Pic and words from South of West.
“Kids in Kibera have a new game. They have fashioned their own cameras out of mud, baked hard in the sun, and run around “filming” the mob of journalists that gathers on a hill overlooking their slum each day.”
I’ve been tracking through the blog that that above is taken from. Right now it’s only fuelling the wanderlust. Africa has always scared me but I’m getting braver. Who knows?
Hat tip to Noodlepie for the link (plus other interesting ones too)
7 comments
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January 18, 2008 at 11:24 am
William Deed
You shouldn’t be scared of Africa. Newcastle however, is truly a terrifying place.
January 18, 2008 at 11:35 am
Mosh
If Africa starts to interest you, just ask. I have a mate who did a year in an aid camp somewhere and he loved it.
January 18, 2008 at 11:39 am
ourman
It’s funny - it’s something that has been on my mind recently.
Now, first off I have lived in Newcastle most of my adult life without personally suffering a single violent incident.
However, when I lived in Nicaragua there was an expat murdered in town. Suddenly there was a panic on amongst the foreigners. People moved away, others who were due to move their didn’t. Fingers were pointed at the government and police. People built their walls higher and added more broken glass and razor wire.
Even taking into account the fact that most expats were Americans who always tend to scare so easily - people were genuinely very frightened.
Whizz forward a few months and here I am in Heaton a solidish suburb of Newcastle. In the past few weeks we’ve had news in the local papers of local Vietnamese-run drugs mafia, daylight sex attacks, peadophiles etc - and are we worried? Well no. That’s modern living for you. That stuff is out there. Abroad expats would be refusing to leave their homes under a similar level of crime.
That isn’t to say that Newcastle is unsafe or scary. Far from it. There are no real no-go areas if you apply a little bit of common sense. The same probably applies to Nicaragua. But for some reason we fear crime so much more when we are abroad.
January 18, 2008 at 11:40 am
ourman
Mosh - we’ll see. I am on a contract here in Newcastle which I’ll be seeing out for sometime yet.
But it has been on my mind - but then again it’s a big big world out there. So many places so little time.
January 18, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Mosh
Tell me about it. I still want to do African and S America. But I’m heading back to SE Asia in the autumn because I love the place so much. Maybe Africa on the way back!
January 18, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Will
Hi,
Regarding Kids with Cameras have you seen the documentary film “Born into Brothels” ? Its about a women who goes to Calcutta and gives children camera’s to document their lives. It’s an amazing film and it certainly brought a tear to my eye in both joy and sadness, very moving. I rented it recently from LoveFilm and it also has an update piece 2 years on.
Zana who made the film has gone on to build a charity from it and expand to different countries. Her work is truly inspiring!
Have a look here:
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/awards.php
As for Africa go for it, last year I went to Johannesburg several times despite having worries about my safety I had no problems at all (including in Soweto). As you say the fear of crime is much more prevalent than the reality.
Will.
January 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm
minxlj
I think we fear it much more when we’re abroad because it’s unfamiliar. At home you’d probably have a good idea of where to run for help, who to speak to. And it’s a lot harder with a language barrier.
But, keep your wits about you, find out the realities of the local culture and know where to find help if you should need it - that’s common sense. Be prepared, and all that.
Re: Africa. South Africa was awesome, and I’m so glad I ignored the cries here of ‘it’s not safe for white people’ (WTF?!) and went anyway. Although to be fair I was going out with an SA guy and staying there with his family so I was safe. Such a beautiful place though, and lots of memories. But I’d love to see the rest of Africa - Kenya especially.