On Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 while on my East African pre-Big Journey tour, I visited the United Nations World Food Programme‘s School Meals project in Mathare, a slum or shanty town in Nairobi (Kenya) with a population of approximately 500,000 people.

(Photograph by indymedia.ie)

Rose Ogola, public information officer at WFP Kenya took me to Mathare Outreach, a school that provides free education to hundreds of children who reside in the slum.

A little background of Mathare is in order, to better understand the importance of the crucial role played by Mathare Outreach and the United Nations World Food Programme:

The population of Nairobi, the capital city city of Kenya is estimated at 4million people of which approximately 55% live in the informal settlement (slums).

People in Mathare live in abject poverty with no functional utilities; no clean water , no sewage system and limited access to electricity. They live in shacks made of mud, bits and cardboard and rusty corrugated iron.

Over 90% of the household are headed by single women, many of whom have been in abusive relationships. While mathare valley is often associated with a community rife with violent crime, prostitution, illegal alcohol and drugs, it is also a community of people struggling to improve their lives, educate their children, and live with dignity.

Source: Mathare Outreach 

You can imagine that Mathare Outreach is a beacon of hope for the hundreds of children who attend the school as education is what will allow them to break out of the poverty cycle thanks partly to WFP’s meals.

(I am not the greatest cook but I can stir. It felt as if I was a captain and was rowing a large ship!)

The United Nations World Food Programme provides one hot, balanced and yummy meal every school day to every child at the school. This directly impacts the community in a big way:

1) Hungry children are fed (sometimes this is the only meal of the day that they will have since their parents may not have the means to feed them. I even heard of a story of some children hiding their school meal to take home to share with non-schooled siblings).

2) Children get an education that will allow them to have a future out of the slums.

3) Girls are sent to school instead of staying at home working which gives them an equal chance with boys.

I was very curious to taste the lunch which is a “meal of bulgar wheat, peas, vegetable oil fortified with vitamins and cooked in iodised salt” (source).

I can attest that the meal is yummy and filling! I only had half a cup at lunchtime with the kids but until dinner time, my stomach was still full.

I always fear that the food given to people in distress or in extreme poverty may be not so appetizing but I really enjoyed it and even was caught scooping in one little girl’s plate as the food was so yummy!

(I pulled the sneaky stunt — that I have perfected all these years on my lovely sisters — of asking if her food was as good as mine while helping myself — Note the amusement on the security detail’s faces in the background.

Yes, those are machine guns. I know nothing about firearms so cannot tell you which models they’re packing but I would not want to know in the first place!)

I was able to meet some children and speak with them and even did the obligatory “ask children a — what did you learn today? — question” but I chose the wrong topic: Mathematics, a subject I am useless at. I asked a child to solve a division and when he did, I could not tell if he was right or wrong because I don’t remember how to that manually.

Luckily, my iPhone’s calculator came to the rescue!

While having lunch, I also spoke to two individuals whose stories were very important to me.

Millicent Awuor Odhiambo and Michael Kyalo are two Mathare Outreach graduates who eventually came back to the school as teachers. I asked them (separately) how important the school meals were to them and they both said that it had played a great role in their education as they were able to focus and do well at school (think about it: have you ever tried to do anything on an empty stomach?).

Here’s a short video of Millicent explaining the School Meals in her life shot while I was visiting Mathare Outreach:

Then I asked them why they came back to the school given the fact that with the education they’d had they could have gone on to work for big corporations and make tons of money. Again the answer was unanimous: they wanted to give back to the school that helped them break out of the poverty cycle but they also wanted to help their community.

I also asked them if they were on Facebook, a question I cheekily ask everyone I meet on my travels. Judging by their reactions they did not expect that one (they get many international visitors and I noticed that some of their answers were nicely rehearsed to please these donors which is why in situations like these, I like to throw some curveballs to get the real answers ) as I told them that I genuinely wanted to keep in touch.

While at Mathare Outreach, I also got to answer questions and pose for photographs as Billy Muiruri, a journalist and Anthony Njoroge, a photojournalist for Nation, Kenya’s largest newspaper were preparing a feature about me set to appear in the Saturday edition, one of the widely circulated edition.

(Full article: A taste of a DJ’s epic journey to feed world)

At the end of the trip, I took home my red cup that I had my lunch in as visual souvenir of my fascinating tour but also as a visual symbol that I will use on my 7 year journey around the world as I ask the world to fill the cup to fight child hunger worldwide. You may read about my personal adventures in Ethiopia and Kenya.

(My friend and I were chatting about the usual stuff guys chat about while enjoying our delicious lunch when the camera lady surprised us and took a photo of us when we least expected it hence the “caught-0ff-guard/mouth-full-of-food” stare)

A great thank you to:

- Julie Marshall from WFP Canada who organised the tour a week prior (I am the king of last minute requests!). I needed to see things with my very own eyes to better tell the world the importance of your agency’s wonderful work worldwide as I circumnavigate the globe for 7 years.

- Rose Ogola from WFP Kenya to take me on the tour and share the photographs of the afternoon with me (all images except for the first one are copyright Rose Ogola/WFP Kenya). Since I am the world’s most unprofessional person, I made her “blush” when I asked her rather personal questions. Sorry about that but hey, that’s what you get with us Monteralers

- The staff at Mathare Outreach for patiently answering my billions of questions and politely smiling and laughing at my jokes

- The children at Mathare Outreach for the warm welcome, the lovely songs and for allowing me to hang out with you all. When I drive by you will be all grown up so hope you remember me! Keep that inner joy and those happy faces. I tell you the honest truth: kids in North America are not as full of life as you are…

- The Nation team for the great feature in your newspaper. I appreciate the kind words. But! Did we have to advertise to the world that I am a skinny, err… slender, person?

- The security detail for watching over us. You guys never added me on Facebook! What’s up with that?

- Last and foremost to YOU dear reader, friend or supporter who will be so kind as to donate as little as 25 cents to support the World Food Programme and I in our joint fight against child hunger worldwide. Please, help fill the cup! Oh by the way, please feel free to share the link on your Facebook wall! Thanks

As the world watches in despair, we who are fortunate enough to have been spared by the tragedy that hit Haiti, can do a lot to help those who have lost their loved ones and everything they have.

As a well-wisher of the United Nations World Food Programme, the largest hunger relief organisation in the world, I am pleading with you to please read about the great work they have been doing in Port-Au-Prince and their urgent needs. WFP’s focus is on providing food to the already hungry hundreds of thousands in the nation and into creating special programs to help the survivors get back on their feet and be able to provide for themselves as the country picks itself up and rebuilds itself (46% of the population was already food-insecure and the country’s hunger index is “alarming” and unfortunately the earthquake made the situation way worse)

Below, is a communiqué that I am bringing to your attention so that you may see what WFP is up to in Haiti and how you can help out the hungry by making a small or large donation which is the only thing most of us can do at this time.

To help the hungry in Haiti, please click here

PORT-AU-PRINCE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for US$279 million to feed 2 million people and provide logistical support for a 6-month Emergency Operation in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

• In the initial phase of the operation, WFP will provide one-week rations of ready-to-eat food to up to 2 million people who no longer have access to kitchens or cooking facilities;

• After the distribution of the ready-to-eat food rations, WFP will begin general distributions of basic food items such as rice, pulses and cooking oil to 2 million people;

• As soon as possible, WFP will move from general food distributions towards food for work activities that use food as an incentive for people to support reconstruction and rehabilitation         work in areas damaged by the earthquake;

• WFP began food distributions in and around the capital, Port au Prince, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.  Some 2900 people received high energy biscuits in Port au Prince         on Thursday, and distributions are being scaled up in the coming days;

• WFP has deployed expert logistics and telecommunications teams in support of the coordinated humanitarian response to this disaster;

• WFP has established a logistics hub in neighbouring Dominican Republic and has begun acquiring logistical assets – such as mobile warehouses, trucks, helicopters and a coastal vessel;

• WFP is considering establishing a network of up to 200 kitchens in Port au Prince, with each providing up to 500 meals a day;

• Food assistance will be directed at vulnerable families that have lost their homes, families living in temporary shelters, and child-headed households;

• So far, WFP has received more than US$55 million from donor governments, and more than US$5 million from private companies;

• Government donors include the United States, Luxembourg, Italy, Greece, Australia, Colombia, and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund.

To help the hungry in Haiti, please click here

In previous instalments, I discussed how music tours can be both for profit and for promotional purposes. I then went into some details on how I planned on earning money from my DJ bookings to donate to the hunger relief agency that my DJ world tour is supporting.

A world record-setting road trip of this nature will probably and hopefully garner a lot of attention that I plan to leverage to raise awareness about world hunger, how it can be fought and eliminated and how everyone can get involved in ways that have direct impact.

But let me go on record to say that I am not hiding behind my humanitarian heart for getting world attention. This is first and foremost a DJ tour for sheer lifetime dream realization and promotional purposes.

Hunger is a problem that can be solved. It just takes many willing souls to focus and take action. I am committing the next five to ten years of my life on the road to actively get people aware and active. If we don't make it our problem, who will?*

It disgusts me when I see people using charities for their end goals. Like I have told the humanitarian agencies that I will raise funds and awareness for, I am a DJ who is going on a long attention garnering adventure and would like to direct that attention to the wonderful work they’re doing in areas around the world that face many humanitarian crises.

Here is a test I use to determine whether some is for real or if truly they are just leeches.

If they cannot go ahead without the charity, something is very fishy. In my case, I could still organize my world tour, still see the world and still make money from all my DJ fees and other monetization streams. I can attract my own attention and awareness without playing the “look at this very nice guy and what he is doing for starving people around the world” card.

I am sorry if I am rambling but this is for the haters who I suspect will try to question my causes and motivations. Folks, when you are doing something that no one has ever done before, you will get worldwide attention, period.

Instead of sitting at the beach all day and going to my gigs at night, I plan on using some of my days to raise awareness to the agency’s mission.

Moving on

A world DJ tour by car makes people interested because of it’s novelty and adventurous nature. I remember reading a Forbes poll that asked people what they would do if they won the lottery. Almost every responders said that they would travel.

Now add the fact that a traveller is also a DJ and is on a mission to spin in the many clubs and various audiences around the world and things gets interesting. Add the fact that he is doing it by car and you have people, very, very interested. Add the fact that he will be sailing solo and you have one hell of an adventure that is so unique that people, hopefully you , want to follow closely!

I have a new record label project that I am working on. I believe that you can make it big in the music business and still make the world a better place. I like to make money like most human beings and I would rather have more than less but not the point where it becomes an obsession, a master or worse it really ruins my life.

Artists will make their money, the company will generate substantial revenue. And at profit distribution time, the money will go to deserving little-known charities in little-known place who are doing wonderful things but like everything in life, need money to spin better.

In my many years of travelling and speaking to many friends, I have concluded that sometimes small is efficient because it’s at the heart of the matter. But most well-doers are usually useless at making money or attracting attention.

I believe that is because of the way God created us. I believe that everyone has a gift. I am not going to lie, if I was told to do some great humanitarian work by building house and doing some manual labour, I would hate it. Like I tell all my friends who want me to help them with their gardening for example, the reason I live in an apartment is because I don’t want to deal with gardens, snow removal and all that nonsense (in my eyes).

If I have a problem with a  tire, I like to call the CAA, in the US: AAA and not do it with spare hands. Although I better learn to do it fast because I will not be able to reach the CAA in the Sahara desert or the Amazon forest!

My record label will donate all of its after-tax profits to deserving little but impactful organizations around the world. I already have a few in mind and cannot wait to stumble on others during the Big Journey.

Needless to say, artists and our supporters will also have a say at the donation process. After all, their artists contributed their work and the supporters supported it financially so it’s only fair and respectful that they have a say in how their input is spread around.

So, there you have it: the world tour will also raise awareness and support for the hunger relief agency on top of introducing my new record label to the world and hopefully helping my own DJ career along the way

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* Photo: daveblume