October 16, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya: The Undugu Society of Kenya (USK) held a forum earlier this week to allow vulnerable youth to speak out to civic leaders in Nairobi about important issues in their lives.

Featured at the forum were the students of Advocacy Project Peace Fellow Kristina Rosinsky, who is working with USK on a Digital Storytelling Project to allow disadvantaged kids to tell their own stories through blogs and photos. USK is a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP).

About 70 people attended the Oct. 15 forum at the Kenya Institute of Education. During the four-hour forum, members of USK’s Street Associations – organizations of youth who live or work on the streets – were able to speak about issues including drug abuse, sexual abuse, the environment, police harassment and empowerment.

Ms Rosinsky introduced the Digital Storytelling Project and AP’s partnership with USK, before and handing the microphone over to one of her students to talk in detail about the project. Two students read their blogs out loud to the crowd and 15 photographs were displayed for auction.

Ms Rosinsky said the project generated considerable interest and excitement among the youth in the Street Associations, who are eager to learn how to write blogs and take pictures.

The Digital Storytelling Project was featured on Sunrise, a morning TV news program on KTN, Kenya’s leading television station. The Nation, Kenya’s main newspaper, and Voice of America also covered the forum.