Legio Maria – Jeremy Onyango

Kibera is a place of contrasts – where struggle and joy, scarcity and abundance, chaos and order coexist. It is also a place with so much beauty in the mundane. On Sundays, you witness all sorts of it, the intimacy of community life – from the bustling markets and vibrant street art to the quiet moments of joy and reflection. Like the Legio Maria church, sharing in the grief that the country has been going through, since its inception in 1963 by two Roman Catholics of the Luo ethnic group in Kenya, Simeo Ondeto, a catechist and Gaundencia Aoko. Both claimed to have undergone prophetic experiences that invested them with divine authority and directed them to reject traditional magic and divine healers, took to the streets to march against the then state of the nation. One of the main characteristics of Legio Maria is speaking in tongues, throughout the procession, they chant and sing hymns of liberation, calling spiritual names to let the country free, “Salive Maria, Salive, Salive, Salive Maria, we venerate Maria we venerate, we venerate, we venerate Maria, without you we are doomed”, across the streets and into their mother church, singing, chanting and some whistling, a cry for a free nation. These contrasts are not just about Kibera; they are of Kibera, not merely observational but participatory, reflecting the trust and collective freedom and enchantment inside the community.

Jeremy Onyango is a documentary photographer and storytelling enthusiast born and raised in Kibera, a vibrant community in Nairobi. His photographs are not mere images, they are narratives, woven together with threads of emotion, history and cultural identity. He believes that by showcasing the strengths and challenges of his community, he can foster understanding, empathy and a collective desire to create a more equitable and sustainable community.