Little Big Steve

Synopsis

Nairobi, a slum with a population of one million two hundred thousand. In the midst, six-year-old Steve decides to go to school against the will of his family. This decision cost him eight years on the streets. His schoolteachers and a priest paid his school fees. His parents sank into alcohol, and his brothers and sisters plunged into drugs, theft and prostitution. Twenty years later, with a degree in psychology, he returned to help children who had been left behind, physically and sexually abused as he had been. According to statistics, 50% of children in the slums are abused. Steve has built a children’s school in Mathare to teach children their rights, including the right not to be beaten or sexually abused, as well as the right to education and food. These notions give them a chance of getting out of the situation. Those who exploit children don’t like Steve’s activities, but the people of Mathare support him.

The story

Tiziana Caminada, Alice Denyse and Yves Matthey met Steve in western Kenya in 2014 during a solidarity trip with the Solferino association. Tiziana and Yves were filming a documentary on the Rafiki Wa Maendeleo Trust for the association.

At the time, Steve was doing his practical training at Rafiki as part of his studies in psychology at the University of Nairobi. He was looking after vulnerable children in the community around Rafiki. Tiziana, Alice and Yves were impressed by his communication skills and his work with the children and their families. They decided to interview him for the documentary on Rafiki.

In 2017, Yves and Tiziana returned to Rafiki looking for Steve. They found out that he had returned to Mathare to open a school for the abandoned and vulnerable children of the slum.

The aim was to teach them their rights, so that they would no longer be abused, to give them a quality education, to feed them and look after their health. At the time, around 220 children were attending “Happy Star”.

Yves and Tiziana made a documentary film on the subject. During the 4-day shoot, they met gang leaders, former colleagues, teachers, children and Steve’s family. Back in Geneva, Tiziana spent 6 months editing and directing the film. It was the start of an intense and exciting adventure.

Huge success and four awards