Category Archives: Education

Kenya: Setting the pace at Kimisho

From: odhiambo okecth

Dear Friends and Partners,

On the 6th August 2013, we will be hosting our 1st Annual General Meeting at Kimisho Savings and Credit Co-operative Society Ltd- a child and product of The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC.

We have come a long way and I am happy and excited with what we have done and achieved so far.

Like all good things, we have had our own fair share of challenges and they have only helped to strengthen our resolve. Am happy our Partners and Friends are impressed that their support and partnership did not go to waste. And many have called and written to us to express their pleasure and continued Partnership.

A Peace Campaign organized by The Clean Kenya Campaign in Dagoreti in Nairobi in February 2013

Today, I hence want to salute all our Partners and Friends who have seen us through to this end in our Journey of Hope across Kenya. I want to make specific mentions of Akiba Uhaki Foundation, the Public Service Transformation Department and A Better World/SOFDI. Their support, partnership and advice has kept us strong all along the trenches. They saw into our potential, liked our approach and decided to support the execution of our Programmes.

I am happy with their continued support as we start the 3rd Leg of this Journey of Hope across Kenya.

We have several other Partners and Friends whose advice, support and encouragement has seen us this far as well. It will not be easy to make mention of all, but allow me to pay glowing tribute to Sen Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, Mr. Elijah Agevi, Dr Korir Singoei, Bishop Johannes Angela, Sen Janet Ongera, Mr. Kuria Mwangi, Pastor Absalom Birai, Mr. Dick Aduong’a, Mr. Joe Omanya, Mr. Cyprian Nyamwamu, Ms Irene Wasike, Eng Christine Ogut, Mr. Tubman Otieno, Mr. Oduor Ong’wen,…the list is long. I salute all of you today.

This is Muthurwa Market in the middle of Nairobi.

I am elated that you have been with us from day one, and you have supported us faithfully all this long. As we congregate to elect our 1st Management Committee during our 1st AGM on the 6th August 2013, I must confess that I am shocked at how fast we have grown. We started this Campaign in 2008 in Komarock as a Child Support Initiative, grew into a Clean-up Campaign where we pioneered the Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaigns in Kenya and now, we have grown into a Membership Organization with a Sacco Society to boot. Achieving all this is not an easy feat and I am happy that I have provided sound and steady Leadership to this Ship and The Clean Kenya Campaign Family.

I am now being joined by a Team of dedicated Members to focus our attention on our Economic Empowerment and Poverty Eradication as a means to cushioning our lives against the debilitating hard economic times Kenyans are facing.

This is Nairobi- where waste is shifted from one place to another and they call it Waste Management

At The Clean Kenya Campaign we do not whine and moan. We act. We do not respond to calls for proposals as well, but we work with willing partners and friends who see sense in what we are doing. We do not force any person to support our Initiatives but we only make broad appeals for Partnerships.

Those who have worked with me know I am one hell of a perfectionist. I work with results, not rhetorics. I suffer no fools easily and I am hard as a rock. I never get easily intimidated and these traits have seen The Clean Kenya Campaign reach this far.

We are now focused on Economic Emancipation for our Members as we join in the fight on Poverty Eradication across Kenya. We have so far established 60 Table Banking Units and the Team that we are going to elect on 6th August better roll their sleeves for hard work. Kimisho will never be a holiday resort.

We have absolute faith in what President John F Kennedy asked of the Americans- ask not what the Government will do for you. Ask yee what you will do for your Government. At Kimisho, we are focused on pooling our own resources together as One Family under God and then inviting willing Partnerships that will add value to our objectives.

We are going to pursue our objectives with the zeal with which Alexander Muigai found himself when he penned The Troubled Warrior- a Classic Poem;
‘Thus, all having been done,
And my poor heart settled,
I’ll venture to go home,
I’ll take up my hoe and dig,
I’ll pick up my stick and herd,
I’ll court my girl and wed.
Having done my duty,
I’ll sit by the fire,
And grow old’.
Kimisho will be in good and able hands as from the 6th August 2013. Watch this space.

Odhiambo T Oketch,

The Team Leader/Executive Director,
KCDN, KSSL, KIC,
PO Box 47890-00100,
Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel; +254 724 365 557,
Email; kimishodevelopment@gmail.com komarockswatch@yahoo.com
Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Mailing List; friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com friendsofnyanza@yahoogroups.com

Kenya: Uhuru Laptop Project Why cant He learn from 8-4-4 Education System

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From: amenya gibson

Dear Kenyans,

Why do we keep doing same thing as if we are insane.According to
Albert Einstein insanity is doing same thing and expecting same
results.

When Moi went to Canada he came back and forced 8-4-4 to us and any
civil society that raised a complain were crushed.We all have eyes and
ears how that system messed our education system.Most students are
just passing exams and forgetting what they learnt.

Let Jubilee team think hard before pushing those laptops to pupils.We
are gambling with our kids future.
—
Thanks
Gibson Amenya
Founder and Partner
Level Moja Capital Solutions K Ltd
+254-722-825417

Rankings and Accountability in Higher Education: Uses and Misuses

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From: Yona Maro

A new UNESCO publication, Rankings and Accountability in Higher Education: Uses and Misuses, debates the pros and cons of classifying universities. It brings together the people behind university rankings and their critics to debate the uses and misuses of existing rankings. Featuring voices from five continents, the publication aims to help the ultimate readers of rankings and league tables – be they students, parents, governments or institutional leaders – become better, and more discerning users of these tools. It provides a comprehensive overview of current thinking on the subject, and sets out alternative approaches and complementary tools for a new era of transparent and informed use of higher education ranking tables.

Of the world’s 17,000+ universities, only 1% are the focus of the “world university rankings” published by three of the most prominent “ranking houses”. Although varied in many respects, the top 200 ranked schools tend to be older (200+ years) establishments, focusing mostly on scientific research, with around 25,000 students and 2,500 faculty; and annual budgets exceeding 2 billion USD. Contributing authors from well-known ranking organizations open the debate in Rankings and Accountability, offering a detailed look at the methodological approaches they use, their strengths and shortcomings, and their evolution over time. For Nian Cai Liu of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who helped launch the first ever global university rankings in 2003, rankings are not and should not be used as the sole source of information that guides decisions pertaining to the quality of universities. Yet for Phil Baty of the Times Higher Education and Ben Sowter of QS University Rankings, there is no doubt that rankings are “set to stay”, and can help improve transparency and accountability in higher education, in a global market of higher education.
Link:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/resources/in-focus-articles/rankings/
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USA & Africa: President Obama Announces the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

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From: Judy Miriga

FYI

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2013

President Obama Announces the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

Today in front of an audience of more than 600 dynamic young leaders from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, President Obama announced the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the new flagship program of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Beginning in 2014, the program will bring more than 500 young African leaders to the United States each year for leadership training and mentoring. It will also create unique opportunities in Africa for Fellows to use their new skills to propel economic growth and prosperity, and strengthen democratic institutions.

The Washington Fellowship will:

· Invest in a new generation of young African leaders who are shaping the continent’s future.

· Respond to the strong demand by young African leaders for practical skills that can help them take their work to the next level in the fields of public service and business.

· Deepen partnerships and connections between the United States and Africa.

· Build a prestigious network of young African leaders who are at the forefront of change and innovation in their respective sectors.

Washington Fellows will primarily be between 25 and 35 years old, have a proven track record of leadership in a public, private, or civic organization, and demonstrate a strong commitment to contributing their skills and talents to building and serving their communities.

Welcoming Promising Leaders to the United States

Beginning in 2014, each year the United States will bring 500 of Africa’s most promising young leaders to U.S. universities for training in public management and administration; business and entrepreneurship; and civic leadership. Training in each of these sectors will focus on the skills young African leaders need to run better ministries, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities. Within the next five years, the initiative aims to grow to 1000 young leaders each year.

Washington Fellows will spend six weeks at top American universities and colleges that will provide tailored training in the sectors above, leveraging top faculty, cutting-edge curricula, and local opportunities to impart practical professional and leadership training. Formal university training will be augmented by workshops, mentoring, and networking opportunities with leaders in each field, as well as internships across the United States.

For example, U.S. agencies such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank will host Washington Fellows as interns to expose them to the U.S. workplace and practices, and build their technical skills. Washington Fellows will also benefit from partnerships with American companies like Boeing, which will provide leadership training at the Boeing Leadership Center in St. Louis to extend Fellows’ campus-based training. The Fellows will also have the chance to interact with President Obama during an annual Summit in Washington, D.C., along with other senior U.S. government, business, and civic leaders.

Investing in Opportunities on the Continent

The U.S.-based training Washington Fellows will receive is only the beginning of the long term investment the United States will make in these young leaders. To ensure that participants can put their newly-acquired skills and experiences to use, the U.S. Government is working with businesses, governments, and institutions to create meaningful opportunities to allow them to put their skills to practice in Africa.

The Washington Fellowship will offer participants valuable access to internships and job opportunities in the private and public sectors. We are establishing partnerships with companies, government ministries, research institutions, regional organizations, and non-profit and community-based organizations across the region to provide meaningful career opportunities for these young leaders. For example, Microsoft will connect Washington Fellows with internships in their offices across Africa, including in Cairo, Tunis, Casablanca, Abidjan, Dakar, Accra, Lagos, Abuja, Luanda, Johannesburg, and Nairobi. Ethiopian Airlines will offer participants the opportunity to train at their business management and corporate governance platforms at its hubs around the world.

Washington Fellows will have access to dedicated funding opportunities to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations. More than $5 million in small grants will be awarded in the first three years by the U.S. African Development Foundation to Washington Fellows seeking to start their own businesses or social enterprises. The U.S. Department of State will invest an additional $5 million over the course of the program to help alumni establish or grow non-governmental organizations, undertake a project to improve their community, or work collaboratively to build the network of young African leaders, including reaching into underserved areas. USAID will establish regional hubs and coordinators to connect Washington Fellows to these opportunities and leverage over $200 million in ongoing youth programs and initiatives on the continent.

Sustaining a Strong Alumni Network

Washington Fellows will be a part of a vibrant network that will continue to connect them to new opportunities in Africa and to each other. Regular local and regional events and networking opportunities will sustain strong ties over the years as program participants assume leadership positions in their respective sectors. Participants will be required to mentor other promising young leaders, enhancing the impact and sustainability of the initiative, and growing the network to encompass other leaders, especially in disadvantaged communities.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 29, 2013

FACT SHEET: The President’s Young African Leaders Initiative

President Obama launched the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in 2010 as a signature initiative that supports young African leaders as they work to spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across the continent.

Investing in the next generation of African leaders is critical to ensuring the success of Africa’s democracies and its economies. One in three Africans is between the ages of 10 and 24, and approximately 60 percent of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35. Through YALI, the United States is investing in the next generation of African leaders, and has committed significant resources to enhance leadership skills, bolster entrepreneurship, and connect young African leaders with one another, with the United States, and with the American people.

Engaging Young African Leaders Who Will Shape the Continent’s Future

President Obama has been personally engaged in YALI from the beginning. His 2010 Forum with Young African Leaders brought young African leaders to the White House for an interactive exchange and dialogue on leadership, youth empowerment, and good governance.

Annual capstone events have helped to build new networks of leaders and underscore high-level U.S. support for their futures – including a 2011 Young African Women Leaders Forum in South Africa with First Lady Michelle Obama and a 2012 Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership that brought young Africans to the United States for internships with U.S companies.

YALI participants have leveraged this support and gone on to start youth-driven organizations and networks, advise their governments, and establish new and vibrant businesses – all showcasing the extraordinary talent and promise of the young leaders who are transforming the African continent and their communities.

Taking Action on the Continent

Engagement with young African leaders has become a key focus of U.S. engagement in sub-Saharan Africa and a priority for our embassies and USAID missions. Since 2010, U.S. Embassies have accelerated outreach to young Africans and scaled up programs to train and support aspiring business and civic leaders across the continent. The U.S. Government has created opportunities for young Africans to engage with U.S. Government officials, businesses, and citizens by establishing Embassy Youth Councils in 25 countries. High-level U.S. officials regularly meet with young leaders during their travel to the continent. In total, since 2010, the U.S. Government has held over 2,000 events across the continent aimed at developing the next generation of Africa’s civic and business leaders.

In May 2011, our “Dialogue with Young African Leaders” included more than 200 events in 37 countries in a single month. That dialogue included Embassy-sponsored events on the continent and online engagement. It identified new U.S. partners, provided critical feedback on U.S. Government youth programs, and created a platform for a diverse set of young people to share their vision for the future.

The U.S. Government, through USAID, has also partnered with the African Union (AU) as the AU seeks to mainstream the participation of youth in all of its activities, including by funding pre-deployment training for 100% of the participants in the AU Youth Volunteer Corps and supporting the placement of AU Youth Volunteers in multiple African Union departments. The United States is also partnering with the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Tony Elumelu Foundation to support the development of young African leaders throughout the continent.

Committing Resources to Developing Young Talent

Since 2010, the State Department has held fifteen exchanges specifically for young African leaders and sponsored 1,283 sub-Saharan scholars through its educational and cultural affairs programs. U.S. Embassies have awarded small grants totaling $750,000 to YALI alumni groups supporting youth development in Africa. Other State Department-led efforts, such as LIONS @FRICA and Apps4Africa, have focused on building an entrepreneurial ecosystem to encourage broad-based economic growth and opportunity for young entrepreneurs – partnering with the private sector to run startup competitions, grow incubators, and develop innovative new products to address local and business and development needs.

USAID has worked with local governments and institutions to strengthen access to education, workforce training, and skills development to help young Africans develop the skills needed to enter the labor force. Since YALI’s inception, USAID has invested more than $100 million in over 76 partnerships with African universities to help train a new generation of African leaders in health, agriculture, education, environmental science, technology, and other sectors.

Currently USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network—a $25 million per year program—partners with African and U.S. higher education institutions, using science, technology and engineering to educate future leaders and research solutions for the greatest challenges in development. To further expand YALI, USAID will establish regional hubs to enhance leadership and training opportunities in Africa and better leverage over $200 million in ongoing youth programs and initiatives, such as university partnerships and vocational training, on the continent.

Other Departments and Agencies have reoriented their programs and strategies to contribute to the goal of empowering and providing opportunities for youth in Africa. The Department of Labor, for example, is investing in efforts to promote safe youth employment and business opportunities as alternatives to child labor, including a new $3 million program in Uganda to educate and train youth for quality jobs. The U.S. African Development Foundation is investing $5 million in training and placing thousands of Somali youth in paid internships and jobs, in addition to supporting small business start-ups.

Introducing the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders that President Obama announced today represents a major expansion of U.S. investment in the continent’s next cadre of leaders. Through this effort, the U.S. will develop a network of thousands of young African leaders across key sectors for Africa’s growth and development.

The Washington Fellowship will bring 500 young leaders to U.S. universities and colleges each year for academic and leadership training, beginning in 2014, with the goal of increasing to 1000 participants per year within five years. Fellows will receive world-class training and mentoring in three vital areas: business and entrepreneurship; civic leadership; and public administration.

The leaders’ experience in the United States will include a Presidential Summit in Washington, D.C. where Washington Fellows will interact with U.S. government, civic, and business leaders, including President Obama.

With the support of private and public sector partners, Washington Fellows will have access to exceptional opportunities including internships and placements with companies and NGOs and small grants to start businesses, establish or expand non-governmental organizations, or undertake projects to improve their communities.

Regional enrichment seminars, an on-line community, and a vibrant alumni network across Africa will also support Washington Fellows as they seek innovative solutions to local and global challenges. The United States, in conjunction with leading private sector partners such as Boeing, Ethiopian Air, and Microsoft, will support the Washington Fellows in pursuing these opportunities. More information on this flagship program can be found athttp://youngafricanleaders.state.gov.

Ending the Hidden Exclusion: Learning and Equity in Post-2015

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From: Yona Maro

The last decade has witnessed enormous progress in expanding access to education worldwide. The job is not yet finished: 61 million primary school aged children are still denied the opportunity to learn. But as we continue to make progress and look ahead to 2015 and beyond, it is vital to shine a light on the ‘hidden exclusion’ affecting children’s education around the world.

Our proposed focus for the goal, targets and framework post-2015 is grounded, in part, in an analysis of the social, demographic, economic and political changes that are shaping the wider world. Many of these forces are creating a very different context to that which existed in 2000 when the Millennium Development Goals were set. This report explores a number of these trends. Five of the most noteworthy have particular consequences for education post-2015.

Link:
http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-df91d2eba74a%7D/ENDING_THE_HIDDEN_EXCLUSION_EDUCATION_POST2015_FULL_REPORT.PDF

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USA, Ohio: Next Thursday in Dayton (Higher Ed. prices concerns)

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Will you host a “Congress: Don’t Double Our Rates” gathering in Dayton next Thursday, June 27?

Host an Event!http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290698&id=69675-21095459-5mGmdhx&t=1

From: Anna Galland, MoveOn.org Civic Action

Dear MoveOn member,

The numbers are staggering: The cost of college has increased 440% over the past 25 years,1 students are graduating with an average of $26,000 in college loans,2 and student loan debt is now at more than $1 trillion—more than the nation’s combined credit card debt.3

But it could get even worse. Congress is on the verge of letting student loan interest rates double just two weeks from today. If we let that happen, we’ll lose our best opportunity to provide relief for millions of students and graduates being crushed by student loan debt—and miss our chance to have a real national conversation about what investing in students might look like.

That’s why MoveOn members coast to coast are rallying at the offices of members of Congress next Thursday, June 27, to send a clear message to Congress: Don’t Double Our Rates!

We still need a host for an event near Dayton. Can you step up and lead? Click here to post your gathering for Thursday, June 27:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290698&id=69675-21095459-5mGmdhx&t=2

First pick a time and a location for your action and post it in MoveOn’s online system, then we’ll invite other MoveOn members in your area to attend and make sure you have everything you need for a successful Bank on Students action. And you’ll be equipped with the latest updates on Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, which would let students pay the same rates the big banks pay.

As Sen. Warren told 10,000 MoveOn members during an emergency briefing earlier this month, making sure student loan rates don’t double on July 1 is the vital first step in taking on the student debt crisis that burdens so many American families today.

Click here to host an event in your community.

Thanks so much for all you do.

–Anna, Manny, Rosy, Linda, and the rest of the team

1. “Student Loan Debt Is a Beast. Here Are Elizabeth Warren’s, President Obama’s, and the GOP’s Plans to Fix It,” Mother Jones, June 3, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290535&id=69675-21095459-5mGmdhx&t=4

2. Project on Student Debt, accessed June 17, 2013
http://projectonstudentdebt.org/

3. “Who makes money off your student loans? You might be surprised,” Yahoo News, May 23, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=290799&id=69675-21095459-5mGmdhx&t=5

KENYA: HEADTEACHER SET ABLAZE PUPILS SANDALS

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By Agwanda Saye

There was drama at Raga Primary School in Karungu Division, Nyatike district after parents and pupils went on the rampage demanding the transfer of the head teacher after he burned pupils’ sandals.

The head teacher collected the sandals from the over 400 pupils and set them ablaze arguing they are not part of the school uniform.

Today, pupils and parents demonstrated up to the school carrying placards and twigs demanding his immediate transfer from the school.

The head teacher who is also the Migori KNUT vice chairman locked his office and fled from the angry pupils and parents.

The pupils who accompanied their parents on barefoot vowed never to resume classes until the head teacher is transferred.

Nyatike district education officer Kinaiya Siloma confirmed that his office is aware of the incident and there is already a panel constituted to look into the matter.

Siloma however urged parents to give dialogue a chance and not to disrupt the learning process of their children.

Ends.

Kenya: Nairobi based businessman donated 10,000 pair of rubber-sporting shoes to all primary and nursery schools in Seme constituency

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

A Nairobi based businessman Mr Edward Omol has made a hefty donation of 10,000 pair of rubber-sporting shoes worth K,shs 2.6 million.

The shoes which is to be distributed to the nursery and primary schools pupils in the entire Seme constituency within Kisumu County included those small sizes fitting nursery schools children to the medium numbers that is fitting lower, medium and upper primary pupils.

Mr Omolo who contested the newly created Seme parliamentary seat in March this year, on a ODM ticket but lost to the incumbent Dr. Nyikal said children learning under a highly hygienic conditions stands a better chance of furthering their education to e higher height of success.

The distribution will be done on the basis of 360 per each school. The donor conducted the distribution of the shoes while accompanied by four Assembly representatives from the entire Seme constituency and members of the school committees, PTA chairman and opinion leaders in a colorful ceremony which started at Kirindo Primary School.

The donor handed his donations to the School’s committee chairman Kilion Otieno and another Kisumu and Mombasa based businessman, Mr George Abaja who is a director of a construction firm.

Also accompanying him were four County Assembly representatives Benter Nduta ,Ogoli, Okoth Diang’a and Makadede four local Assembly representatives. All the four thanked the businessman and asked him to maintain the same spirit of helping the unfortunate people.

Other schools which benefited from this hefty donation were Bundi, Jimo, Kayila Siala, Reru, Gumo and Kayila. THe businessman also donated 20 green houses to be used by other school’s pupils in growing vegetables, fruits and other cash crops and promised to donate more

This was the largest donation ever made for the schools in the region by an individual and it has since rekindled politics of the area a fresh with a lot of murmuring going around.

Ends

Opening New Avenues For Empowerment: ICTs For Persons With Disabilities

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From: Yona Maro

Building on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this Global Report addresses strong recommendations to all stakeholders – from decision-makers to educators, civil society and industry – on how concretely to advance the rights of people living with disabilities. These recommendations draw on extensive research and consultations. Studies launched in five regions have allowed UNESCO to understand more clearly the conditions and challenges faced by persons with disabilities around the world.

To empower persons with disabilities is to empower societies as a whole – but this calls for the right policies and legislation to make information and knowledge more accessible through information and communication technologies. It calls also for applying accessibility standards to the development of content, product and services. The successful application of such technologies can make classrooms more inclusive, physical environments more accessible, teaching and learning content and techniques more in tune with learners’ needs.

This UNESCO publication not only makes a major contribution to the understanding of disability, but also highlights technological advancement and shares good practices that have already changed the lives of people with disabilities. It also makes concrete recommendations for action at the local, national and international levels, targeting policy and decision makers, educators, IT&T industry, civil society and certainly persons with disabilities.
Link:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002197/219767e.pdf

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KENYA: KISUMU COUNTY VETTING TEAM REJECTS “USA SCHOOLED SCHOLAR”

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By Chak Rachar.

“Prof”.Barrack Abonyo a man who claims to be USA schooled scholar and was nominated for the post of Kisumu County Executive Committee nominee for Energy has been has been rejected by the vetting committee after failing to produce his said academic certificates.

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma had nominated him as in charge for Water,Energy and Natural Resources two weeks ago.

His nomination was rejected by Kisumu Assembly Speaker Ann Adul after he failed to produce his undergraduate certificate from Kenyatta University.

Regrettably,Abonyo could only produce a clearance form from the institution as proof that he obtained his degree from the University,Adul however rejected his plea.

The speaker also took Abonyo to task why he did not have his original master’s certificate copy.

Many residents within the Kisumu County had questioned the competency of the team Ranguma had selected as many are well known street hoodlums.

Kenya: GOD FINALLY HEARS THE CRY FOR JUSTICE BY BUTERE GIRLS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
*The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images*
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2013

At last the High Court has lifted a ban on the controversial play ‘Shackles of Doom’ by Butere Girls High School saying the move by the government was unlawful. Justice David Majanja ordered that the play must be shown because the Constitution does not allow a ban and it is not enough for the ministry of Education to ban it without reason.

Banned without reason because what the play depicts is real in Kenya. The play captures national ills of nepotism and tribalism which has tempered with development in Kenya since 1963 when Kenya got independence. The play was allegedly banned by the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival Executive Secretary Patrick Sirengo Khaemba.

The suit was filed by human rights activist and a long time friend of mine Okiya Omtatah.

The Permanent Secretary for Education George Godia and Attorney General Githu Muigai were listed as respondents.

Shackles of doom is play that depicts a film shoot set in the land of the Kanas, who refer to themselves as the TRUE KANAS, their land is oil rich but they are ignorant of the treasure that lies beneath their soil….a delegation arrives to their land and offer a beautiful lady – Wamaitha, to be married off to Lopush who is “Kana” in exchange of land where they settle.

Wamaitha is 3 weeks pregnant when they come and Kimani who is purported to be her guardian is responsible, she is married off against her will and her community with great determination and strong will construct “Mafuta Oil Refinery Company”.

During appointing of human resource, job opportunities are given with biasness and nepotism! The people of Kana demand for equal opportunities but are dismissed; only one person is considered from the marginalised community but as a watchman.

On the eve of Lopush and Wamaitha’s wedding, Kimani who is the CEO of the refinery company has an order to deliver 600 barrels of oil and dictates that everybody works on the night shift including those who were on duty during daytime. Lopush is not spared either because of his wedding that is coming up at the break of dawn; he is forced to be on duty as a security officer.

Kimani invades Lopush’s house demanding for intimacy from Wamaitha, of which she declines and they are caught up in the argument by Lopush who has absconded his duty in rebellion. Kimani hides in the children’s bedroom but unfortunately Lopush finds him, Wamaitha insists that the daughter can bare her witness that she did not fornicate.

As a matter of bad fortune she finds the daughter dead, still and lifeless when she goes to wake her up. Kimani is accused of her demise. A technical hitch occurs in the Mafuta Oil Refinery Company and there is a fire breakout at about the same time, angry villagers are summoned and just when they want to deal with the accused murderer (Kimani), his wife calls and says they are trapped in an inferno and Lopush has the keys to all the exits.

The whole village rush to help but they find a tragic scene, everyone has been consumed by the inferno, Wamaitha breaks news that her dead daughter was Kimani’s child.

The film director calls for cut and signifies end of their shooting, one member of the cast however retorts that the film has no credible resolution and cannot compete favourably, she suggests that all the communities be equally represented in employment opportunities for good relations, harmony and peaceful coexistence. Cameras were rolling in the meantime and the director terms the resolution to be credible.

The play is* written by award winning play-wright Cleophas Malalah, the Kakamega MCA for Mariakalo Ward. The play won Zonal, Divisional, District, Regional levels but banned from being staged at the National Drama Festivals set for Mombasa this month on claims that play is hate speech.*

* *

*The play calls for a thorough clean up of the mess in government key position jobs awarded to one particular ethnic and regional community. It calls for clean up in the *Ministry of Internal Security and Provincial Administrative beginning with Permanent secretary post, CID Director, GSU post, NSC – Peace and Conflict Management, Government Printer and Senior Director Administration/Internal Security.

Other messes that the play calls upon for a clean up include the Finance Ministry beginning with Permanent Secretary, Pensions secretary, ERD director, D/Finance secretary, and Controller and Auditor General.

Another key position the play calls upon for a clean up include Central Bank beginning with its Govern, Deputy Governor, Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Board Secretary, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Investigation and Enforcement, Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Deputy Commissioner Procurement.

Other key positions that need clean up include Commissioner for customs services, Senior Deputy Commissioner (Customs), Deputy Commissioner, Finance and Commissioner Domestic Taxes (LTO).

Senior Assistant Commissioner, Security, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Southern Region and Commissioner of Investigation and Enforcement post- Kenya Airports Authority MD, and General Manager Finance.

General Manager Marketing and Business Development, General Manager Information and Communication, Technology, General Manager Security Services, Head of Corporate Communications / PA to the MD, and Head of Procurement and Logistics.

Ministry of Industrialization, Chairman of the National Standards Council, Permanent Secretary, and Chairman of the Board-Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC)- Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Company Secretary, Chief Manager, Energy Transmission, Commercial Services, Distribution Chief Manager, Planning, Research and Performance Monitoring; Eng. Kenya Petroleum Refineries General Manager, Finance Manager, Human Resource Manager and Engineering Manager.

It is Kenyan people’s hope that after Sunday performance by Butere Girls High School Drama Club, current government headed by Hon Ohuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto would have heard the cry of these tender girls, crying for their beloved country Kenya-to act and made balance in these key posts among other posts.

*Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ*
*Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578*
*E-mail **omolo.ouko@gmail.com***
*Facebook-omolo beste*
*Twitter-@8000accomole*

* *
*Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.*

*-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ*
*UN Disarmament*
*Conference, 2002*
* *

KENYA: UNCOVERING NEPOTISM ISN’T HATE SPEECH

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013

Butere Girls High School drama club and the entire school are so disappointed. Their drama, ‘Shackles of Doom’, which depicts unequal distribution of resources and dominance of top positions by main ethnic groups, will not be staged at the national drama festivals, despite topping the western region contest.

The play was stopped by the Drama Committee even after Butere District Education quality assurance officer Isaac Ngaya said he watched the play and found no offending sections that warranted censorship. The claim was that the play contained hate speech and for that matter it was offensive.

The play acted by two girls wondered whether nepotism will really end in Kenya. Even before Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have not been sworn in their government has been accused of nepotism.

The girls were wondering why in Kenya any leader who comes to power immediately exercises nepotism. Among the most powerful posts have been awarded to Uhuru Kenyatta’s Central and GEMA as well as Ruto’s Rift- Senate Speaker … Ethuro … Rift, Nat. Assembly Speaker … Muturi … Eastern-the girls were crying and wondering who will represent Western, Northern and Coastal who feel cheated by Rift Valley and Central!

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is not spared either. He made sure his ODM party awarded his elder brother Oburu Odinga by nominating him to parliament after people rejected him during the ODM nominations.

Similar case applies to his sister Ruth Odinga who has been awarded ‘deputy governor’ even after Kisumu people rejecting her. Ruth had known before general election that she was going to be awarded the post of deputy governor.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day a day late with pupils at Shiners Centre in Kisumu town on February 14, 2013, Ruth introduced herself to the pupils and staff as “the Kisumu County Deputy Governor and Raila’s sister”. She signed the visitors’ book ‘Deputy Governor Kisumu County’.

This could imply that even if Raila became the president nepotism was not going to end. Earlier on Raila had been accused for having allegedly favoured his relatives and friends as well as the financial heavyweight Luos in the former cabinet appointment to the grand coalition government.

Dr. Oburu Oginga was appointed an Assistant Minister of Finance. The other centre of controversy was the appointment of Mr. Phillip Onyango Sika as the PS in the Ministry of Metropolitan development. The new PS hails from gem constituency also in Siaya and is the relative of the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo whose mother is the younger sister of Raila Odinga’s mother.

Critics blamed Raila for having ignored Migori, Rachuonyo, Kisumu and Nandio districts only concentrating with appointment of people from Siaya and Bondo districts.

Even Kenyatta was not spared either. He used nomination slots to nominate his relatives. He paid back his first cousin Beth Mugo with a TNA nomination to the senate after Mugo stepped down in favour of Mike Sonko who was elected Nairobi senator.

One of the adjudicators at the regional level, Prof Christopher Odhiambo of Moi University, said their role is not to censure but to suggest improvements in case a play contains offending information.

The author of the play, Cleophas Malala is a politician and a scriptwriter, but his play has been adjudged to be politically incorrect. Despite the ban, Mr Malala says his plays are motivated by his desire to fight for the rights of the oppressed, especially the marginalized ethnic communities in Kenya.

In the zonal, district and regional competitions the play by Butere Girls emerged the winner despite the fact that someone loyal to the government thinks it has a political twist.

The play was motivated by unequal distribution of resources in the country. The play depicts a film shot in the land of the ‘Kanas’, who refer to themselves as the ‘True Kanas’. Their land is rich in oil, but they are ignorant of the treasure that lies beneath their soil.

Malala cited an audit by the Commission for Integration and National Cohesion (NCIC) on distribution of public appointments which showed glaring inequalities in public jobs.

“I am just replaying what happens in our society and even NCIC knows that, so what is my sin?” Malala wonders.

The fact however, remains that the unequal distribution of wealth has always been a huge problem in Kenya since independence that has plagued society throughout the ages. Even as forms of governments of Kenya have changed, the unequal distribution of wealth has remained a constant.

That is why the Butere girls’ actress were crying wondering who will save Kenya from these evil ills. They were crying because the unequal distribution of wealth makes the living conditions of the less fortunate undesirable, because the upper class is usually concerned about gaining and maintaining their own wealth first and concerned about others second.

The girls were crying because it is difficult for the poor to rise above the poverty level, because they are dependent upon what the upper class deems is a fair wage for producing the goods that they make.

Against the background that Karl Marx saw conflict as necessary and desirable to bring about social change. This social change would then result in the equal distribution of wealth and resources.

After viewing the suffering of the masses, Karl Marx hoped that they would rise up against oppression and bring about a social change where there would be an equal distribution of resources.

The conflict that Marx spoke about was not necessarily violence. Conflict referred to tension, differences in beliefs and values, conflict of interest and competition. These all exist in every society and according to Marx, they are the basis for social change.

The play reminds me of my own play I wrote in early 1990s when I was the Rector of Keserian Juniro Seminary. The play “But Why” was banned by the Kajiado Drama Committee because it was asking why The Central Bank of Kenya had been used to provide liquidity to politically well connected financial institutions such as Trade Bank, Pan African Bank and Exchange Bank.

Such banks were being used to launder the residential campaign money into convertible currencies abroad. In 1992 alone, the Central Bank printed and released for circulation more than 12 billion Kenya shillings.

This was the time 7 billion shillings was used by Kanu as slush fund to manipulate the electoral process according to Finance Magazine, March 31, 1993. It was also the time 500 and 200 notes were printed, YK’ 92, used most of 500 notes to campaign for bribery and corruption machinery to make Kanu win the elections.

The printing of 500 notes, 200 and 100 was an addition to 2.35 billion. As of the end of September 1992, the amount of currency in circulation in Kenya was 15.85 billion. It was also during this time that Lake Basin Development Authority had been pushed to near collapse due to general elections.

During that time Kenya had been ranked by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as the 24th poorest country in the world a gross national product per capita of $370 per year-down from the$400 plus attained by the end of the eighties.

The average annual growth rate per capita had therefore been either zero or negative for the eighties. By the year 2000 Kenyan economy was rated negative 0.3 percent according to East African Standard, June 8, 20001.

This was the lowest ever recorded since the collapse of the shilling in 1993 in the wake of the Goldenberg scandal and paper money and the crisis of the 1990’s-instead of answering the question but why the play was banned.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

Kenya: contact info request for a school official

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From: Charles Kitongu
To: “jaluo@jaluo.com”

pliz help me with the contacts of principal of kanyawanga secondary school rongo.

African Water Facility to Support Access of Urban Poor to Sanitation in Uganda

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From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)

TUNIS, Tunisia, February 5, 2013/ — The African Water Facility offered a 1 million euro grant to the Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI) to support their Kawempe Urban Poor Sanitation Improvement Project (KUPSIP). The project is designed to provide affordable and sustainable sanitation services to over 100,000 urban poor living in the Kawempe Municipality, in Kampala, Uganda.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/african-development-bank.jpg

By expanding sanitation coverage and reducing environmental pollution, the KUPSIP is expected to help improve the health of slum dwellers and decrease the mortality rate of children under five by reducing the spread of cholera and diarrheal diseases, which is 23 per cent higher in households where facilities are inadequate and in areas where human waste disposal is improperly managed.

More specifically, the grant will support the following : provision of sanitation facilities for households, schools and the public in poor urban areas; delivery of pro-poor sanitation financing for accessing affordable and improved sanitation infrastructure; definition of a sustainable fecal sludge management and safe reuse strategy; promoting of collaboration with the private sector to identify and market affordable and consumer-friendly sanitation technologies; dissemination of targeted information, education and communication to promote better hygiene practices and generation and dissemination of knowledge products covering the entire sanitation chain through collaboration with agronomical research institutions.

The AWF grant will cover 74 per cent of the total project cost, while CIDI and collaborating partners will meet the balance of 26 per cent in form of financial and in-kind contributions.

The project will be executed by CIDI in partnership with Kawempe Municipality of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC) and should be completed by the end of 2015.

About the African Water Facility (AWF)

The AWF is an initiative of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB), established in 2004 as a Special Water Fund to help African countries achieve the objectives of the Africa Water Vision 2025. The AWF offers grants from €50,000 to €5 million to support projects aligned with its mission and strategy to a wide range of institutions and organizations operating in Africa. Its three strategic priority activities are

1-preparing investment projects to mobilize investment funds for projects supported by AWF;

2-enhancing water governance to create an environment conducive for effective and sustainable investments;

3-promoting water knowledge for the preparation of viable projects and informed governance leading to effective and sustainable investments.

Since 2006, AWF has funded 73 national and regional projects in 50 countries, including in Africa’s most vulnerable states. It has mobilized more than €532 million as a result of its project preparation activities, which constitute 70 per cent of its portfolio. On average, each €1 contributed by the AWF has attracted €20 in additional follow-up investments.

The AWF is entirely funded by Algeria, Australia, Austria, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Burkina Faso, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, France, Norway, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the African Development Bank. The AWF is governed by a Governing Council representing its 15 donors, UN-Water Africa, the AU via NEPAD, AMCOW and the AfDB.

For more information: http://www.africanwaterfacility.org

Contact:

Katia Theriault, T. +216 71 10 12 79, M. +216 95 99 13 90, k.theriault@afdb.org

SOURCE

African Development Bank (AfDB)

Kenya: What has happened to the Kenya National Language Board? Has it been abolished ?

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SINCE WHEN DID THE ICEBC ABOLISH THE ENGLISH / KISWAHILI LANGUAGE TEST FOR PARLIAMENTARY AND SENATORIAL ASPIRANTS IN KENYA?

Commentary by Leo Odera Omolo

The concerted effort recently made by the Independent Electoral and boundary Commission{IEBC} to ensure that the candidates aspiring for the elective positions of County governorship have obtained university degrees from the recognized institutions of higher leaning and universities is commendable.

However, we have so far not been told of what happened to the National Language Board, that has always been tasked with the responsibility of conducting tests and interview for the purposes of assessing the communication skills of all those aspiring to be elected into our legislators system.

Have only heard and witnesses candidates aspiring for the parliamentary and senatorial seat being cleared by the IEBC officials to contest the election minus the compulsory certificates of proficiency in both English and Kiswahili languages.

What has happened to the National Language Board. It been abolished? Long before independence in 1963 these language boards were always constituted at the Provincial {PEOs} levels under the supervision of the Provincial Education Officers, whose duties were recently changed and transformed to be the Provincial Directors of Education {PDE}

The Provincial language boards were later replaced by the National Language Board. There were categories of candidates who were automatically exempted from sitting before the board, particularly those armed and equipped diplomas from learning institutions and colleges.

The idea behind these tests were mainly to ensure that those who seek for elections into our legislative bodies were people capable of fo0llowing the proceedings and debates in those bodies.

I have gone through the new constitution, but failed to locate any clause within the sacred document that speaks about the abolition of the National Language Board. And now that under the new constitutional dispensation, Kenya has returned to the tri-cameral parliamentary system, it would be prudent for the IEBC to ensure that those elected to the next parliament and the Senate, should be men and women of high integrity and communication skills.

There are special cases when our legislators are sent to represent Kenyan in the regional and international forums at which communication skills are most essential and compulsorily required to enable our delegates to actively participate in the deliberations of such forums.

In this context, am aware of the |Nyayo eras, during which politically correct individuals were exempted and nominated to serve in parliament and in other bodies irrespective when they were able to follow the proceeding or not. This were the period when the likes of Mulu Mutisya, Ezekiel Bargetuny, Joseph Leitich and other were made MPs by KANU big-wigs.

I happen to be privy and regular attendance at the various regional and international forums including ministerial councils of the African Union or other regional bodies. Kenya had became the laughing stocks attracting derogatory comments by delegates from our neighboring countries, who were wondering why a country like Kenya which is reputed for having excelled in producing more intellectuals and technocrats could send team of mediocre to represent her I n such important forums.

The way I see things happen and in the absence of a competent National Language Board I can accurately predict that the next [parliament could be filled by MPs with half-baked education, academically dwarfs and semi-illiterate legislators. The same could be said of the Senate.

It is only the IEBC which can rescue our country from the impending bug shame. I have heard some of the parliamentary and Senatorial aspirants speaking while arguing their individual cases in connection with the recently flawed political parties preliminary nominations exercises, and I have come into conclusions if these are the same people expected to be voted into our legislators system on March 4, 2013

I am sure for certain that the likes of Mike Mbuvi {Sonko] of Makadara, Mary Wambui of Othaya constituencies just top mention a few example are not sufficiently qualified to sit in the August House.

The 10th parliament had its share of semi-illiterate MPs who sat there fir five years and left without even framing one single question or the supplementary question, leave alone making their maiden speeches in the House owing to language handicaps.

In this age of the dot-com generation we need to move a high notch and deviate from the couture of electing to our supreme legislative bodies people with questionable academic background.

In the 10th parliament we Kenyan should be grateful and thankful to the Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Otiato Marende whose skills got us where we are today, because the last parliament faced myriad of constitutional problems during the constitutional dispensations and debates of hundreds of most complicated and important bills related to constitutional advancement.

The former Emuhaya had succeeded in guiding the House to the higher scale of debates despite of the intrigues of the coalition government. I wish the next MPs would be compelled to re-consider Mr.Marende to be given a second chance to serve Kenyans in the same capacity

There only a few regular contributors to these constitutional debates, with good numbers of MPs who sat there and earned millions of shillings from the public coffers without making any meaningful contributions to the debates and deliberations in the House. We should therefore not allow similar situation to arise again. Kenya is not short of the technocrats therefore the voters should be sensitize to cast their votes for only the mature and

The time is also ripe for Kenyans to desist from the political culture voting for heavily moneyed aspirants. It has became evidence that in this country anybody who come u with ill-gotten drugs money makes it easy to Parliament even if such a person have no leadership quality. This makes it clear that Kenyans have become money worshippers.

Let us go for men and women whose integrity and performance would portray our country as the land of dissent men and women. We should know that communication skills is power Anyone who cannot communicate well in any of the two official languages, namely English and Kiswahili has no business seeking to be elected an Mp or a Senator.

Ends

Transforming Education for Girls in Tanzania: Endline Research report

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From: Yona Maro

This report is the culmination of 5 years’ work by the Transforming Education for Girls in Nigeria and Tanzania (TEGINT) project partnership, in particular by Maarifa ni Ufunguo, ActionAid Tanzania, the Institute of Education and Professor Ophelia Mascarenhas, who led the endline research and is the author of the full endline research report (unpublished).

This research summary report was compiled and edited by Louise Wetheridge, TEGINT International Project Manager, in November 2012 from the full report authored by Professor Mascarenhas.

The TEGINT project began in January 2008 and ended in December 2012. The project intended to achieve a transformation in the education of girls in Nigeria and Tanzania, enabling them to enrol and succeed in school by addressing key challenges and obstacles that hinder their participation in education and increase their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. Research was an integral part, contributing to deepening understanding and responsiveness to key issues for girls’ education in Tanzania, Nigeria and internationally, advancing the project’s implementation and influencing advocacy initiatives.

The themes covered by this research report, including girls’ empowerment and attainment, teacher engagement, school management and school levies, remind us of the critical importance of paying attention to perpetual gender gaps and learning from the rich experiences of girls’ education projects such as from TEGINT.
Link:
http://www.actionaid.org/sites/files/actionaid/3351_ed4girlstanzaniaendfinal.pdfhttp://www.actionaid.org/sites/files/actionaid/3351_ed4girlstanzaniaendfinal.pdf

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Graduation Speech : Class of Coxsackie-Athens High School 2010

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From: Yona Maro

The following speech was delivered by top of the class student Erica Goldson during the graduation ceremony at Coxsackie-Athens High School on June 25, 2010
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Here I stand

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, “If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years . .” ?The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?” Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.” “But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the student. “Thirty years,” replied the Master. “But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?” ?Replied the Master, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”

This is the dilemma I’ve faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.

Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn’t you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.

I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I’m scared.

John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, “We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don’t do that.” Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.

H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not “to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States.”

Comment: The full passage reads: “The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever pretensions of politicians, pedagogues other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.”

To illustrate this idea, doesn’t it perturb you to learn about the idea of “critical thinking.” Is there really such a thing as “uncritically thinking?” To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?

This was happening to me, and if it wasn’t for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.

And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.

We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.

The saddest part is that the majority of students don’t have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can’t run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.

For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, “You have to learn this for the test” is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.

For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.

For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.

So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn’t have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.

I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let’s go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we’re smart enough to do so!

Very well said, young lady!

Larry

http://divinecosmos.com/start-here/larrys-corner/larry-articles/860-the-best-graduation-speech-ever

EAC: Food experts and analysts are meeting in Nairobi to deliberate on food security in East African region

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

FOOD experts and analysts drawn from Europe, Asia and the entire Eastern African region to deliberate on strategies that can be used to enhance food security in the region.

The Workshop organized and sponsored by the European Union and the East African Community {EAC} under the joint EU-Africa’s Strategies- will seek ways of strengthening the harmonization of the food hygiene management through training.

The four days workshop dubbed Regional workshop on harmonization of food security in Africa will take place between January 22-25.

The Arusha based secretariat of the EAC has stated that food safety can only be achieved through the application of reference framework and introduction of guidelines that will harmonize the management of food hygiene and enhance inter-regional trade and integration in Africa.

The delegates to the four days workshop will also deliberate on how to secure fertilizers with the AU Commission and other regional economic blocs such as the Comesa, Ecowas in order to demonstrate and apply the reference guidelines for harmonization food hygiene in Africa.

The EAC is currently in the process of implementing its food security action plan [2012 – 2015} and preparing to implement the regional SPS Protocols, which was recently approved the Community’s Council of Ministers and the EAC Summit.

The SPS measures will focus on plytosanitary measure and procedures for mammals, birds and bees.

Food security analysts in the region said last week that food security in Eastern Africa countries has improved as the number of people at risk of starvation declined by over one million.

Ends

KENYA: KISUMU COUNTY RESIDENTS BACK RANGUMA.

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By Chak Rachar.

Hawkers, Traders, Mechanics, Proffesionals, Political Activists and University Students in Kisumu County have vowed to support ODM party Governor Aspirant Jack Ranguma for governor position.

Led by Kisumu County University Students Chairamn Moses Ogolla who is pursing electrical engineering at the Kisumu Polytechnic, the students say Ranguma is best suited for the position.

Ogolla who read the declaration to endorse Ranguma at a Kisumu hotel says the aspirant has positive policies for the growth of the county.

He says Ranguma has elaborate plans to ensure education standards are raised and those graduating absorbed in the market.

A group of cane farmers also endorsed Ranguma saying that sugarcane farming which remains the backbone of the county economy will be revitalized.

Ogolla says farmers have been hoodwinked and Ranguma will now ensure that all that is extracted from cane is paid to the farmers.

He says that it is unfortunate that farmers are not being paid for the bio gas, ethanol and other products derived from cane.

They called on all their members and supporters to back Ranguma saying he stands for the growth and development of the County.

Ends.

KENYA: MPS NOT FIT FOR GOVERNOR AND SENATE SEATS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

Homa Bay Governor aspirant Cyprian Awiti took an opportunity during the burial of Chief Paul Omol on Saturday to warn electorates that they should not vote for Member of Parliaments who vie for Governor or Senate seats in Luo Nyanza, particularly in Homa Bay.

He said politician like Eng Philip Okundi should not be elected Governor because when he was Rangwe MP there was no development he did, wondering how he could vie for County seat when his constituency defeated him.

Eng. Okundi can be remembered with a court case in 2002/2003 when the High Court stopped an alleged bid to transfer Sh26.5 million to South Africa. The money is said to have been a “donation” by the then Kanu government to Afrispace Kenya Limited to bridge finance a broadcast to schools project in North Eastern province.

Okundi was the chairman of Afrispace Kenya limited, a subsidiary of US based Worldspace Corporation. The money was value added tax refund to Afrispace Kenya limited after it convinced the Government that the refund would be used to bridge finance a Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) broadcast to schools.

Part of the money had been earmarked for the purchase of 5,400 receivers to be supplied to schools in North Eastern. The court heard that a radio education project to assist primary schools in Kenya risked being ground to a halt if the Sh26.5 million was transferred to South Africa.

Those who worked with him at KBC when he was the Boss knew him as a dictator and Moi’s crony. He was one of the politically correct and Moi’s favorable allies in Luo-Nyanza.

Most of theses politicians have been accused of failing to deliver the goods, poor management of the government devolved development funds, vandalizing the CDF money and poor disbursement of the same.

As Luo veteran journalist and investigative reporter, Leo Odero Omolo reports, in some areas the MPs are facing allegations of having formed or established their own construction companies with their spouses as the directors and managers of the firms specifically for the purpose of tapping all the CDF money through biased awarding tender and construction contracts involving CDF money to the phantom companies in which they had the economic interest in.

Other allegations goes that some of the MPs vandalized the CDF money by ensuring that their crones, most of them semi-illiterate and oldest people with no knowledge or experience in the government accounting system to mange the CDF.

Other MPs are suspected to have spent colossal amount of CDF monies in buying trucks and Lorries, which in the names of either their wives or companies which were later contracted for ferrying building materials for the construction of CDF funded projects at a higher prices above the market prices.

As reported, it is only the Karachuonyo MP Eng. James K. Rege, in Luo-Nyanza who had allowed the local CDF disbursing committee to have the intellectuals and professionals to be members.

The CDF committee is headed by Prof Akeyo Omolo of Maseno University as its chairman and all members are people of colorful academic background and experience, making it the only constituency in the region which has had no complaints from the public about the misuse of vandalizing of the CDF funds.

Even though the immigration and Registration of Person Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ will now contest the Homa-Bay County Senate seat, he has never been a high performing MP. People wonder how he is going to manage the county when his small constituency defeated him to develop.

Even in Kisumu County where all the six MPs are expect to be sent home for their lukewarm performance, Prof Peter Anyang Nyongo’ is vying for Senate seat. In one of the schools in his constituency classroom is almost collapsing as shown in the attachment.

Other MPs who have been accused for non performance include Nyakach MP Polyns Ochieng’ Daima, Muhoroni MP Patrick Ayiecho Olueny, Fred Ota [Nyando, Shakeel Ahmed Shabbir [Kisumu Town East, and John Olago Aluoch {Kisumu Town West}. In Siaye Couty Dr Oburu who is vying for Governor Seat is also a non performance.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

– – – – – – – – – – –

By Mangoa Mosota

“Do not touch that wall!” barks Norah Angienda, the Standard Three teacher at Rachilo Primary School. “It will crumble.”

She seems genuinely alarmed, even as her pupils sit obediently inside the mud-walled classroom.

students study inside crumbling room
Pupils study inside one of the crumbling classrooms. Photos: Titus Munala

Dressed in their tiny blue and white uniforms, they scribble away at their thin notebooks, unaware of the danger their teacher is so conscious about.

Their little feet are grey and red with dust as the floor is covered in layers of earth. Huge cracks have formed in the dry earth, and small avalanches of soil often roll down the walls.

Tumbled Down

Nearby are the ruins of another classroom whose walls tumbled down a month ago.
As the wind blows, howling eerily against the roof, it sweeps up books and items.

There’s no way to stop it as the classroom lacks doors. The children have learnt to stay indoors without touching the walls.

Several other classrooms are in this sorry state, and teachers, pupils as well as parents have lived with the situation for years.

Situated just 30Km outside one of the country’s biggest cities, Kisumu, the school is a study in neglect. It is a parable of the shambolic state of the education system that Kenyan children go through.

Five of the classrooms in use today were condemned more than five years ago. The Government, through officers of Public Health and Ministry of Education, have in the past warned that the shaky structures pose a danger to pupils.

Sitting on several acres in Ogwal Village, it contrasts sharply with Kit Mikayi, the world-famous rock that pulls tourists to the area.

Kit Mikayi is Dholuo for “rock of the first wife”. It stands robustly less than 500 metres away.

This is the heart of Kisumu Rural Constituency, represented in Parliament by Medical Services Minister Prof Anyang Nyong’o.

“The current mud-walled classrooms were constructed soon after the El Nino rains destroyed almost the entire school,” reminisces Dismas Ojwang, the head teacher, standing outside another crumbling classroom.

The rains, which soaked the country in the ‘90s, caused damage to infrastructure worth billions of shillings.

concrete steps

He says a number of Government officials have visited the school, but no concrete steps have been taken to repair it.

National examination results recorded last year lucidly portray the sorry state of the school. Out of the 22 candidates, only six managed to score more than 250 marks out of a possible 500. In fact, the trailing candidate scored less than 100 marks.

With slightly over 200 pupils, the school was started in the early 1980s. Some permanent buildings put in the 90’s are in a state of disrepair.

Due to the poor state of the school, many parents have withdrawn their children from the institution and transferred them to neighbouring ones.

The lower classes paradoxically have an average of six pupils each, a far cry of many rural schools in the country that have an upward of 50 pupils.

stalled

Work on classrooms built by the local Constituency Development Fund stalled for lack of funds.

Parents have contributed money for construction of two pit latrines, shared by the 200 pupils. They have also undertaken some repairs to the mud-walled classrooms.

The school’s Parents Teachers Association chairperson Rose Nyawara says they have made several pleas for assistance by the Government and a number of corporations.
“We fear for the safety of these young ones,” Mrs Nyawara tells The Standard.

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