The elder women of Nairobi’s most dangerous slum decide it’s time to fight back.

Creative team

Director: Brent Foster
Producer: Tammy Foster
Director of Photography: Pawel Dwulit

Filmmaker’s statement

Beatrice Nyariara lives in Korogocho. It’s widely considered to be Nairobi’s most dangerous slum.

More than 150,000 people are packed into the shanty town which is less than two square kilometers.

Crime is high. Gangs are active. Addiction is rampant.

A while back, men in her community started to attack the ‘grandmothers’ of Korogocho at night. Most of the women attacked are sexually assaulted, and some have been killed. The men believe that the elder women were less likely to be HIV positive. They also saw them as vulnerable.

A few years ago, Beatrice decided enough was enough. It was time to fight back. It was time to develop a community.

The result of that decision empowered the group and taught their community to respect them, value them and to know how to be there for them.

Together, they are taking back Korogocho.

This project is part of the While I’m Here | The Legacy Project series, which is a passion project dedicated to telling the stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things.

About Brent Foster

As kids in small towns sometimes do, Brent Foster left to explore the world and didn’t look back.

His work has led him to more than 35 countries where he’s eaten white ants in Uganda and been tattooed by monks in Thailand. Most importantly, though, he’s had the chance to tell incredibly powerful stories ranging from conflict in the Gaza Strip to doctors fighting for access to pain relief for the chronically ill in India, for editorial clients such as The New York Times, TIME Magazine, and Canadian Geographic.

Photojournalism taught Brent a lot about creating authentic content and helping subjects quickly become comfortable in front of the camera. It was also during his time in the editorial world that Brent recognized the significance of telling stories through cinematic work.

It was the power of hearing a subject’s voice, and seeing the way they interact and move with the world that led him to a career shift into filmmaking.

Brent has since acted as director/director of photography on projects for global brands such as Nike, DJI, The NBA and Purolator to help create authentic pieces of content that resonate with viewers.

Brent has been shortlisted for The Young Director Awards and The Saatchi and Saatchi New Directors Showcase in Cannes, as well as The Shots Awards for New Director of the Year.

Alongside his branded projects, Foster’s passion project entitled While I’m Here | The Legacy Project profiles everyday heroes passing on a legacy. The project has picked up Vimeo Staff Picks and multiple awards along the way.