The blog is my personal inspirations on the issues that are dear to me. I am passionate about the rights of women and girls to live in dignity, and transformative leadership. Desiderata inspires me, that I am a child of the universe and I Inspire others that you can Dare to Dream
I will make a difference in my small ways
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There is a quote, which I like “if you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in the same room with a mosquito”. Whoever came up with that quote must have lived in Africa and you must have been in same room with a mosquito at night to understand what this means. The almost invisible creature can cause so much discomfort that you would have to be dead not to wake up to sort it out! Many times, I have felt disillusioned in my own country and what comes to mind first is the referendum 2005. I had just arrived from an exciting training on anti-corruption and good governance in the USA and I really felt I had changed my mindset, I was thinking like a Kenyan after the 5 weeks experiential learning. I arrived back to Kenya in the middle of the Banana / Orange craze. First, I did not quite understand when friends sent me email asking ‘are you banana or orange?’ Immediately I landed, it was like being hit with some air balloon (never been hit by one anyway) but it was a stark reality that I was not ready to face. After the dreams I had this was not what I wanted to see. I was in desolation and for more than one month, I felt I was in my own world!! I actually felt physically sick and thought this was some jetlag but after one week, I knew otherwise. Nothing could lift my spirit as I found that the people close to me didn’t quite understand where I was coming from when I insisted I was neither orange or Banana. That I did not think we needed the referendum to go ahead as things were etc. Many even told me, that they knew my stand!! Before I spoke they knew which side I was going to vote (due to my second name!!!). My voter card took the advantage to disappear and since I had no intention of voting I made no effort to replace it. By the time I figured that I should spoil my vote rather than not vote it was too late... can I admit I have no regrets? I struggled to be positive about Kenya but it was very difficult. Fast forward, 2007 I went to work in South Sudan and this was a 3 months experience that I am not likely to forget. I did not know what it means to have been at war, and I saw dilapidation that I had never seen. What strikes me now is that whenever there was some insecurity threat, or curfew we ( my colleague Justa was a Tanzanian) reminded each other about our air tickets, passports etc just in case. We knew that if the worst came the UN would be in no position to evacuate every foreigner there but at least there was hope. Two weeks after I came back to Kenya, excited to be back home, sweet peaceful home, the Post Elections Violence was here! It was a nightmare for everyone. I woke up every day imagining that this was the end of it all, but every day brought new fears. While talking to Justa (she stays in Kenya but had gone to Tanzania for holiday) as she sought information on what was happening she reminded me of precautions “remember to have your documents ready”. That was when reality struck me, “Where to? It doesn’t matter Justa, I have no where else to go this is home” I told her. After our telephone conversation I thought more about those words and I felt in despair, yes, this is Kenya, this is home, where else would I ran to? That is my inspiration, that I am the one to make a difference in Kenya. I am committed to the initiative ‘Kenyans Making a Difference’(KMD) because this is my home, there is no short cut. I am convinced that I am part of the difference that Kenya needs. The difference that will make every girl and boy, lady and gent, man and woman say, I am proud of being a Kenyan. A Kenya where women and girls are not feeling like their bodies are the war zone, a Kenya where men and women will not be dying of hunger, where we are neighbors to each other. The more I share with other Kenyans the more certain I am that Kenyans are ready and willing to make a difference, problem is we do not put our efforts together. The simple things like being positive about one another, saying ‘hi’ when I am seated to other Kenyans (and I take Kenyan to mean anyone within the borders at now, whether as a citizen or a refugee), not running away from the beggars on the street, not looking for excuses not to do the best……..all simple little things, that add up. I now have a strong believe that I am making a difference wherever I am. I make a difference in my own small ways and if a mosquito can cause enough discomfort then what about me? I am an optimist!!
There is a common saying that curiosity killed the cat, and a belief in that saying precisely denies us the opportunity to explore and learn. Growing up, curiosity was my second name. In fact I feel, I have missed out on getting the maximum from life, due to reduced level of curiosity in the name of growing up and knowing that the world is not a straight line, that life is not always as it seems; that people are not always as they seem. When I look at my nephews and nieces I can’t help but see aspects of my childhood in them. My niece Bridget in particular reminds me of my childhood curiosity with books! I grew up in the rural, where newspapers and other reading materials were not common. But this didn’t deter my curiosity, as a child, the world was a whole as it could be, after all as a child you don’t know what’s missing, just what’s available. One of the issues I was curious about was how the body ‘knows what the medication is meant for’! As young as 7 years I used to really wonder
In the last week, an idea was floated and supported by members of the Kikuyus for Change to take a step in addressing the victims of the Post Elections Violence. The case that was chosen was of a couple that was affected by the Kiambaa fire tragedy and 4 other families. For any Kenyan, the name ‘Kiambaa’ means something different since the Post Elections Violence (PEV) in Kenya. It no longer means just an area in Kiambu county but a Church in Eldoret where lives were lost in a gruesome way. The PEV was the most horrific violence that Kenya has experienced post independence. Arguably severe PEV has been happening around every General election in Kenya for a long time but the development in ICT may have hindered the reporting and hence realizing of the full extent of the violence. However, the violence has been in most cases in one or two regions but in 200/2008 the violence rocked the whole almost country brining life to a standstill. One of the most shocking occurrences of that violenc
Today I write about dresses, dressing. I cannot talk of dressing without remembering some of the great girls in my life that inspire me, my nieces. My nieces are an interesting lot and each of them has her own special way but for now let me focus on three. My niece Valerie has her own unique taste of clothes. I remember the day that with my younger sister we decided to have the ‘auntie of the year award’ by taking her shopping for clothes; not buy for her but take her to choose. She was very excited to be treated in such ‘adult way’ (she was about 5 yrs). We had in mind what we could have shopped for her, that Cinderella kind of dressing. Don’t girls look pretty in them, especially something red or pink? But no way, she wanted some jeans trouser! That was no easy task considering her tiny body. Eventually we got one that fitted her ‘hips’ and all and the girl was happy; her choice. She has made it clear she doesn't like long dresses, be it uniform or Sunday best. I recall an inci
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