Chris Muriithi
2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Human Enough PodcastKenya
Chris Muriithi is the CEO and founder of Bold Network Africa, a firm committed to telling real and inspiring stories of the African queer people through story telling over various platforms in an effort to demystify stereotypes and encourage acceptance. Before devoting their work fulltime, Chris was a fulltime journalists having worked in different local media houses in Kenya and as a reporter in Africa for the BBC youth program. During their work as a journalist at BBC, Chris was nominated for an Emmy Award. In addition to being a journalist, Chris helped campaign for change in Africa for the LGBTQ community by doing a webinar titled Out in Africa. Chris shared their personal life journey as a queer person in Kenya and the painful ordeals they went through. Chris showed how they needed to be bold and even started their own organization in 2020. Chris is resilient, brave and bold and knows that for any change to happen individuals need spaces where they can express themselves and choose to be bold in their truth. It is time for Africa to be bold.
2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Human Enough Podcast
The Human Enough Podcast was an audio podcast series that served as a safe space for the community and was an extension of the Human Enough Docuseries. A major challenge in creating the Human Enough Docuseries was many people didn't want their identity shared on video and others were still in need of trauma healing to be able to share their experiences. From these challenges, Chris developed the Human Enough Podcast to serve as a safe space to heal queer folks where they received trauma healing services from trained service providers and also recorded episodes for the podcasts. The Human Enough Podcast advocated for mental health, wellness, and rights advocacy for the queer community in Kenya through interviews and in- person events. Four episodes were sent to over 1,000 queer listeners from Kenya and received a lot of engagement, with listeners sharing their own experiences and educating each other on discriminatory laws. The episodes were shared via private channels to protect the privacy of the interviewees and listeners. Additionally, leaders working in the legal space were invited to educate queer individuals on their human rights and rights against bullying at work or in college.
"I hope that this podcast will help queer folks in Africa know that they are not alone and also feel they have a space that is willing to listen to their wins and challenges. I hope that this will help accelerate legislative change in many countries in Africa where being queer is criminalized to date." - Chris Muriithi
2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Human Enough Docuseries
The aim of the docuseries "Human Enough" was to educate and create impact by sharing stories of the queer community to accelerate acceptance and also educate society. "Human Enough" was done in collaboration with Bold Network Africa to bring open conversations and as a result more visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in Kenya. The docuseries included incredible storytelling that covered the what, who, how, why, when and where of this particular community. "Human Enough" is an engaging show that provided a platform for the LGBTQ+ community to share their stories of challenge and triumph as well as educating allies about how to create safe spaces for queer folks. This is relatable content that is not only edgy but will lead people to a path of self-actualization. Through the docuseries, allies were educated about the different challenges and wins for the LGBTQ community. They learned how to be better allies and create safe spaces for queer folks. The cast members who shared their stories felt seen and they were relieved to see how far they have come and how they converted their own pain into powerful voices of change.
"As an older community member in Kenya, it was so refreshing to see young queer folks sharing their stories without fear. This gives courage and hope to the younger generation." - Docuseries viewer
IVLP Exchange Experience
Chris was a participant in the IVLP Project A Global Moment in Time: Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in 2021 and 2023, both organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.
Chris's exchange experience led them to develop their IVLP Impact Award Project: "I was inspired by Shay Franclausen in San Fransisco to continue amplifying queer voices in Africa."
U.S. Communities Visited in 2023
San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Orlando, FL
U.S. Communities Visited Virtually in 2021
Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Cleveland, OH; Portland, OR
Country: Kenya
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