What
kind of vision do you see for Kenya? For Africa? I say Africa deliberately
because it is our motherland. I believe everything happens for a reason and
hence we are not here to pass time, lament and continue tirelessly to harness
our potentials blindly. We need to be very careful, and very intent.
At
times I almost shed tears. My eyes are watery, mainly because of the picture
painted about Africa. I am sad because of the negativity synonymous with our
continent. At times I cry because we continue to dig ourselves pits that I know
one day we will get out of. All this is partly because we are not proud of who
we are, and no one can stand up for us as a people. Everything would be pointed
down to leadership, if you look at this situation critically. And at this point
then, we would have to ask ourselves who leaders are? Leaders are you and me -
Leaders are the people in our societies who are privileged and who people look
up to. By extension then leaders are the people in charge of public
institutions, people who offer public services such as education, healthcare,
policies and utilities. In Africa, all these institutions have failed.
Miserably. They can barely keep up with the bare minimum of our expectations.
The saddest thing is that it has robbed most of us our dignity, our voice of
hope and lead-strong will of ambition. Worse still, everyone seems to be
telling only THIS story - They only focus on what's wrong.
What
would you be with only those 'bad' stories told about you? Would it describe
you as a whole person or would it be just part of you. What then are we without
our good and bad? What are the kind of stories that are only told from one
perspective? What becomes of us then when we are only forced to think in one
line of thought? Forced to follow a certain system?
Why
do we not tell the stories of Heroes and Heroines? Brave acts of selflessness
and strong characters and personas both in the present and in the past. Why do
we not tell about Tom Mboya? Why do we not here more about young people, young
Africans, creating change? About good case practices of good governance and
accountability? Why not have daily conversations about our dreams and our
ambitions? About the pictures that we paint, and those frames that we hide deep
in our closets? About William Kakwamba who harnessed the power of the wind?
About great business start-ups in the continent? Success? Hope? Love? Passion?
Why should we keep silent about these?
My
own perspective is that leadership matters. It matters a lot especially in
places where our leaders are not responsible for their actions. Where we cannot
even depend on them . . . So are you willing to become a leader? Are you
willing to go out of your way to mentor? Are you willing to do something in
your own capacity to make a change? Or are you willing to close your eyes,
blame everything negative on other people and only take an account when things
are all rosy?
At
the end of the day, we will be older. We will pass on the baton to the younger
generation to drive our societies and make strides. What kind of picture do you
want to see then? We are those people now - It is our time, now than it might
ever be. We have to look at these things straight in the face and provide
solutions. More importantly, we need to protect those that are younger in mind,
from these false pretenses, these negativities and instead, light up their
candles, give them a slight nudge and make them feel like they can be all that
they want to be. We need to create an atmosphere for them, where they will feel
comfortable and appreciated. Where their dreams will count. We need to mentor
them to uplift their dreams and hopes. We will want them to be so sure of
themselves so that they don't need to go outside the country to look for
greener pastures because Africa is the greenest. There is food. There are
resources. There is abundance of diversity. There is a strong will and
determination to defy the odds. It is our motherland.
Embrace
yourselves as we take this journey because it will not be easy. We need to be
strong, and sure of what we envision. Welcome to maisha architecture :-)
