‘The Kindest Cut’

By Ohaga Ohaga.

After days of waiting, the event was finally here. September, 1st 2009 it was. 6.30 pm was the time. Alliance Française was the venue.
Photography Exhibition on male circumcision was the event and Internews Network was the host.

Several days before 1st, I had received an invite through Sandra Ndonye asking me to attend a photo exhibition and book launch at Alliance Française.

From the invite, I didn't notice any dress code.

That meant anything goes. All dressed up in a black suit, black shoes, white shirt minus the tie, I arrived at the venue - fifteen minutes late.

Like I had speculated, the house was already full.

As I got ushered in with very warm smiles at the entrance to the Auditorium, I got to see many faces. Some familiar some unfamiliar. Some white, some black, some in between.

I could identify quite a number of them and so proceeded to say hello with little chit- chat here and there just incase there is anything I had missed.

Realized I hadn’t missed a thing.

With the number of guests upwardly increasing, I moved along and caught some nice and well framed pictures hanging firmly on the wall.

Since I have never been so good with photography I just looked and admired the creativity of the photojournalists while reserving my comments.

The pictures as Ernest Waititu (one of the photojournalists showcasing his work) told me were taken somewhere in the middle of Lake Victoria at the controversial but famous one acre, rocky and fishy Island - Migingo.

The function started right on time with Kassim Mohamed a trainer at Internews welcoming everyone to the event followed by free drinks.

I happened to get lemon and even though I have never liked lemon juice, I couldn’t complain. It was for free.

With a glass in one hand and peanuts on the other, I joined the rest of the guests in deep conversations. I understand it is called Networking.

Personally, I didn't see any networking take place apart from a few guests chit- chatting.

Majority of those present were rather comfortable talking to those they knew or whom they had come with - so in groups they talked, laughed, shared.

One thing that I did not find interesting nonetheless, was the dress code.

I am not sure if it was me who had misunderstood the mood of the event or it was the rest of the guests.

Ladies were looking stunning though. Majority of them dressed in formal or semi formal attires.

Very few men were dressed for the occasion.

Majority were in jeans and tee - shirts while others in shirts and jeans.

Only a few odieros dressed to fulfillment of the event. Well, maybe it was just me.

That said and done, I liked the no table or seat idea very much. It created more space for the many guests as well as allowing more room for movement.

As the event progressed, cameras started rolling, journalists took their positions and speeches began with Head of National Aids & STI’s Control Program Director Nicholas Muraguri giving us an insight on the statistics of HIV prevalence among women and children.

Like I came to know, boys could soon be circumcised immediately after birth as part of the fight against Aids.

That is if only the organization (Nascop) hopes to achieve 100 percent male circumcision.

The move follows scientific research that showed that circumcision reduces men’s risk of contracting HIV by about 60 per cent.

To help achieve this, boys like I learnt will therefore be circumcised before leaving the maternity ward.

According Dr. Muraguri, at least 84 per cent of Kenya men were circumcised.

However, as the result may appear positive, Dr. Muraguri was quick in pointing out that male circumcision was not a license to unprotected sex.

He urged the use of condoms, abstinence, and faithfulness to one partner as some of the basics in leaving an HIV free life.

Nicholas Okamo, the chairman of Luo Council of Elders was also present. ’I am member of the Luo Council of Elders and I support the program fully. Many young men come to me for advice and they have my blessings to go ahead and get circumcised said Mzee Okamo.

To put everything into perspective, he gave an example of an aching tooth.

‘If you have a lower tooth that keep paining, every single time, do you keep it in the name of culture or remove it for sake of your health?
The exhibition was to showcase the work of six journalists who traveled to Nyanza Province to develop photo essays.

The journalists included Venter Mwongera, David Njagi, Ernest Waititu, Wanjiru Macharia, Isaiah Esipisu, and Erick Otieno.

This followed dedicated training events by Internews Network in helping journalists tell the story of male circumcision.

The event will run from 1st to 20th September 2009.