Sarakasi Artists Abroad
Sarakasi artists continue to be ambassadors for Kenya around the globe. This part of our program offers our artists cultural exchange and performance opportunities to gain incalculable experience, to push their own boundaries by venturing outside their comfort zone and provides them the chance to measure themselves against the best in the world and come through standing tall. The fruit of these experiences is then returned home to Kenya and imparted to the subsequent crop of performers aiming to be our next exports. Not the least of the benefits from these tours is the chance for our performers to raise their earning levels in ways that are not possible locally.

AUDIENCE BUILDING

Sawa Sawa Festival
Sarakasi initiated the concept of the Sawa Sawa Festival to create a (free) Festival with a Kenyan and African identity appealing to the Kenyan public at large, creating an opportunity to reach out to different communities with different economical back grounds. At the same time, during the festival period, we continue to promote the (performing) arts through workshops, meet the artist sessions, technical skill sharing workshops and community building (theme) activities.

The 3 day annual Sawa Sawa Festival, held during the Madaraka week-end, has attracted audiences of over 70,000 people and due to our excellent media relations and partnerships, millions of others are reached through marketing campaigns and live radio and TV broadcasts. Our events are usually extensively covered by other (not contracted) media houses as well. As a result of successfully organizing events, and doing so in a transparent and fully accountable manner, we have build excellent relations with over 30 international cultural organizations, (inter)national cultural networks, booking agencies, (inter) national sponsors and donors. Locally Sarakasi is a household name with excellent working relations with the Government of Kenya, Nairobi City Council and law enforcement agencies, artists, cultural institutions, media, the UN, foreign missions and our many clients.

Every year the festival advocates a certain theme. In 2009 the theme was ‘urban peace’ of crucial importance after the post election violence in December 2007 and the beginning of 2008. The WAPI stage on Saturday gave lots of upcoming urban and underground artists, including Graffiti artists, a chance of expressing themselves and was centered around the theme of Urban Peace. Other related activities to foster and promote (urban) peace were: performance of our Amani (Peace) circus, discussion workshops, lyric writing/spoken word workshops and targeted media (incl. community level) involvement.

Last but not least, always at hand to spice up our events are the Sarakasi artists, showcasing the best in acrobatics, dance and music. Being a family event there are lots of fun activities for kids as well as ample catering and parking in a safe and secure environment.

Ghetto Radio
Anger, want, striving, that is the way of life in Africa's ghettoes. But beneath that veneer of despondency lives hope. Hope lives in all the little spaces; the smiles, the rhythms of life, the voices.

With Ghetto Radio, that voice is heard. Ghetto Radio is programmed and managed by the youth in the local ghettoes. It is targeted at the ghetto youth and is driven by them as they decide the content of the news, talk shows, music and varied programming all without using inappropriate language, swear words and political bias.
Being urban and non-commercial in nature, the radio station offers the youth an unprecedented voice and eventually a better shot at life through the employment of culture and the arts. Sarakasi Trust has co-founded Ghetto radio with Ghetto Radio Foundation Netherlands.  

Ghetto Radio has been on air since December 2007 and has been steadily gaining audiences and popularity. Ghetto Radio is mainly aimed at the Ghetto Youth involving the same youth to make radio.

Sawa Sawa Fair Trade Music Label
The Sawa Sawa Fair Trade Label was set up to meet the needs of promising or talented artistes who may not necessarily have the financial backing necessary to do good quality productions. In partnership with Mundial Productions in the Netherlands, the label has released 3 albums: Harry Kimani, CheChe and Mapacha Africa. The label awards the bigger chunk of the proceeds from the album sales to the artistes to encourage independence and sustenance.