AN INTIFADA IS THE WAY OUT OF POVERTY,NOT NAGGING

                     Women have demonstrated it. They have shown us that an intifada is possible even if you are weak. That  a successful intifada is hatched in the mind. Revolutions are first "seen" before they materialize.This is exactly what our grandmothers,mothers and sisters have shown us. Why am I so obsessed with women's' successes? Let me give you a story of a group of women I know. A successful lot. A people with vision. A section of humanity from whom we can learn new things. Vital lessons for that matter.

                       1995 was the year to be precise. I was just stepping into primary school. Being a curious creature I got the the wind of the going-ons in the locality. Women-talk was the dominant thing. Reactions were mixed to the uprising of these people. It was the year of "the Beijing declarations." This was when women were airlifted to China to be briefed of their roles and place in the society. Men were awash with this. They felt threatened. They rose up to "defend" their positions as the heads and who-is-who in the society. Any woman that attempted to rise up to challenge this was branded "a Beijing product" and "a traitor of ideals". Their successes were dismissed with reckless abandon. 

                      But you know what? Women didn't let it go. They retreated to "strategize". Thank God, they outsmarted men. God seemed to have read history and pulled Himself to the side of the women. Just like during prophet Elijah's time He used nature to speak. He chose to hit hard to pass the message. Famine struck. Families ran up and down. It was a moment of soul-searching. It was a moment for men to prove that they call the shots in the community. They were supposed to lead from the front and provide solutions. But alas! That wasn't the case. It seemed they were overwhelmed. 

                      Now you couldn't hear them talk of "defending ideals" when their wives fed them and sustained their families. They went underground. But women discovered this. They capitalized on it. To sustain their gains they organized themselves in welfare groups. Three here,four there.....and so on. Profits from these welfare groups catered for school fees for their kids, paying hospital bills for the sick, feeding their families......etc. Men were reduced to mere spectators. They were taught a lesson. They pulled a trigger not knowing they were aiming at themselves(men).

                     The moral? Revolutions are a result of humans' response to challenges befalling them. They come at a price. Painful ones. But the gains are far much greater. This is  what women of my village, Kainuk have done. They are a true answer to a nagging youth. That youth that thinks drinking and drug peddling is the way out of poverty. A well calculated intifada is the way out. Learn from our grandmas,mothers and sisters!

WHEN A SOCIETY KILLS ITSELF

                   There are so many ways in which a society kills itself. Some of these ways are direct. Others happen indirectly. But the common denominator is: the society remains the victim. How many ills happen amidst us? Do they just happen by their own? I think in every issue passing across us, there must be an actor. To interrogate this matter let's turn to the  Bible.

                   An excerpt from the book of Luke 13:10-16 goes ".....And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.And, behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"(KJV).

   
                 Here we are told of a sickly woman, Jesus Christ, ruler/leader of the synagogue, the sabbath day and the six days of work.  As was tradition according to law the woman wasn't supposed to be attended to on the sabbath day. Therefore Jesus is said to have "gone against the law" by healing the woman on the day of sabbath. But in response Jesus questioned their fidelity to this law. He questioned its applicability and the result it brings in the society.

                  From this excerpt we are made to understand of a people whose way of life was strictly based on some set of laws. Besides,it is evidently clear that these laws were to be strictly observed no matter what. What is of interest is the step man took to delegate his moral responsibility to a set of laws. Looking at this, several questions pop up; are laws meant to advance  social goodwill or curtail them? Is man devoid of his conscience?

                  From Jesus' responses it is quite clear that human conscience reigns supreme. That human decisions should be based on the correctness of the conscience. That human conscience always knows truth and stands for truth. That to stick to the law is foolhardy and is a betrayal of our conscience. 

                  And this takes me to the decisions we make daily; do we really need laws to compel us not to travel in overloaded buses? Do we need an armed faceless chap in our neighborhood for us to stay in peace? I think we've disregarded  the instructions of our conscience. We have reduced ourselves to the level of cows and donkeys. That unless we are supervised we can't do anything right. Even that which involves our lives! This way we kill ourselves and to an extension,the society.

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My condolences to friends and relatives of the Mwingi Bus accident victims. May God rest the souls of the departed in eternal peace.

LEMUKOL $ LEMUKOL ARCHITECTS

LEMUKOL $ LEMUKOL ARCHITECTS

 

DON'T BE A 'LOLLIPOP' PARENT

                   For you to reach the heart,first, pass through the head.These are not by words.This is a pronouncement of my ancestors.They are of the view that,the head is the engine that propels the body. They further added that it is preferable to have an army of sheep led by a lion than an army of lions led by a sheep. The moral here is; the head determines all. I won't dwell much on these quotations. Let's draw a parallel from that and analyze what we've done or what we ought to do.

                   It is common to hear people complain.I believe you've heard someone say this,"I just did it because I had no other choice." Some blame others for their tribulations. It is not a crime to complain or to lament. It is the substance behind this lamentation that ought be questioned and/or studied. Look at this,some years back I was confronted with a tricky situation. A group of kenyan students were looking for an apartment. They had just arrived from Kenya.They had no clue about Morocco. Being the senior student around I had to jump in and assist them get a place to stay. Thanks to God, we managed to get an apartment. After this 'breakthrough' I thought the 'problem' was now behind us and life will continue smoothly. I was wrong! After two nights in their new home,they came back calling, "Moses,you know my mum said that place isn't good for us. I phoned my mum and she 'decreed' that she won't pay my rent if we stay there." 

                   At first I was astonished. I could not hold myself anymore. I shot back. That I tried my best to let them settle. If they find the place 'un-conducive', it was upon them to look for somewhere else. I left..... From this it is very easy to blame these young kenyans for waiting for 'decrees' thousands of miles away. I think the person to blame here is the parent. Yes, that "lollipop" parent. Those parents that think love is 'helping the kid do this or that'. Helping someone is making the person arrive at his decisions independently. It is foolhardy for any parent to think that giving 'decrees' to kids is helping them grow. I'm not yet a parent,but I think I'm in a capacity to say this to parents. Your kids aren't robots. They are humans. Humans are characterized by their thoughts and thinking capacity.

                  And this takes me back to where I began;heads determine the "movement" of the body. Parents are family heads. Children form the body. This body is connected to the head. They are one. But one is superior to the other.The head is superior. Before declaring 'decrees' thousands of miles away,think about your roles as heads and 'lions' with an army of sheep.

WHY COMMUNICATION IS CRUCIAL IN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT

                      After the March 4 elections, Kenyans will usher in a new dawn. They will start reaping the fruits of devolved system of government. They will actualize their dream of deciding what they want done in their localities without the 'disturbance' of the central government. It will be a season of happiness and hope for the populace and a time to work for the elected. But one thing is crucial for this to become a reality. There must be dialogue. I mean fruitful dialogue. You know what? You don't carry a dialogue in a vacuum. Let's now explore what we need to have a fruitful dialogue.

                      Information is the engine of development. It connects the governed and the government. An informed populace participates fully in the running of the government. Successful governance entails borrowing ideas from the governed. The old adage goes, a dead person understands a grave the best. On matters of development, the masses know it better. They understand their aspirations and wishes. The only 'problem' they have is how to make these aspirations a reality. And this is where the elected people have their work cut out. Putting mechanisms of communication is the first step towards the realization of this dream.

                     A county government must have its instruments of information and communication. These include, but not limited to, TV stations and radios. Just imagine a county government depending on village elders as tools of communication! I'm not downgrading the roles of our elders. They play a central role on matters communication. Complementing their roles is the issue under discussion here.

                    Hope is hope until it is actualized. The hopes of the hoi polloi are to "hear" and "talk" with their leaders. This is the surest way in which they can participate in governance. It is this "hearing" and "talking" that pushed to the setting up of these devolved units of governance. It is therefore imperative for the incoming team of peoples' workers to put in place systems of communication. I think having radio and TV programs funded by the County Government is important. The fruits that will emanate from this will actually surpass the operational cost.

                   Failure to do this will be a betrayal of the trust of the masses. Failure to connect with the people will be equivalent to equating them to things,not thinking humans. And this will be a recipe for chaos. Avert chaos by connecting with the people. This is the essence of you being elected.

WHY YOU DON'T COMMAND TO BE ASSISTED

                       I'm told humans are umbilically corded to one another.They share the same aspirations and destiny.They are one,and forever shall they remain as such.This is what I learned from my dear parents.That I have a role to play in life.This,I was told,is the bottom line of all humans.But now I'm faced with a tricky situation,- what do you do to a commanding person? How do you interact with such a human? Are you bound by any law to assist such a being? Methinks not.This is why I think so.

                       Assistance is not a right.It is given out willingly.The contrary only happens between you and your earthly Gods.To suggest that by the virtue of sharing the same flag I'm "obliged" to help some misguided characters is to miss the point.This should go down on record.Assistance comes with responsibility.It bestows responsibility on the side of the assisted party.It calls for caution.This is what my ancestors say," you don't mistreat a lactating cow,it will kick you and leave you 'milk-less'." Responsibility entails respect. Responsibility is what you need to prove you are in need.

                       Assistance is not a bunch of bananas auctioned out there.It is upon the assisted party to come forward and say,'Mr so and so,I need your help in this or that.' Silence is an expression of contentment. Needy people are never settled.They are always on the move.They search and scratch.This is the true meaning of a human in need.To sleep and wait for manna to fall from above is foolhardy. To do this is to commit a social suicide.Moving out is the way.To complain of lack of assistance is to push blames to others. To do this is farcical and beats no logic. Carry your own cross. You only complain when you are entitled to something.I think we do miss the point when we take assistance as a birthright and a divine duty of the assisting-parties to do so no matter what.This is fallacy of the highest order.

                       The choice of words demonstrate our thinking ability.It is an expression of our inner beings.So next time you seek help/assistance from someone,weigh your words,your thoughts and your moves.Doing this is beneficial to you.The contrary is to commit a social suicide.ENJOY.

SHOULD WE BLAME GOD FOR LACK OF PEACE?

It is universal truth that God is supreme. He is powerful and above all. All life comes from Him. He is the author of everything. But then comes another issue. Should we blame God for lack of peace in the world? Should we blame God for killings and massacres happening across the globe? Methinks not. This is what I asked myself when I heard some chaps crying that God should provide peace during this electioneering period.

I thought God gave us everything. He gave us brains to think. He gave us His divine instructions to guide us. Where did we miss the point? Let’s look at it. Peace is a reward for loving humanity. It is the fruit of looking at the other as a continuation of yourself. And this is what is called LOVE. It is therefore imperative to talk about peace when we actually practise love of humanity. Where is the logic here; you hate your neighbor, you call him names, you castigate him....etc then you "pray" to God to provide you with peace? I find this hypocritical and self-defeating.

When I look around and see God's creations I see answers. Not even a single day have I seen lions killing each other. Not even a single day have I seen elephants descending upon one another for lack of grass! It is only us humans who have perfected this art. And so this begs the questions - is God to blame for this? What else do we need for us to live in peace? Do we have to see God himself for us to love each other?

Humans are complete creatures. They are first class creatures. They are bestowed with the power to think and determine their destiny. With this thinking power we are able to know that we are worthless without peace. And this takes me to the conclusion - It is time we leave God alone. Peace is found inside us. Peace is a fruit of love. It is a reward for good-neighborliness. "Praying" to God for peace is to try to climb a tree from the top. Peace is you and me!

Twitter: @mlemukol. Email: lemoseh89@gmail.com