Vanguard | August 10, 2005 | 15 comments

The Kibera Slum

Christof

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Christof Putzel explores the Kibera Slums in Kenya, penetrating a code of silence in one of the world's hardest hit communities by the AIDS pandemic.
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    On Current TV,   Intro,   Outro,   Vanguard,   6 more
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    On Current TV,  Africa,  Intro,  Outro,  15 more
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    Christof Producer, Christof Starring, jchurchill Editor, more
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15 comments // The Kibera Slum // Video

  • jp23
    • 0
      jp23  

    • Do you know that 1 person in 6 are at risk of absolute poverty, that is 6 billion all around the world! Knowing the facts may be of help to you, if anything.

    • 2 years ago
  • fo6eera
    • 0
      fo6eera  

    • this is very complex...this is about so much more than AIDS prevention...

      Watching this, I was once again reminded of the Hierarchy of needs, Maslow talks about.

      The imminent need of getting your children through, is more important than whether you're gonna infect yourself with the virus or not. As contradictory as it is, the need for survival seems to narrow down your view on things.

      It might be hard to understand...but I ask myself...how can I as an outsider judge this? I have never had to struggle for survival nor live in a slum...

      And yet...where does one begin? Where does the problem begin? What was there first? The hen or the egg? Poverty as a consequence of AIDS or vice versa?

      What could a self-sufficient and sustainable support from the outside look like?

    • 3 years ago
  • jWslesiia
    • 0
      jWslesiia  

    • I caught the end of this pod, and was brought to this conclusion: the problem of AIDS in Africa is never going to stop until there is a cure. Until then, people will continue to have sex, as they should, for it is the only pleasure they have. And in turn we should not damn them for this.

    • 3 years ago
  • SANMedia
  • keen
    • 0
      keen  

    • Christof,
      I purchased your film long ago and have shown it dozens of times to groups I address. It has helped raise awareness of HIV, Africa, and the social determinants of health. There are those who say "Let Africa die!" I challenge them to travel to sub-Saharan Africa and witness life there; they may come to a compassionate understanding that the problems are neither simple nor easily solved. With luck, they will put their money where their mouths are and do something more positive than condemn. African I work with every day are smart & ambitious--they will do anything to feed and care for their children. Let's help give them a better option than prostitution and crime!

    • 3 years ago
  • SANMedia
    • 0
      SANMedia  
    • keen:

      You can tell, I'm one of those people this comment is directed at. But let me tell you something, I'm not interested in "letting Africa die". However, I'm more interested in seeing Africa survive....on its own that is. And this can only happen when they no longer recieve aides.

      Africa should not be treated as a child that needs constant care and support from it's parent. Only african people really know what they want and what's good for them. That being said, it's also their own responsiblity to make sure that they progress and prosper. Noone can or should do it for them. The aides in the past have proved not to be very effective, so why keep helping them?

      A journalist named Kevin Myers wrote a small article called "Africa is giving nothing to anyone -- apart from AIDS" While his view might be provoking, or controversial even, I share his view completely and I suggest you read it as well.

    • 3 years ago
  • wilkinson
  • SANMedia
    • 0
      SANMedia  

    • Thanks for the great pod, Christof

      Believe me when I say that I want to help the african people, but the more I watch the documentaries about all the social problems that are taken place in Africa, the more I begin to believe that africans are the cause of their own misery.

      If they refuse to accept the fact the HIV is a deadly virus and carry on having unprotected sex, then it only serves them right that they contract the virus and die eventually. It's only unfortunate that the virus doesn't kill them fast enough and allow them time to spread the virus to other women. AIDS is still an incurable disease, so by providing them life-prolonging medical treatment, you actually contribute in helping them spread the disease to the rest of Africa. I seriously doubt you can prevent african people from having sex...

      I don't want to come of as being an insensitive prick and I agree that we should help people in need especially those who are struck by natural disaster or other problems that they have not induced and have no control of.
      But if people, regardless of their race, lack the intelligence and survival skills nessesary to lead and live a proper life, then they shouldn't be allowed to passing on their genes either. The poor african kids that you are helping now, most of them will remain poor and unproductive when they become adults. They will engage in careless and promiscuous sex which will result more poor children that need even more resources from other developed countries.

    • 4 years ago
  • keen
    • 0
      keen  
    • SANMedia:

      to Sanmedia: There's no escaping it: You ARE indeed an insensitive prick. You have no understanding at all of the socioeconomic determinants of health and you are looking for a simple answer to a complex problem. Such simple answers are available--and they are usually wrong.

      It's clear that if HIV were cured tomorrow, another terrible disease would take its place, because the underlying social conditions must be addressed.

      I run an ngo that helps HIV+ families in sub-Saharan Africa. It is my direct experience that the people there do not want a handout--but a hand up. They are ambitious and are looking for a chance to escape a situation that is desperate. You simply cannot judge them by standards you might apply in countries with opportunities to improve one's lot. I have been many times to Nyumbani, the orphanage visited by Putzel, and wonderful work is being done there. A good followup to his film is the work of Paul Farmer, MD, founder of Partners in Health.
      I challenge you to put your money where your mouth is and do something positive to help.

    • 3 years ago
  • SANMedia
    • 0
      SANMedia  
    • Image
    • SANMedia:

      To Keen

      I was expecting a reply like yours to pop up sooner or later, in fact I'm a bit surprised that it took 3 months before anyone made a remark on my comment. I guess not many people really care about the issue...and, by the way, thanks for the name-calling.

      From a humanitarian point of view, it's wrong not to help and just close our eyes, I think we both can agree on that one. But what if the initial assistance that we are providing leads to another disaster of a larger scale. Is it really that smart to keep helping them then?

      When I was a boy, I already heard stories about famine and poor african kids who have nothing to eat. Now, more than 20 years and a few billion dollars later, nothing has changed except from the african population has more than doubled, surprisingly, and now we have to cope with AIDS pandamic alongside the already existing problems such as hunger and wars. The poor kids that survived the famine back in the 80's have now become adults, and while most of them are still poor like they always have been, they still manage to find the time to make babies, not just one or two, but up to six to eight or perhaps even more.

      Ethiopia's population alone is projected to double by year 2045 from its current 77 million people. Add that number with the rest of Africa and then tell me how we gonna cope with such mass population when that time comes. Fences are being built around Morocco to prevent africans from entering Spain and boats with african refugees are not welcome in Europe. And neither in America or Australia, if they somehow manage to make it there. Basically, nobody wants them.

      Seeing that you work in Africa, I'm sure it must be heartbreaking to see people suffer and die, especially children. But for every life saved now, 6 - 8 lives will suffer the same fate in the future. Aid from the world has made Africa become dependable. It should be stopped as it is not doing any good in any case, it is making things worse and creating a whole entitlement culture. We are sustaining, and actually expanding, the unsustainable.

      An article from Time supports my claim pretty well

      http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901080818-1829841,00.html

      From a Darwinism perspective, while many africans won't survive many of these disasters, the smartest and strongest africans will. I strongly believe, they will find a way to survive on their own without the need of external influences. One of the few things we can do as outsiders is to give them a fair trade for their goods and their natural resources and put pressure on weapon producing countries such as US, China, Russia and Europe to impose a total ban on sales of weapon and ammunition to african nations, as it does nothing but providing power to stupid people to run these countries.

    • 3 years ago
  • kenokoth
    • 0
      kenokoth  

    • Christof --
      I keep coming back to this documentary. You tell the story very well. I use it to teach about AIDS and Poverty in Kenya to my students. It''s very powerful. I appreciate it. Take care bro!

      Ken

    • 5 years ago
  • poem2000
    • 0
      poem2000  

    • Strong, moving, well made pod. Just makes you want to get rich and help more third-world people and children in this world....

    • 5 years ago
  • Ando_SB
  • Christof

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