Encounters of a Lifetime

The moment before you meet that special one; everything seems to be at a standstill. Time rushes by, the mind becomes cluttered with thoughts. Sometimes you can plan every single way of the encounter sometimes it is just abrupt.

I am not sure if I have met the one yet. But I have had the most amazing encounters. At work colleagues are just a hilarious group of diverse people. From the outspoken to the quite types I have seen them all. Nevertheless, some encounters are just worth years of memories. 

I now have a new friend! He speaks a lot, just the right kind of stuff I love to hear. We dream together and sip our favourite drinks together. He likes a Jameson, I like something else. We agree on most things but then each time I am taken back.

The little voices in me keep whispering. At most instances I have never been sure whether it’s me. I just blurt out about everything under the sky. There is a reason I like my new friend. He keeps it real simple not the kind who is so deeply introverted. I like his sense of humour but the real him is yet to come.

Someday sooner I will know. I have already witnessed some drama but that is all mine for keeps. In meeting people our horizons are broadened. It stops being about me and appreciating each other takes precedence. The best is not to stare at each other and turn to social media rather it is making the most out of each encounter. For tomorrow you might need each other. This is how it is between my new friend and I. We are learning to get by day by day. 

If you ever run into me I would like us to make the most of the encounter. Lets exchange numbers and let us find that one thing that makes us!

Delivery should Supersede Passion

Often times we speak of passion as our driving force. While it is a good thing, it can be terribly depressing when all you have is a deep burning that is not backed up with the desired action plan. When we talk of passion, our friends see it in our eyes, critics don't. They look at it differently. They want something more.

Attending sessions with young, aspiring people can be damning. At every instance everyone has this grandiose idea where they visualise everything. In the heat of the moment friends and foes alike are cheering on. While friends celebrate in the conception of the idea, foes alike are in celebration. The foes' celebration may last a bit longer, if the aspiring person does not pull the act together.

This is a dilemma I am faced with time and again. In conceptualising ideas I see everything clearly. I even know whom to turn to for the much needed support. But then the ideas some of them do not come to see the light of day. Sometimes it is out of fear of what the reaction will be. Other times it is being immensely in love with the concept and feeling that it is not yet the right time.

But what does this holding mean?

To the people who had so much hope, they look at you as one of the great speakers; a dog that barks but does not bite. Maybe it is true, all you are is a good concept developer and you need someone bold enough to realise the concept. There will never be a right time for those who wait for it. It is always grand but until you take the first step, all it is, is a dream.

Film Aid Festival Closes as Kenyans Urged to Push their Agenda to Tell stories

The Seventh edition of Film Aid film festival came to a close on Friday August 23, 2013 at the Alliance Francaise in Kenya’s Capital Nairobi. As the curtains drew a close to the three day film galore, film enthusiasts, Human Rights advocates and even artists left the venue with a new challenge.

Image courtesy of filmaid.org

While I cannot comprehensively talk about the screenings –I watched only two of the short films– the panel discussions, though sometimes appeared to be out of focus on the issues at hand, they gave audiences something worthy to think about.

On August 22, with the focus being Media, rights and displaced persons the panelists spearheaded by Charles Kotieno, tackled less about these issues. Instead representatives from the Refugee Consortium of Kenya and Amnesty International tackled various issues about repatriation and assistance offered to the refugees. Repatriation seemed to be an apt theme as Kenya has recently announced the repatriation of Somali refugees.

Image courtesy of filmaid.org

But it was on August 23 that seemed to lean greatly towards the issue of media and refugees. With the topic at hand being Xenophobia, Racism and Tribalism the panelists that included Judy Kibinge (film director& producer), Octopizzo (musician) Mburuku Gikunda (Media Focus) and Duc Mallard (Refugee From  Kakuma) they seemed to address what they through their organizations or as artists how they are addressing the issues.

On her part Judy kibinge said it was so sad that Kenyan media/ practitioners have not embraced the opportunities to tackle issues that have since independence held back the society.  “Kenya is such a vibrant place to be an artist, but it is a pity that those who are in this sector are lazy to do something meaningful,” she quipped when asked when artists will start tackling issues that affect the Kenyan society.

On the other hand Mburuku a former producer at KTN said it was up to each one of us to participate in telling the stories that we all want to hear. Who is the media? He quipped.  We will not get the story that we want told by waiting on the media to tell it. It is up to us to push the agenda.

Besides the panel discussions, the great steps that Film Aid has achieved in the art of filmmaking were greatly noticeably. From times when the productions were poorly directed, and some did not have a story per se. This year’s production though not the best had remarkable improvement in areas of camera work, sound and even scripting. It is hoped that this annual festival should be the direction that Mburuku Gikunda alluded to; the public needs to push the agenda before pointing fingers at the media.

Why does the world stare?

I am distressed,

At the cold stares the world is sending my way,

Why does the world revel so much in taking unnecessary looks at me?

I want to hide myself from the world

Please tell me how to hide

A hello from him,

A Hi whisper from her,

A tap from it,

I caught her off guard,

Her eyes trained on me,

I would have looked otherwise,

But she was by the window of her car

It’s insane how these eyes are all trained on me,

 Is it something I did?

I dab at my face,

Perhaps I went overboard with make-up this morning,

No!

The hanky confirms otherwise,

No make-up at all,

So why dear world,

Am I receiving this cold stares?

I might be familiar from the past,

But no,

I have never caught attention of the TV cameras,

The last journalist in my circle of friends,

Turned out to be all titles but no action,

I dread each morning as I take the leisurely walk through the park,

Someone might be looking

Eyes that eat us up are no good,

They make us nervous,

Not that we have secrets that anyone would die for,

An innocent soul,

Living each day in a stride,

Wishing no fame upon this fragile soul that is mine,

Just when will the cold stares,

Turn into a warm reception,

This is why I ask again,

How do I hide from the world? 

Illusion Delusion; Reality Fantasy

Even in my dreams you remain an illusion

In reality, a delusion

 I see you from a distance

Constantly snooping at every instance

Just maybe we were not meant to be,

This pain I have known to bear

Time again and again

Where in the world

Am I to look?

Not that I have been the best,

But I know,

I ought to be among the many constants

That ought to swing the pendulum

Though I seek,

You are a mirage that will never turn a reality,

A fantasy that has stolen a heart from a far,

I knew that December when we met,

That you were not any good to my fragile soul,

Yet an innocent soul out for a thrill I was,

Encompassing all that you were!

It is yet another December,

Like a bad dream,

I hope I will wake to streaks of life,

Breathe a new life,

Into the past,

See a newer you,

Touch that shiny face once again

 As I held out my hand,

You wrapped me in your arms,

With a promise of us

Then I let you slip into the world unknown,

Trusting in every word that you said

Today as tears stream,

I reckon that you might be a happy soul after all,

For yours is to turn dreams into obscurity

Just what went wrong?

Outsiders Looking in!

So what are we? I am not sure why I ask. The turn of events just leave you asking questions; some rhetoric, others genuinely deserving answers.

I am in a conundrum. Seeking some sort of assurance, whether it’s about the future or the present I am yet to establish. Fear as we all know holds us back from being the best we could ever be. As I rushed through the streets this morning, a knot of uneasiness tucked in my stomach. I am not sure whether the rumbling noise was from my stomach. I have been queasy uneasy since last weekend.  The circumstances leading to these moments remain a mystery.

With a hood over my head I convinced myself that I was out of sight to the curious eyes of the thousands of outsiders who shamelessly tend to look in. Now I stand at the door ready to knock. I hear a voice over my shoulder and wonder just who it might be.

I have missed my targets over the last one month. Maybe this is the reason why I am hiding away from the real world. I just can’t accept the fact that I failed on this one. But I did try. I keep convincing myself. I want to break away, yet the next step is not known. I walk each moment my held bowed low in shame.

Sometimes it is all about luck. I know lady luck has kept a distance from me. I want her to come back. Even if not in a great way; just in a small sneaky way that says I am around not this time but some other day I will look your way.

The boss has been on my case for far too long. I want to burst into tears. I want to talk back but then this thing called fear holds me back. So when will the sun shine?

I Weep!

He keeps on staring,

But I know what we had is over,

All because it was built on deceit,

We never want to hold grudges,

But of what use is it,

When we reconcile,

Yet deep down,

Our souls are full of vengeance,

Perhaps we should look as if we do not see,

Walk as if aimless,

Talk as if we are afraid,

But hold true to what is ours

An astounding betrayal it was,

The little lies we told,

Someone elsewhere used them,

To crucify us

It was a crucifixion of sorts,

He killed the one thing that was so dear to the soul?

It wasn’t physical destruction,

Yet the repercussions are too visible to ignore,

The blabbering soul,

Caused a permanent damage to my frail soul

And here I weep

How a man with his dignity,

Would succumb to this mind-games,

Was unforgivable,

He would have lied to one,

But not two,

Promised one a better future,

But not all the two,

This is why vengeance,

Is deep-rooted,

Always seeking that one thing,

 That will cause him everlasting pain

It appears he is on my back,

Everywhere I turn,

I see his intimidating soul materialise,

I fear,

But then am in safe hands,

Hoping that he gets the hint,

Yet now I see him,

Not from the back,

Nor in dreams,

He is intently staring,

This time,

From afar

I hate to reminisce,

Of the earlier days,

When all we saw was love,

Nothing mattered then,

Yet we turn away,

With tearful eyes,

Love has lost meaning,

And we are afraid,

Lest we find ourselves,

Subjects of this thing called love

It’s Her I Want!

Nothing compares to her immense beauty,

I am dumbfounded by her beauty,

I pinch myself to make sure it’s real,

How sad it is,

She just zoomed past me,

Her sleek body leaves me dazed,

Her glowing lights promise me such better times,

It’s the grey colour that crowns it all,

My mind is set,

SHE IS ALL I WANT

I am held up in this stinky, emotionless and unsteady relationship,

With this rickety, old and squeaky beast,

It worries me every now and then

I look around and catch a glimpse of her rear shape,

It says S280,

Does it mean she realizes how sleek and beautiful she is?

It is a dream,

But then am done dreaming,

She has been making a disappearing act the whole day,

I hate myself for not making the effort to own her,

Yet I know I will see her tomorrow,

I am fed up of dreaming

All I want is her!

For He is Gone

He is gone,

I need not explain why,

For it was bound to happen

I did not invite him,

Neither did you,

Yet here we are,

Daggers drawn ready for revenge

I walked away,

To let you savour the joy of the moment,

Yet you could not contain him,

In my arms he came rushing,

A confused soul I remained standing

The American sweetheart is gone,

Forever gone!

Will you go on grieving?

Or will you extend your hand and join me on the side of the planet,

Somewhere our hearts will heal,

Our past put behind,

Or like the ‘good friends’ we have become,

You are ready to play the dirty game again?

How I wish my ounce of attitude will last one more day,

My head held high to the sky,

Your pathetic whining dropped in the sea,

And my glory of the day upheld,

It matters not anymore,

For I am the overgrown child,

The attitude filled individual,

You claim I am,

Yet all reasons point to you,

You mask your insecurities in me,

You hope that I will come back to you,

But fair lady I have had enough

Forever I walk on,

In search of greater glory,

Holding on to my belief,

Overriding the groupie effect,

A strong willed individual I am,

A joy to a few

Why Do We stand and Stare?

Where does an aggrieved individual find the strength to move on? Have we always had the courage to stand up for ourselves when we are ill-treated?

There are few of us who find the strength to go on. Majority of us retreat into our cocoons welling tears that do nothing but propagate us to the world as weaklings. Recent happenings in the world in which I live have left me a disillusioned individual but not one that will give up my vision soon.

Though bullying is something I have always thought happens to young people-those going to boarding schools only, I have witnessed adult bullying at its worst. While we might sympathise and condemn the act among children as they are helpless and not able to defend themselves, how then do you explain this act amongst men and women who are able to fight for themselves?

I might have witnessed bullying and done nothing about it. For that I despise myself. I might have been a victim and in denial but looking at the people I had always regarded as strong-willed and able to stand up for themselves tolerate this act  has led me to the sole conclusion that we at times welcome trouble, court trouble and forget that we have a way out.

While things like job security and the difficult economic times are good enough to justify our withholding and letting people who lack integrity domineer over us is not good enough.

Unfortunately, I on the hand have walked away from my problems.  I realize a time will come when I will have to confront the truth and say exactly what is on my mind. However, one thing I have always held true to myself is to not let individuals who are under some sort of self discovery experiment on me as to whether they would make good bosses.

There are times when I have feared for my tomorrow because in one or another am confronted with challenging times with individuals such as my supervisors. But I would rather face the difficult times than have someone dominate over me.

My actions of course haven’t been received with open arms. At times I have been viewed as an individual who is too proud. Some have had the guts to liken me to animals. But this I believe is a problem with them not me.

Unless men and women stand up for themselves, bullying is here to stay. We do not have to exchange blows to defend ourselves. All we need is to be adult enough and walk away from all those nonsense we are treated to. We do not have to win all the arguments we are invited to but be able to speak our minds and let the world know that we have our rights. 

Integrating Fun into the Learning Process

The change we intend of effecting in the community is that of awareness. We believe that through football, a sport that resonates with many, we can communicate a message of abstinence, and alert them on the struggles they may face later in their lives so that when that time comes, they will have the necessary tools to stand up to drugs and alcohol, choose abstinence over momentary satisfaction.

In doing so, United Football Club believes that the community will not only benefit from long, healthy lives, but they will be ready to usher in a generation of change, because as they have been enlightened, they too will enlighten others.

The brain child of one of Kenya’s Global Changemakers—Freddy Mulli— UFC works with children between the ages of 11 and 14, and in doing so will instill values and principles that are applicable both on the football field and off it, in the way they lead their lives.

Let's Maintain the Silence

Let us maintain the silence,

Like a gentle snowfall,

It has brought moments of self actualization,

Exposing us to the much dreaded cold,

Giving us time to reflect,

In essence we realise who we are and ought to be.

Let us not condemn this new practice,

For it is not worth it,

 To part ways when we’ve just met,

This silence will be the reason we shall be here to testify,

Of the glory,

The wonder that is our love sojourn,

It might be too long,

It might be too short,

But in our hearts,

 Let sovereignty reign.

Ours is a quest,

To maintain the silence that has prevailed over the months,

The end unknown to many,

Yet the memories of this time,

Like a shining star shall brace us ready for the future ahead,

In your insolence,

You failed to realise why the high and mighty tend to tumble from glory,

Had you realised,

You never would have courted arrogance,

But then we all need a shoulder to lean on,

And mine is that shoulder that readily offers you the comfort.

Goodbye is not a word we all want to hear at times,

 The coldness of your heart,

Isn’t any different from this warm goodbye I want to bid you,

My heart learnt how to embrace the coldness you showed,

Year after year,

I held on,

Five years down the lane and you have not changed the attitude,

Why should I suffer any more?

Touching Society’s Cornerstone, Empowering Girls on Social Entrepreneurship

Uhai Binti 'Girl Alive' is a project by one of Kenya’s Global Change Makers, Deborah Chebet.

The project is committed to fighting rural poverty using social entrepreneurship. 

By equipping one girl with the social and financial skills necessary to set up her own enterprise Uhai Binti believes this same girl can go on to impact herself and her community as well.

 Driven by a vision to inspire hope and create change the project advocates for the right of young girls aged between 14and 18 to education and against early marriage. 

What is Creativity?

While many define themselves as creatives, it is astounding when you ask them to elaborate on what they mean. Pegged on this simple word yet difficult for most to explain it, Sinema Hotsun hosted an evening where this theme was explored on July 14, 2012 at Goethe-Institut.

Through photography, films and live performances and discussions both young and old interacted in a lively show that brought an understanding of creativity. As artists pelted out songs of love and hope, dance troupes presented electric moves.

Few clips created by students at the Kibera Film School brought a whole new meaning to creativity, though some left the audience questioning about story development in film as well as titling of films.

According to the Hotsun programmes manager Josephat Keya the Sinema Hotsun event will be hosted every quarter of the year and this was the first of its kind to be held.

So what does creativity mean to you? 

University of Nairobi Set to Become a Peace Hub in Eastern Africa

A peace conference bringing together peace practitioners in and academicians in Kenya and Uganda ended with discussions with a suggestion that the University of Nairobi becomes a hub of peace in the eastern Africa region. 

Speaking to a few members who discussed the way forward for the summit that was held on July 11 and 12, 2012; Henry Mutoro of the University ofNairobi said he was in support of the idea and he would work towards the establishment of a secretariat for the peace network of those who congregated at the conference.

This is one of the many other developments following the successfully design and development of a Masters programme in Peace studies at the University that was launched on June 29, 2011.  The University of Nairobi is one of the two universities working in collaboration with Coventry University in the UK.

The other is Makerere University that has designed a degree programme that has been hampered by a lot of bureaucracy at the University but is set for a launch in September 2012.

Participants at the conference learned from various practitioners at grassroot levels in building peace in their communities. Also attending the two day seminar was Kenya’s Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who urged the participants to embrace their diversity. Citing Mauritius as the only place where democracy seemed to be functioning, he said Kenya was working regain its lost glory and beat Mauritius to become a democracy after the next general elections.

Additionally, he said that unemployment had created a sense of exclusion among the youth and said the solution to this was expansion of existing enterprises to create employment.

“If we fix poverty, we will have fixed a lot of social ills,” the vice president remarked.

Dubbed Community tensions, Dialogue and Peace Building, Professor Paddy Musana of Makerere University presenting a paper on ‘Creating Space for Dialogue’ wondered when we as individuals had held dialogues. Faulting political leaders he said the leaders did not face reality when it came to matters pertaining to cultural diversity. He further said that most African governments never aspire for national unity; instead they tend to embrace the ‘winner takes it all’ attitude which leads to divisions in the society.

Saying that new technologies have brought to the human race new forms of interaction, he questioned how much society had incorporated dialogue into the new technologies.

“We are so tied to the present, when will we dream about the future?” Musana further queried.

Young Voices around the Globe

 Welcome to the world of changing making. They might be young, restless but they are ambitious and agitating for change. In their own little ways they are bringing about change in the societies they live in. 

Whether it's through football, film, women awareness or peer education theirs is a quest to achieve a society with young people who are ready to take charge. Their stories tell of endless journeys. Journeys that will take you to the remotest of parts in Kenya where you will not only discover but also realize what it means to be a social entrepreneur and a change maker.

Global Changemakers is a British Council funded global youth network of social entrepreneurs and community activists from 126 countries worldwide. Its mission is to empower youth to catalyse positive social change, something which it achieves through:learning and teaching; Global and regional summits, community and personal capacity building supported by free online curriculum.

Kenya has more than 15 young people who have been trained in different parts of the world and will be sharing their stories in the forthcoming weeks. Look out for what they say and how you might be part of this movement!