Working with the kids at St.Francis brought the big picture to me than i have ever cared to imagine. Previously i had visited babies home where the kids have everything that you could dream of.
Then there is this story of women who trade sex for fish
http://www.eastandard.net/mag/mag.php?id=1143960988
It makes one understand just how Poverty and AIDS are connected and maybe why the epidemic that is HIV/AIDS is bigger here than in developed countries. Meaning the poor you are the more exposed you are to communicable and sexual diseases.
So, just how much bickering will we continue to have about what the Government has/has not done. Hasn't that been the song that we have been singing since when we wuz young...however we look at it perfection in a leader is a reverie we gots to do without.
Just how much personal responsibility is a leader in the Nyanza Province for example going to take for the acts of his ignorant people. Somebody gots to teach the women down there about not having sex for fish.
The AIDS orphans are relying on the country now to feed them. Never mind as catastrophic the problem, nobody not even the ever bickering well meaning travelling MPs that we know has introduced any Bill in Parliament to deal with the Orphans. So for whom do the AIDs orphans belong?
Their age old 80 granny?
Its a sad situation here.
First things first. We are doing too much politics IMHO. For nothing.
We are looking at a generation that is dying day in day out from a disease they barely comprehend until it causes them untold suffering.
Dear Africans, for though has hands, for thou has brain...when will you ever utilise them? You wait for the NGO's the well meaning ones to tend your Orphans?
Looking at Mathare
I am reminded of the evil,.you know the devil. You cultivate the devil, you live the devil. You shut up to protect the devil. And then the devil strikes and eureka!!! "The devil is here?!"
Ooh c'mon...
However sympathetic i am with the people of Mathare, i bet just like there is a saying "Equity does not aid the indolent". I mean the Mungiki menace has been with the people. You can't do no shyte in Mathare without paying taxes to the local Government.
But did the Mungiki menace erupt in a day. No! The menace was there. The people there said jack shyte..They probably loved living with them. They were dangerous; ooh they knew it.
I laughed at the statement that a journalist who thought that research was a form of wild vegetable...
Even a little research could have exposed Mathare before it happened. Okiey why is there investigative journalism?
Round us, everywhere we have people who wouldn't think even if they were paid to.
For example lets say some economist sat down right? Found that our economy is growing at around 5%.
And then we have a politician who wouldn't probably pronounce the Law of dimishing marginal utility, or even write it, saying he knows the economy grew by 2 % and is cheered on by what M would call Kenyan Tourists KT.
What sense would it make? I would think it of a serious disaster which should call for an immediate peer review of the said economists.
But a politician is one right? But imagine how many investors listening to the said politician refused to invest on such grounds.
So why won't we be all happy that our economy is growing at around 5%. Should we chance economy and politics together? Just to discredit perhaps?
Why won't we think? Even a fabrication that our economy was growing at 10% if it would make Hu and his men look at us as potential investments.
I am not going to say its wrong or right. Do whatever your mouth wills you to do.
But we cannot save our faces; not now. Whatever wrong we say, to hurt our mother country reflects on us.
Ooh ! Its a cold monday
Hi there. Nice to see you're back to charity work. If only we could speak actions!!
ReplyDeleteI was once told: There are three kinds of people: The ones who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who have no idea that things are happening. I care to add a fourth:Those who shout about things not happening, while they do nothing! its this class of politicians that we have.
mathare and all the other informal settlements have always had this kind of gangs. Am reading politics in this whole saga.
BTW: If someone gets saved, do All the wrongs cease to matter, in the eyes of law?
@Sammie,it is always difficult to leave the kids once you have started with them.
ReplyDeleteFor your question, i imagine you are referring to Ndura Waruinge. I am not sure the guy is saved even. There is overwhelming evidence that he is still co-ordinating the Outlawed sect.
I would for example want to wonder. How comes some one like Raila Odinga knows about meetings on his endangered life but would know very little about the endangered lives of his constituents of Kibera. Remember the menace on the residents of Kibera a while ago.
Only coming to condemn the Govt a moment later after the whole fiasco has happened.
I remember you had posted a while back regarding some assistance you needed for your kids. I'm a Rotarian with one of the Nairobi Clubs (originators of the Sanitary Towels, Jaipur Foot Project, Desai School etc). In case you'd be interested in seeking help for the kids either by speaking at our meetings or otherwise, please let me know.
ReplyDeletehey girlie...is St. Francis a home for AIDS orphans? I sell red ribbons to these ignorant europeans every AIDS day to help out children infected and affected by AIDS, I like to donate the proceeds to smaller less known homes. it's not much as its only me collecting, but its something! I totally love this post! poverty, aids and the lack of leaders to educate at grass root level and no offence but the church needs to stop discourage the use of condoms. People will have sex no matter how you look at it, just make sure they do it safely. And yes, us kenyans, africans need to start helping ourselves, hey how many years will it take for us to realise that our governments are not on the path to helping? Stop waiting for all sorts of NGO's to come to our aid.But easier said than done...ok, let me stop blogging in ur comments section! I
ReplyDeleteevery time someone mentions Mungiki or mau mau, my mind whirls.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice that you mention investigative journalism becuase if that kind of thing existed in kenya, then mungiki wouldn't be such a mythical and amorphous entity.
I believe just like with the maumau, there have been ills committed, by mungiki, but essentially those are the actions of criminal elements who are dead beat on taking advantage on the fears that surf the voxs pop fanned on by the reckless and indolence of journalists whose sole interest is conjecture and producing copy.
I have been to Dandora and whatever other mungiki stronghold from laikipia to muranga and I can confidently tell you that what is called mungiki in the mainstream idea is merely what they label as such and not necessarily such.
I say it is all an argument from a point of ignorance! The media gave the pubic an urban legend. A sort of blanket term for common criminals and political machinations.
i knew blogging had its purpose. and i've found one on your blog. volunteer work. im into volunteer work but have never known how to go about it. please help. ata wewe jade, ati wewe uko wapi? do you take new members.
ReplyDeleteshiroh, endelea hivyo hivyo....
It is sad that the more poverty you have the higher the AIDS rate you have.People trade whatever they have for food and money and in this case it is sex.
ReplyDeleteAs for dealing with this problem it isnt a matter of looking at the highest level of leadership but the lowest.What are the chiefs, DOs and DCs doing about it?The churches and other religous bodies. Those can do more work than one idealistic MP.
The Kenyan press highlighted the Mungiki menace a long time ago.The existance of these groups and their role in facilitating the changaa trade is also another thing I recall reading plus you also have to give a kudos to the coverage the media have given the whole issue.
As for economic growth, there are lies, lies and damn statistics.I think only the people on the ground can tell the truth.
Kudos to you on your work with the kids at St. Francis. Exactly where in Karen are they located?
ReplyDelete@Kipepeo, mainly AIDS orphans. These days the common way you can have a whole family wiped out is to have the disease in your household.
ReplyDeleteLol @ignorant europeans.
Thanks.
@Potash, Mungiki i believe is an underground movt whose works are in the open.
@Acolyte,Leaders to me include Chiefs,Pc's not necessarily an MP thats why i said leaders. A leader could also be the head of Maendeleo ya wanawake designated for the province..you see. It will be a hot day in hell before i give responsibility to Mps.
Look even when they report about it, we get more scared of it rather than appreciating that it is a group that can be wiped out in less than 2 hours. It is a small tribal grouping who i don't what are their values. Now we are gettng scared!!! REally
As for figures, i don't know how your perspective is, but the truth is it depends on where you are. Because the figures of tourism and Agriculture are soaring.
@egm, thanks,they are Opposite Karengata Academy
Hi shiroh! I have decided to start helping Kenya too by doing something to help children. Your dedication to the volunteer project is inspiring
ReplyDeleteBecause the figures of tourism and Agriculture are soaring.
ReplyDeleteI do know tourism is making a major comeback but where did you get your statistics as regards agriculture from? Our mainstays like tea and coffee no longer command the high prices they used to on the international market you know. Life for farmers isn't as easy as it once was.