My View of the Impact of BrooKenya Soap Opera Project
By Caroline Ngesa (Kiku Lela in BrooKenya)

BrooKenya is the first project I have been involved in that is truly building an international and local community. This community links Brooklyn, New York and Kisumu, Kenya in a very down to earth manner. The linkage we now have with Brooklyn is real to me after Kate Gardner’s visit. Through Kate, I also got to learn for sure that there is more to America than what Hollywood shows us. BrooKenya has also dramatically reduced the tensions that have existed for years among performing groups in Kisumu. We work much more freely with each other playing complementary roles in BrooKenya.

I also like the participatory way in which BrooKenya is run. For the first time as a performing artist, I am involved in scripting, shooting, directing and general organisation of the process. I feel more accepted as an artist and a young woman who has something to contribute. The project has improved my worldview and social skills. Because I work with so many people who have different points of view, I am better able to deal with criticism without taking it personally. This is a “free soap” where everybody is encouraged to contribute something. BrooKenya is OUR project.

The biggest challenge to BrooKenya is the environment of widespread poverty in which it operates. People come to BrooKenya expecting to “make something little” but when they realise that there is very little or no material benefit, some of them drift away. Majority of the people involved in the project are young people who are unemployed. What I find unique about this project is that even those who ran away because there is nothing materially for them end up drifting back because of the friendly and creative atmosphere for personal and group growth that the BrooKenya has created.

I was asked to say this in one paragraph, but I have already written so much without saying a fraction of what I want to say about BrooKenya.

Caroline Ngesa is assistant project coordinator, editing apprentice and cast member of BrooKenya! She is a recent graduate in computer science from Kisumu Polytechnic and former chairperson of the school’s Peer Educators Club.