii.

I just want to ask you a couple quick questions.

Nataka tu kukuuliza maswali machache.

So PAWA254:

Hii PAWA254:

you've created a studio, a place where young people can go

umeunda studio, mahali vijana wanaweza kwenda

and harness the power of digital media

na kudhihirisha umuhimu wa vyombo vya utandawazi

to do some of this action.

kufanya mambo haya.

What's happening now with PAWA?

Ni yepi yanayoendelea na PAWA?

Boniface Mwangi: So we have this community of filmmakers,

Boniface Mwangi: Tuna hii jamii ya watengeneza filamu,

graffiti artists, musicians, and when there's an issue in the country,

wasanii, wanamuziki, na wakati kuna tukio nchini,

we come together, we brainstorm, and take up on that issue.

tunajiunga pamoja, tunajadiliana, na kulichukulia maanani tukio hilo.

So our most powerful tool is art,

Chombo muhimu zaidi kwetu ni sanaa,

because we live in a very busy world where people are so busy in their life,

kwa sababu tunaishi nyakati mabazo watu wanashughulika na mambo mengi maishani,

and they don't have time to read.

na hawana ule wakati wa kusoma.

So we package our activism and we package our message in art.

Hivyo tunaeleza uwanaharakati na ujumbe wetu tukitumia sanaa.

So from the music, the graffiti, the art, that's what we do.

Tukitumia muziki, usanii, sanaa, hayo ndiyo tufanyayo.

Can I say one more thing?

Naweza kusema jambo la ziada?

TR: Yeah, of course. (Applause)

TR: Kwa kweli. (Makofi)

BM: In spite of being arrested, beaten up, threatened,

BM: Licha ya kutiwa mbaroni, kupigwa, kutishwa,

the moment I discovered my voice,

nilipogundua sauti yangu,

that I could actually stand up for what I really believed in,

kuwa ningeweza kuchukua msimamo kwa lile nililoamini,

I'm no longer afraid.

sina uoga tena.

I used to be called softy, but I'm no longer softy,

Waliniita softi, lakini mie si softi tena,

because I discovered who I really am, as in, that's what I want to do,

kwa sababu niligundua mimi ni nani, yaani, kazi hio tu ndio nataka kufanya,

and there's such beauty in doing that.

na ni raha ilioje kufanya kazi hio.

There's nothing as powerful as that, knowing that I'm meant to do this,

Hakuna jambo kuu kama kufahamu unapaswa kufanya jambo fulani,

because you don't get scared, you just continue living your life.

kwa sababu hautakuwa na woga, unaendelea tu kuishi maisha kivyako.

Thank you.

Asanteni.

(Applause)

(Makofi)