The Hidden Picture

When you get on the bus, you will see people trying to sell you things such as snacks, soda, water, and even socks! My advise....don't buy them! Get whatever you need before getting on the bus. They tried to charge me ridiculous prices for a pack of biscuits.    

       A kid tried to charge me 5000 shillings for biscuits, which shouldn't cost that much. All because I am a Mzungu, doesn't mean I'm rich! 5000 can buy you like 2 beers here. So my journey began....

And, who said Africans live in huts and hunt lions!? Buildings after buildings. Supposedly, our first stop, Arusha is the fastest growing city in East Africa. 

Can you see the Coke ads?

Do you see the Coke in the clock in the background?

Unfortunately, if you take a closer look at many of the pictures of the cities, you see the encroachment of powerful corporations everywhere. Coca-Cola banners and posters are up in your face wherever you go in this country. The amount of ads mounted on street signs and sponsorships of business signboards of shops have made coke a part of people's daily lives...at least visually.

         According to the website below, much of Kenya's land and water will be polluted by Coke's operations and scarce water sources over exploited just to produce more Coca-Cola beverages. Equally worse, "These sugary, caffeine-laden, chemically-sweetened soft drinks, which are being aggressively marketed to kids, will damage their health, in many cases irreparably."
 Link:http://www.killercoke.org/crimes_tanzania.php

 Pepsi is everywhere too...

 The bottled water industry...   : ( 

In college, I learned that corporations are rapidly taking over African countries' natural resources such as water while the common people have little access to cheap and safe drinking water. If this is the case, I wonder how bad are the pollution or any other environmental consequences caused by the factories...

           At least, they recycle the coke glass bottles. You find coke in glass and are obligated to recycle them. But, people still buy PLASTIC BOTTLED WATER here. I recall campaigning for the "Water is a human right. Not a commodity" movement, which also promoted the idea of a bottle-free campus. College was the shit. Having being exposed to so many "ideas," and constantly surrounded by groups of passionate students, one would easily be part of some activism or a student movement. Today, I'm here to find out the truth with my own eyes.