The Story of DARAJA and James - Film

Leading Kenyan filmmaker, Ondivow, has teamed up with James Kirika, a local community leader, to tell the story of how DARAJA, Africa’s most inclusive urban weather forecasting and early warning system, was created.

Ondivow follows James through the alleyways of his community settlement in Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. The filmmaker accompanies James into: national weather agency, the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) and the local radio station, Pamoja FM, two organisations that have played a key role in DARAJA.

James’s interactions with key actors in the project – community coordinators from Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), KMD meteorologists, Red Cross climate scientists and radio station chiefs – allow Ondivow’s camera to capture some very candid discussions on the challenges and transformational progress made on providing his fellow community residents with improved weather forecasts and early warning services.

DARAJA is a UK FCDO (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) funded project of the Met Office-led Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) Programme. DARAJA means ‘bridge’ in Swahili.

DARAJA aims to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable populations living in informal settlements in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya by building bridges between communities and weather and climate information providers.

Additional support to DARAJA has been provided by EIT Climate-KIC.

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