Famous Rich And In The Slums With Comic Relief
Across the globe 3 billion people live in abject poverty, surviving on about £1.50 per day. It’s a world that we find hard to understand, but four Comic Relief supporters are about to try.
Famous, Rich and in the Slums is a moving two part documentary for Red Nose Day that follows Lenny Henry, Samantha Womack, Angela Rippon and Reggie Yates as they put their lives of privilege and luxury behind them.
They’re stripped of all their possessions and left alone to live, work and survive in Kibera - reportedly Africa’s largest slum and one of the most impoverished places on earth.
Kibera, located about four miles from central Nairobi, Kenya, is one of the world’s harshest environments.
It is estimated that over 1 million people live in an area measuring 1.5 square miles, with large families sharing tiny cramped shacks.
It’s a place where people do back-breaking manual labour in unsanitary conditions for as little as 50p per day - and life for the four celebrities is no different during their stay.
The state of sanitation is unlike anything these celebrities would have experienced before, with open sewers running through the streets and pit latrine toilets sometimes being shared by up to 1,000 people.
20% of children in Kibera don’t live to the age of five, and it is common for young girls to exchange sex for food. Despite countless trips to Africa for Comic Relief, even Lenny admitted he’s 'never seen anything as bad as this'.
Each celebrity undergoes an emotional, life-changing encounter, forming deep bonds with people living with a range of devastating issues all too common in Kibera. From infant mortality, deadly diseases, extreme poverty and prostitution... the documentary captures every moment.
Programme 1 sees the celebrities removed of all of their possessions and move into shacks in Kibera - tiny dwellings crawling with cockroaches - To live on their own for three days and nights.
The show follows their struggle to find employment as they experience first-hand just how tough it is to scrape a living in Kibera.
Programme 2 follows the foursome as they each move in with local residents for three days, some of them having to share a mattress or bed with their host family.
Each celebrity learns about the daily struggle faced by their hosts and their families, and each has the heartbreaking reality of leaving them behind.
Samantha Womack said: "I wasn't prepared for the impact Kibera would have on me, it's a tragically beautiful place.
"I've never felt part of a community like that before, I feel privileged that I got to meet the people I met.
Lenny Henry added: "I’ve been to Africa countless times on Comic Relief trips, but living in Kibera was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or experienced before.
"It was without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and has completely changed my life. It was an incredible journey, and I’ll never forget it."
Comic Relief has supported projects in Kibera for over 10 years, and the famous foursome are hoping that their efforts help to raise more money for people like the ones featured in the documentary.
Red Nose Day takes place on Friday 18th March and raises money to change lives of extremely vulnerable and disadvantaged people across the UK and Africa.
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