Friday, January 22, 2010

A RESILIENT PEOPLE: SHARING A FACEBOOK DISCUSSION WE ALL OUGHT TO BE HAVING

RB's Status:

Ours is a rich nation.. O'wise we'd have been a failed economy/ nation long ago. The million dollar scandals, super salaried Mpigs and govt fat cats.. Drought, floods, never ending political crap, terrorist attacks.. Yet we still stand strong. Najivunia kuwa Mkenya.


WK

The best glass-half-full perspective i have heard in a while.

When I was preparing to come to the states, i went to the dean of my faculty to have him sign some passport papers for me. In the course of conversing with him, i mentioned - very matter-of-factly - how i intended to bribe immigration officers with 10K in order to get my passport fast. The professor dropped his pen and starred at me as if I had cracked the Fermat's equation. Was he shocked that i was going to bribe to get a passport? Isn't that how things are done in Kenya? I asked.

He said it might be the case that there is corruption everywhere but there is only one reason why the country is still functioning: there are still good and descent people out there. He told me to go out there and apply for a passport and not to dare bribe anyone. I did and got it in 2 weeks.

His name was Prof. AKong'a. I hope to one day meet the guy and tell him how profoundly his lesson changed my outlook on life. Just because everybody is swimming in Nairobi River, it doesn't mean that you too must.
...

NWG

Kenya is the country to watch. Our continent have enough for everyone. I tend to think we need the equivalent of the civil rights movement back in Africa, coz, just like the blacks in US, even after slavery, they were still under oppression....we are independent but still subject to other people. But that is changing, we have started by reviewing the colonial Constitution for one that is relevant to us. We are constantly threatened that will not be able to export our goods to western markets yet we can develop a thriving market in Africa. If we can provide quality, both goods and services, we wont have to beg people to buy them..does Japan or China beg us to buy their wares? There must arise a new crop of African leaders who are not driven by basic survival but by a passionate desire to deliver our people from disgrace. I attended a medical class recently in one of the developed countries, and all the case studies, including films,are from Africa. Diseases that were eradicated 60-50 yrs in those countries are still ravaging us in masses. How long shall we continue blaming colonialism for our pathetic state of things? To every young Kenyan, whether in the motherland or the diaspora,our grandparents may have fought the independence wars, but we have an even bigger challenge..just like the civil rights giants..we will be there ..I will be there!

RM

Its only a matter of time.. the resilient spirit is beginning to pay off in many ways. The passport experience Wilson narrates just goes to show that the first responsibility for change lies with the individual. As more and more of us catch this spirit - the belief that we don't have to uncritically accept what has been, the embracing of individualresponsibility for progress - change for good becomes inevitable. It is evident all around that we are at a critical point as a nation. We are living through defining moments... there is an awakening happening amongst us. More and more among our populace are willing to stand up and be counted as active players in the quest for change. The prob hasn't been the shortage of good and decent people - they are actually the majority I believe; prob has been the inaction, the passivity with which with have let the minority rogue members of our society run rough shod over us... the majority had believed the lie 'this is Kenya, that's just the way things are'... this mind set led individuals to abdicate all responsibility to politicians and 'serikali'... Now everyday more and more Akong'as are coming out. They are speaking loudly and clearly... and many more amongst us are believing them and taking corresponding individual and collective action..


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