Images that project into a difficult reality and tell of the desire to get out and succeed and at the same time are witnesses to situations that need to be known in order to help change.
This, in a few words, is the meaning of the group exhibition of photographs entitled "I want you to know", staged by the Italian Cultural Institute in Nairobi, which brought together a talented young Italian photographer who is already internationally appreciated such as Gaia Squarci and promising Kenyan artists such as Alphonce Oluoch, Ruth Muthinda, Jamal Gooddisa, Catherine Kabilu and Kelcy Nyaga.

The exhibition, also supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the 'Cortona on the Move' festival with the associations WeWorld Onlus and Mwelu Foundation, sheds light in particular on the conditions of those living in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, and is part of the AICS campaign "Activate Nairobi", an initiative that is part of the "16 days of activism against gender violence" in Kenya and was presented on the sidelines of an event at the University of Nairobi, on the impact of climate change on women's challenges.
The Italian photographer herself tells us about it.

'The purpose of this exhibition arose from the realisation that women around the world are disproportionately affected by environmental challenges because they represent the majority of the world's poor and are therefore more dependent on natural resources threatened by climate change. As the Covid-19 lockdown confirmed, any crisis situation causes an increase in tension within society and within households, which invariably results in an increase in violence against women. The women you see in these photographs are well aware of these obstacles, some have experienced them first hand, and have refused to be victims in order to become agents of change through their work. I cannot thank them enough for directly shaping my experience of Kenya, and I hope that this documentation can open our eyes to realities that should constantly be at the centre of debate."

Gaia Squarci's experience in Kenya, during the artistic residency supported by the Italian institutions and associations involved in the initiative, represented yet another Italy-Kenya collaboration in the artistic, social and confrontational fields.

"Working with the photography students of the Mwelu Foundation was first and foremost an opportunity for cultural exchange," the photographer confirms. "Not only did it give me pleasure, as a European photographer in a country where Europe has historically taken a lot before thinking about giving back, to be able to share what I have learnt in these years of work with local photographers, but they themselves with their stories introduced me to a difficult area like Mathare, which would have been very complex for me to explore on my own. I pushed them to work on stories close to them, focusing on their own families or close friends. This opened the door for us to confront each other in a very direct way about what were the main cultural differences in close relationships, generational differences and sense of community in our respective countries."