At times God's plan is not always clear, but still We can trust and believe in Him, For the bible in Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans that I have for You, plans not of Evil but of good, plans not to harm Us but to prosper Us, plans to give Us Hope and a Future, declares the lord."
He loved Us so much so that He gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross just so You and I could be cleansed of Our sins and spared from His wrath judgment and ultimate punishment. Ain't that reason enough to believe and trust in the Creator, Our Father who Art in heaven? May God Almighty grant Us the strength and presence of mind to get out there and be Amazing, Take heart Comrade; Na pamoja Tuzidi kusonga mbele kwa Upendo, Umoja, Amani, Undugu, Ubora Na Ustawi kwa wote, Kenya istahili. Karibu September, And do all have Yourselves a Happy and Blessed new month!

OPEN LETTER

Dear youths,

How to start my case is not quite clear to me just yet but still due to the great mutual anguish that I felt reeling in the air during a conversation that my friends and I were having, I feel obliged to speak. As usual it always has to do with the sad state of affairs in our great nation, Kenya. Critics may argue that all some people do, “like me”, is paint a negative image of our lovely nation. That is definitely not my intention and never has it been. Truth is, there is so much that has been going on ever since the so called digital government came into power and most of it is with no doubt negative staff. It would not be surprising if today we woke up to the news that some more billions have been lost or stolen someplace else within the government because it has become the norm around. Everybody now wants a piece of this loot, so much so that it would almost be impossible for me and my fellow youths to resist this very meat had we come into contact with it. Thus many questions arise but what puzzles me the most is, “What kind of lessons are these that the political class is trying to teach us and do their kids also learn from the same syllabus?” I wonder.   Surprisingly nothing ever happens which is ok for us because we never seem to speak against it. Today though, I write with two disturbing facts in mind. How is it possible that this very people who were tasked with safeguarding the tax payer’s money and channeling it towards key projects that would go a long way in the growth and development of our economy and in the long run improved living standards for we, the people, are using this very billions to buy our votes?? No names mentioned but really? Is that the kind of country they want to leave behind for their children and grand children. Do they ever stop to look back and think about what they are doing? Sometimes I tend to want to understand that we are all humane and we all love money but how do you do it like the world is coming to an end tomorrow? I would really love to sit down with this breed of people and get to know how they live with all that in their conscience, but until I get the chance to, one thing is for sure. This is not the kind of country that I would love my kids and grandchildren growing up in. Why not join hands and speak against it if you share that thought with me.

For a long time we’ve been lamenting against governments with wazees but look at what happened when people chose to go the digital way. How do we as the young generation expect to be trusted with this leadership positions if all we can do is take care of our greed first? Well, if you think about it, perhaps we will have a word or two to use in our defense, top on the list being the fact that this guys are not that young and in reality do not qualify to be classified as youths but because at the time they were the only promising option of young candidates we had, it just had to go that way. Perhaps this time we will be a little bit wiser to give a chance to the many real youngsters out there who are driven by something larger than themselves and are ready to serve too. Hio mchezo tumekataa!!

THE HEALTH SCAM

I’m a proud humble African who wishes no trouble with anyone and thus at most times may choose to shut my ears and close my eyes. Only then is it possible to foolishly assume that all is well but at times situations get out of hand, so much so that even with all your senses impaired, you still notice all the ills going on around. I do not write this with any hidden agendas nor do I have affiliations with anyone from the political class. The current state of affairs is quite saddening and so here I am thinking out loud. One would have been mistaken to think that after the NYS scandal, our country which we love so much would be spared from all the  shameful sagas that are fast tainting our image. Here we are again talking about another scam that has stole the nation’s attention. The HEALTH scam it is. While the country has recorded significant gains in infant mortality, malaria deaths, under-five mortality and life expectancy over the past few years, we have not made significant progress in maternal health. This is what makes this latest theft as heartless as any can be because it touches on an area that is key to our well being as a nation. As is the norm, investigations will be carried out but no concrete results and necessary action taken thereafter will ever be tabled before  the public.  As a concerned youth, doesn’t this get you thinking? Who is or are this behind all this and what are their real intentions for our great country, Kenya and we the people as well? How do we as the youths believe in hardwork and sweat when all we see around are poor educated and hardworking individuals who sweat for the food that they put on their tables while the rich criminals seem to be having it easy? To some point, I would love to blame we the citizens for putting this very people we complain about in those positions of power but then don’t they have a conscience that comes back to haunt them whenever they do all what they do. The gap between the rich and the poor increases on a daily basis but still they continue robbing and building higher walls around their houses while the poor in that next door slum watch with their mouths shut.
When will all this madness end, and if not completely could it a tleast reduce? This is not the kind of society that we as the youths want, not only for ourselves but for generations to come. How do we grow from a developing country  to one that is already developed with a leadership that spends close to all of their terms in government looting public resources that are meant for development?? Soon this will be a forgotten topic just like we have forgotten all the others. So what is going to be next I wonder?
This is a serious issue that should be dealt with as such. Don’t you think that enough is enough? It is no secret who the relevant authorities are and it is high time that they face the people and tell them what they know, when they knew it and what they did when they knew it. I question their silence with all due respect on this and the many other thefts in the country. Could it be because they have special interests and shares? We have reason to believe so.
As I conclude, bear this in mind: CHANGE does not happen. You and I must all appreciate that we all have our part to play if we want to bring CHANGE about. Start by making a sober decision come next year and vote in able leaders based on what they have done over the past years and not on empty promises. I rest my case!

AN AWESOME DAY BEGINS WITH AN AWESOME MORNING

Hi there guys, hope we all had an interesting thursday🤓. Ever wondered why this moment is called the “PRESENT”?? Today is another new day, a God given gift to us all and in equal measure. A chance to start over again from where we left yesterday. Sadly though, not all of us make the most out of it like we are supposed to. Ever wondered why Bill Gates, Mark Zukerberg, the late Steve Jobs and many others just like them seem to be so successful? Success as we all know has got diverse interpretations depending on an individual. My definition of success does not and cannot be the same as yours because we all have different perspectives of life. We are all on our own unique journeys with the hope and desire to get to our destinations. For some, success may be having all the money that runs the world in their bank accounts while for others, it is only achieved when they are able to put a smile on a strangers face by being that savior that they pray for on a daily basis to help in solving a problem that had almost made them loose all hope with life and humanity. It all depends on a number of factors but that is a story for another day. So bearing in mind that we all have 24 hours a day, why is it that only a selected few seem to be running the world? This question got me thinking and because I dream of not only becoming as successful as they are but also as  inspirational as they are to a young person out there just like me some day, I embarked on a mission to find out what exactly it is they do differently. They say that curiosity killed the cat but for me, It always finds a way of boosting my desire to live an even longer and fulfilled life. This is because it somehow always leads me to new, interesting and useful information that can help one lead an even better life if keenly adhered to. So there I was doing my research on the daily routines and habits of those role models we all look up to, and the results were surprising. I was under the impression that having the right attitude, putting in that extra effort, perhaps even working longer hours and pushing through with the necessary sacrifices is all that one needed but that wasn't the case. We all had a chance to choose whatever course it is that we are pursuing here at the campus. No one forced you in to it and because of the love, interest and passion that you have for your course, our minds are all definitely set. We are ready to invest whatever it will take to see ourselves all the way up to graduation day. You go a step further to look for that extra time where you do your private studies and even attend group discussions. At this stage, you are ready to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to get yourself to a place called success. You would, for example, forego airtime for your phone so that the money saved could be diverted towards photocopying of handouts or buying of a Pen. Some of us resist the temptations of partying on a weekend to study for an exam. Sacrifices that any sane person would make. Don't get me wrong, doing all this is not easy and will definitely get you some place. We all do this and we will all get some place but what sets the Bill Gates of this world apart from the rest? It turned out to be easier than I thought. The very successful have a unique habit of setting aside 10-20 minutes aside in the morning and evening on a daily basis. So what exactly do they do with this time? For Mornings they prioritize and lay out a plan for their day.  It may not turn out exactly as planned but at least you have guidelines and principles to live by, set goals to achieve and will know when things are getting out of control. Evenings are used to reflect back on how the day was. One is able to tell what worked and what did not. You discover things that have been pulling you back and that need to be thought of in a different way. They use their last minutes before retiring to bed to learn from their failures and successes through out the day and meditate on how to do things more intelligently and make tomorrow an even better day.

Most of us live like zombies. We wake up early, carry out our habits and normal routines and then go back to bed only to wake up and do it all over again. Why don’t you try doing things alittle bit differently this morning? Set aside 5 minutes to start with and just think about how you would like your day to be and prioritize on all of the day’s activities. It may not make sense at first but do the same in the evening and make it a habit to plan your day before you even get out of bed. Not planning is planning to fail. Do have yourself an awesome Friday.

 

TALKING SHENG

Young people in Nairobi use Sheng, an urban, youth sociolect that mixes English, Kiswahili, and ethnic languages and shares many features with slang, to forge a new, hybrid identity. Sheng signifies the negotiations and struggles of youth's identity project. The institutions of family, church, school, and popular media present Kenyan youth with different possible identities. The voice of the family comes to them in ethnic languages that embody tradition and heritage. The voice of education asks them to place Kiswahili at the center of a multicultural ideology, but does so in English. The church calls to them in Kiswahili and English. The voice of the media comes to them in videos, movies, music, radio, and television and is heard mostly in English. Each of these languages represents a particular ideology of living in the world and young people respond through language. Sheng gives young people the wherewithal to question and challenge the ideologies and identities that attempt to define them. Sheng also signifies the construction of a linguistic third space between the global, represented by a transnational African diasporic culture, and the local, represented by tradition. ^ This dissertation also focuses on two groups of culture brokers that are helping to shape Sheng and, as a consequence, shape identity—rap musicians and Manambas. Manambas are young men who work on Kenya's privately owned public service vehicles popularly known as Matatus. Many of Kenya's rappers feel a sense of responsibility toward the youth; and as the voices of their generation they feel an obligation to promote the importance of African heritage in young people's definition of self. Manambas are the master innovators of Sheng, however, they do not share rappers' sense of responsibility nor do they have a coherent social agenda for young people. While rappers negotiate between tradition and modernity, Manambas stand in between the global and the local. Through their consumption of commodities, including fashion and music, transnational culture is given currency and symbolic power in the expression of identity. ^ The discourse on hybridity and globalization constitute the theoretical ground on which the empirical data is explored and analyzed.

HIDDEN IN EVERY PROBLEM IS AN OPPORTUNITY!

Life is an endless circular flow of ups and downs, good times and sad times, happy moments and moments when you would thank the ground for opening up and swallowing you alive. I choose not to focus on the happy moments of life when one is at peace with everything because most of us if not all have been there, at the top where you feel like you own the whole wide world. Here nothing and no one can stop you from pursuing whatever it is that you want too and miraculously it almost always ends up brightening not only your world a little bit more but also those around you.

The sad moments, that time when you feel so low, that season of your life in which nothing makes sense because of some negative experiences that we may have gone through is what brings most people crumbling down on their feet. Such situations and times in some people, marks the beginning of their downfall. Not because they willingly want to take that forbidden path of failure in life but because of the way, as humans, we are naturally programmed to always take the easy way out. We tend to unwillingly react negatively in such situations. If you are a student and seem not to be getting good grades, what do you do???Do you quit or do you give it your all. If you are fired from your job, do you stress over it, so much so that you end up messing with your health? Did you know that High levels of stress and negative pressure on yourself could lead to fatal ailments such as High Blood Pressure? Believe it or not, that is the truth. So instead of sending yourself to an early grave, why not view that as an opportunity to venture into self employment and decide to grab it with both hands and make the most out of it? It is easier and more fulfilling to create your own plan and eventually becoming your own boss. Sounds better than sitting on the sidelines to watch as others strive to make the days in their life count. What makes it even more worse is the self pity and tears that you shade which is amplified by the thought of you being the biggest looser around who was unable to go through life with your head held high like all the others who seem to be passing you by. All that negative thought coupled up with the High Blood Pressure is a sure recipe for disaster. I hate to say this but let’s call a spade a spade, all that accumulated over a period of time, not so long, is an early, avoidable, direct ticket to the grave. Think about this; no one ever promised us that the journey through life would be easy but at the end of it all, if lived well, will be worth all the struggles, the occasional confusion and oooooh don’t forget the sometimes persistent pain too. Did you know that overcoming all of that is what actually spices up life, making it interesting? You might be wondering why everybody but you, in your surroundings, always seems to be happy and can afford huge lovely smiles that brighten up everything they come across? We are all human and sometimes such weird feelings can overwhelm us. It is normal to feel this way but here is what this ‘’happy” people around you know that you may not. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything has to be perfect all the time. They know that life is in seasons and that different times and situations may play out differently in ways they did not expect. Each season comes and goes and they somehow manage to live through them all no matter how tough others may turn out to be. They understand that we may not always have control over everything. Understanding all that, they choose to look beyond their imperfections and the unending storms of life to focus their minds on a much greater goal. They understand that the smile they wear is what brightens up their life even when in the dark times. Their bright lights (smiles) at most times is what ends up guiding them out of the darkness. Why? Because it illuminates their paths, they can see ahead past the darkness and focus on achieving their greater goals. Perhaps that is the difference between the extra ordinary individuals and you. They simply see trouble as a gold mine.

What do you see when you look at the crisis you may be going through? Do you see doom and gloom or a booming chance, a springboard into superior realities of existence? Do you notice shame and embarrassment in your trouble or are you more aware of the difference, the variety and the strengths that challenges can birth? While in crisis, it is a bigger tragedy to have sight but no vision. Sight is good, but vision is greater. How you respond to your seasons of chaos has a lot to do with your ability to see beyond the smoke screen of trouble. Trouble reveals new things while pressure reveals the true nature of our character. Great people are known during crisis. Do not lose your focus just because the wind is blowing hard and the rain is beating your back with no signs of it coming to a stop anytime soon. Fix your eyes on the price. At the end of it all you either emerge a VICTIM or a VICTOR. It just depends on your ATTITUDE towards the problem and how you CHOOSE to RESPOND. HIDDEN IN EVERY PROBLEM IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Enjoy the week!!

THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL REASONS TO BE HAPPY

I’m addicted to sayings and quotes. They are inspiring, motivating and they have the power to provoke new thought. They have the power to break down old beliefs and inject wisdom into your life.
I’ve always gained inspiration from quotes and sayings, which is why I’ve decided to gather some of my favorite ones into a blog post that will one day appear on this very blog, just not today. Each comes with an elaboration from me.
The meanings will probably not be the same for you as they are for me, so use whatever I say however you like. I can only share my own experience. After that it is up to you.
Today though, I choose to focus on one that has got me thinking for quite some time now. You might already be wondering what that is and because I do not intend on killing you with so much curiosity, here is my story.
Have you ever been deeply engrossed in hot pursuit of success, money, power, fame and all it’s accompaniments so much so that you forget to live life itself. You wake up in the morning and the first thing on your mind is how the day is going to turn out. Is it going to be an awesome day or is it going to be a disastrous day???You wonder. You time is already planned out in a manner that you do not even have some free time to go say Hi to a friend or two not even those around you at your workplace or at school because your mind is filled with nothing but ideas on how to make money, grow and develop yourself and all this other kind of staff. Well that is me and how I have been living for quite some time now. It is good, I must say and people always look up to people like you. To many you look like a leader, always ahead of others and showing them the way but to yourself at times it may be quite difficult. Difficult???  You must be wondering why .It is never easy to always strive to be the best at all times, well not the best but a good example to others who might be silently watching. At most times, you are almost always on your own because you tend to be a little bit serious, so much so that you cannot even afford a smile on your face. There is always a reason to smile but for you there always seems to be none. All this you do in pursuit of success at the expense of your very own happiness. Some may get to this place called success which is sweet I must confess, but because you got up there alone having avoided all other people along the way, then it somehow becomes not fun because you are so much ALONE. Others get so much depressed along the way due to the heavy heavy pressures of life that they develop along the way. This group of people is always the majority and sadly they end up all alone in misery. Why misery with all the money, fame and power they might have at the top??Well this is very simple and does not require any explanations. At the top you do not want to be associated with any scandals that may dent your image and because of the shame you end up keeping it all to yourself. To cover up all the suffering, the depression, the confusion, the loneliness, the brokenness they turn to drugs which offer them some temporary refuge but at the end of it all they end up deep in misery that only God can bring them out of. Sometimes I ask myself what all the hustles and struggles was all about if only to come crushing you at the end of it all into pieces that are almost irepairable. Isn’t it worth much more to strike a balance between all aspects of life so as to grow into a wholesome individual rather than growing into one of the wealthiest people around but still top the list of most miserable and depressed persons? Personally I prefer living a very simple life that is happy and comfortable. It may not be possible to be happy at all times because life is an endless struggle and overcoming the struggles and challenges is what makes it worth living but you can purpose to focus on the things that not only make you a successful person but also the moments that make life worth living. I once had a friend who worked at a hospice, and he said people in their final moments don't discuss their successes, awards or what books they wrote or what they accomplished. They only talk about their loves and their regrets, Don’t you think that's very telling???? A very insightful story he shared with me that left me wondering why most of us never spare some time out of our busy schedules to pursue the things we love doing, to share happy moments with those of significance in our lives, to exercise, to go for adventures that live us with awesome stories to tell and generally to enjoy some little bit of life. It may not be possible to do all these but we can find something that suits our tastes and preferences and make the most out of it. How about you give it a try and see how that goes? Try doing what you love doing, give it your all and see how success will come chasing after you. Here’s what most people do not actually know, I also learnt it from a good old wise friend of mine, SUCCESS IS NOT THE KEY TO HAPPINESS BUT RATHER HAPPINESS IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS. What do you think about that???Personally I think it is true and that you should try it out too. As we usher in this weekend, how about I live you thinking about this: We are all in pursuit of happiness but the kind of life we tend to live at times pushes us even further away from the happy moments that we long so much for. Sometimes we don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have but we end up acquiring them just to make others happy. Perhaps, just for the weekend, you could try living a simple life and see how much stress and worry you will have locked out of your life. Enjoy!!!!