T.I.A (This Is Africa) pictures alone cannot describe this beautiful continent…..one has experience it inorder to explain it. When one visits Africa for the first time, one ought to be very careful because there is something unique about Africa that draws many first time visitors back. "Boda boda" is a short pictorial narrative that seeks to highlight the mobility patterns in East Africa as well as some of the socio-economic challenges that face this region. To a wider conxtent, "boda boda" aims at promoting Africa's art which is well rooted on the principles of "sustainability" and "innovation".
The characters used to narrate the different stories are fictious but help to give a glimpse of Africa's unique ethnic diversity and daily struggles.
Wafula a Kenyan man hailing from Western part of Kenya, rushes his heavily pregnant wife (Nandako) to the hospital which is situated almost 50 km from his village. With poor public transport network, Wafula is highly dependant on his bicycle which is a very common means of transport in the rural areas.
Besides the excruciating labour pains,Nandako also has to endure a bumpy ride to the hospital which is a result of the deplorable road conditions.
Undeterred by the cries of his heavily pregnant wife (Nandako) and whispers from other road users...Wafula's sight is set on reaching the hospital which is under staffed and often overwhelmed with the high number of patients.
Although being able to conceive a healthy baby, Nandako develops some medical complications that lead to a hefty medical bill. Having used all his savings towards footing the medical expenses , Wafula is forced to part ways with one of his goats at the local market.
Tired and demoralized, Wafula pedals on to the local market. The sell of the goat might fetch him an amount that is almost equivalent to 30-35 dollars. However, this amount is not sufficient to clear the ever increasing hospital bill hence Wafula has to seek alternative ways to raise the remaining amount. Without a steady monthly income, financial lending institutions such as banks are a no go. Even with the help from friends and relatives, Wafula is still unable to raise the entire amount required at the hospital hence he is forced to part ways with his big bull "ichirusi". Barely two months ago, ichurusi had earned Wafula 10,000 Kenyan shillings and bragging rights after winning the bull fighting contest at the local stadium.
Four years on...Wafula, Shimojero (sitted front), Nandako and Aswani (now a small trouble maker). I wish he(Aswani) knew what his parents had to endure. Aswani justifies a famous Ganda proverb that states "Parents give birth to the body of their children, but not always to their characters"
Road safety, comfort, rules and regulations all seem to be foreign dialect in Africa...social inequities often push many to make ends meet with the little they have.
On the other side of the region (Tanzania), bwana Cheyo a farmer, takes his farm produce at a local market in Dar es Salaam. On a good day, Cheyo earns approximately 5-6 dollars from the sell of the bananas. With the harsh economic times and an extended family setting, one is left to wonder how he manages to address the family needs.
Despite the harsh economic times, Cheyo always finds solutions to his family problems justifying a famous Tanzanian proverb that states "A wise person will always find a way"
The decision by the government of Kenya to zero-rate import duty on the boda bodas in 2008 saw the number of boda bodas increase significantly. High boda bodas numbers have been registered not only in Nairobi but also across many towns in Kenya. At low purchasing and running cost, boda bodas have become a source of livelihood for many young people but have also extensively contributed to the traffic menace in Nairobi. The failure by the government to regulate their operations has seen them (i.e. boda bodas) compete against the Matatus (local taxis) for passengers on the same platform. Similar to the Matatus, boda bodas operators have become repeated traffic offenders who break almost every rules in the book. The boda bodas have been listed as one of the major causes of majority traffic accidents in the city. In other parts of the country, the situation has become very alarming to an extent that special medical wards have been opened to cater for the high number of boda boda casualties. Without a proper regulatory board to oversee their operations, boda bodas have continued to operate in a very informal manner.
Hailing from central part of Kenya, Mawaniki...a Kiuyu man finds solace in Busia where he fully puts his entreprenuership skills to the test. Mwaniki runs a butchery and a forex bureau that also offers "Mpesa services" (mobile money transfer services). The thirst for more earnings sees Mwaniki venture into a boda boda business (motor cycle taxi) which involves ferrying various types of goods and passengers across the busy Uganda-Kenya boarder.
With the his good/ passanger firmly strapped behind his boda boda, Mwaniki criss crosses the Uganda -Kenya boarder more than 20 times a day.
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