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.....and many more stories.
Pride in our heritage
Published by Wajir Live Initiative Gr oup (WALIG). Wajir - Kenya. P.O BOX 311 -70200 . contact the Wajir Live through e-mail :: [email protected].
has resulted in occurrence ofperennial drought that hasposed great danger to thefood security of ASALresidents.
diversify the income status ofthe ASAL resident who mainlydepend on livestock.
Irrigation farming is seen as anaffordable and efficient way ofaddressing emerging challengesassociated with climate change.
continued on page threeAn erratic climatic change caused bythe effects of global warming
Agricultural sector expertshave been challenged to comeup with new ways and ideasto bridge the food deficits and
On page four
The Macabre retualDespite the doctors caution
that the dangers of female
cutting run up to motherhood
(specifically in the process of
giving birth), turning the tide
against the seemingly indelible
generational cultural practice
has proved an upheaval task
OTHER STORIES INSIDE
Isn’t NEP part of KenyaWelcome to NEP, the land ofproud camel owners,predominantly of the tall,rude, intelligent andvindictive (as a researcheronce put it).
On page two
December ‘09-February 2010
WAJIR LIVE
BREAKING THE SILENCE
No.002
KSH 20/=Pride in Our Heritage
Time to end indif-ference to globalwarming
Desertification inNortheastern is rapidlyexpanding, causing cutthroat competition for themeager pasture andwatering points left.
Agriculture minister William Ruto(centre),special programmes assistant minister Mohamed Ali and assistantminister for energy Eng. Mohamud Maalim (left) admire a new born hybrid goat when they visited wajir in october.
Things could get worseas important water towersaround the globe showsigns they might releasewater that they hold.
Amid rising poverty index, expanding desertification and a changing climate, its dowhat it takes in mitigating food insecurity for the hardworking farmers of the aridWajir District. Our writer Ibrahim Muhammad explores the alternative livelihoods theresidents of ASAL areas have sought salvation in.
he concern over sustainable livelihoods in arid and semi-arid lands(ASAL) is an issue that has receivedconsiderable attention fromresearchers and policy makers alike.
T
Diversifying dietary habits, farming methodsand income sources to alleviate poverty.
ortheastern province is by and large every inch part of Kenya and
among the eight provinces ofthis beautiful country. But justlike the minority few across allthe various sectors; inadministration, security ,finance, commerce, sports etcare hell-bent in egocentricselfish manipulation, staining allthe facets of attaining progressand smearing the reputation ofthe current system ofgovernance in place. The messgrowing to irreparable pointsthat warrant abomination in thestrongest terms, such thatanalysts speak of revolution.Just as this rot is realized in thesystem all across the country ,from Lokichogio to Lamu,Mandera to Kakamega,Northeastern has not had a fairshare but an but an unfairly‘fair ’ share of trouble.
Welcome to NEP, the land ofproud camel owners,predominantly of the tall, rude,intelligent and vindictive (as aresearcher once put it) peopleof the Somali community.Welcome to a world ofscorching sun and generosity,where small is shared by all andexpense budget doesn’t exist.Welcome to NEP, a vast Kenyanland, a region marginalized forfar too long and deliberatelymade to lag behind. Albeit, quitesarcastically, the NEP historyremains so deeply rooted in theKenyan history. So profoundand admirable.
Remarkably it was in 1982when this nation was at the helmof the first and ever coup detat, almost at the brink ofbloodshed. When the Kenya airforce made the infamous andaborted attempt to topple thethen (former) president Moi’sgovernment, it was a son ofNEP( Garissa) , then only ajunior officer of the Kenya armywho with patriotism andunmatched bravado rescued
N the country from theperpetrators who stage-managed the coup.
Last year after the bungledelections, when hate speech andwhat seemed like ethniccleansing was rife, whenpassion and furore filled the airand the country was at a loftyedge of precipice, bowingdown to plummet into civil warand genocide but for theintervention of God’s grace.When leaders acted like militiawarlords and worship placeswere no longer safe (what withthe ungodly act of the burningof a church), innocentsslaughtered and maimed,children orphaned and womenwidowed, with more than athousand lives lost and over aquarter million displaced,unfairly robbed not only ofmaterial stuff but innocence,love and of course the warmthand the often satisfactorycocoon of places they calledhome for years, perhapsdecades. Northeastern took thecredit of maintaining harmonyand becoming the oasis ofpeace, the true mirror andepitome worth emulating to therest of warring Kenya.
Today, as messages offorgiveness, national healingand cohesion are preached, theman entrusted with theresponsibility of restoring thereputation and building theconfidence of the Kenyanpublic in the electoral body hailsfrom NEP and so far his reportcard shows double A inintegrity, judging by the recentShinyalu and Bomachoge byelections.
But if this region, is part of thiscountry, even with the oldhistory of marginalization, whyis the Kenyan government sounfair to NEP? Why is it anightmare in acquiring identitycards, let alone passports? Yes,there are risks of influx from the
porous borders, but isn’t thegovernment entrusted tosafeguard and protect itscitizens? Kenya should findways of limiting the influx ofaliens that should not beobstacles to its very citizens.The absence of these very IDcards make hundreds ofnortherners spend behind barsunfairly. The second majorsource of tension in NEP is thepolice who are so highhandedin dealing with the citizens ofthis country, harassing bonafideKenyans and disregard the ruleof law and provisions forcitizens in the Bill of rights.Whereas the police should bringabout the aura of safety, theyare a source of panic andtension to the residents of NEP.
It’ s actually a nightmaretravelling from Wajir, just fewhours drive to Nairobi.Commuters are subjected toabout twenty scrutiny andcheck points. Delaying, rudelyasking for IDs, making peopleto speak Kiswahili and as if thisis not enough asking to checkfor the marking of the BCGvaccine at the left hand, this isso awful! Is this actually as it isstipulated in the constitution orwhatever code the policeadhere to? Having all thesecheck points with policemen allover is not at all justified.
There is dire need for thiscountry to protect its citizensregardless of complexion,ethnicity, faith or creed. Kenyancitizens are not stratified andother Kenyans are not moreKenyans than some. Justiceshould not be selective; allshould enjoy the provisions forrights and protection.And thismenace, this police madnessshould end. Only then can wespeak of National integration,work hand in hand and strivetowards making fresh watersfall.
The TeamEditor: Ibrahim Mohamed
Sub Editor: Mohamed .A. HirmogeDesign & Layout: Mohamed A. SamowWriters :Mohamed ibrahim, Abass Adan,
Amina Adan.Contributers : Hassan Gabow,
Abdihakim Adan.WAJIR LIVE : is a publication of WajirLive Initiative Group- a voluntary youth
organization.P.O. Box 311 Wajir
Email: [email protected]
The writer is Wajir live [email protected]
Page 2 Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live.EDITORIAL & COMMENT ARY
ISN’T NEP PART OF KENYA?
MOHAMED HIRMOGE }GovernanceThis month governmental
representatives from 170
countries are expected to
meet in Copenhagen to
attend the world
conference on climate
change. The goal of this
gathering is to create a new
global protocol to address
climate change that will
succeed the Kyoto Protocol
when it expires in 2012. At
the conference in
Copenhagen the parties of
the UNFCCC meet for the
last time on government
level before the climate
agreement need to be
renewed. The outcome of
this conference will no
doubt have great bearing to
lives of many people
around the world.
In this issue we bring you
an in depth analysis of the
least known effects of
climate change.
here is a moving story of
how a young girl succumbed
to the fatal cut(FGM) all in
the name of a maccabre
ritual.
keep sending original articles
on topical issues for possible
consideration in the next
issue. this newsletter provides
you with the space and forum
to voice your burning issues.
enjoy reading.
Ibrahim Ibrahim Ibrahim Ibrahim Ibrahim
Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live. page 3
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
The government recentlylaunched an ambitious plan toput under irrigation some40,000 hectares which isexpected to increase to a millionhectares within the next fiveyears ensuring 1.4 million bagsof grain per year.
Over the past one year, Wajir, ahither to relief food reliant town,has undergone considerablechange in terms of agriculturalproductivity, a fact that tellshow local resources can beharness to improve livelihoodsand overall food security.Wajir has a rain fed agriculturalpotential of fifty thousandhectares; only 40 Ha has beenexploited through irrigation outof the potential 120Ha.
With the availability of readymarket for their farm producethe few farmers who haveembraced this new option haveseen the fortune rise steadily andfor now it seems this is thesalient feature of their economiclives. “I am now able to takecare of myfamily needs,thanks to theproceeds frommy farm.”
Only 40 Ha has beenexploited through
irrigation out of thepotential 120Ha.
With the government enticingfarmers with incentives likesubsidized seeds, fertilizers andagricultural inputs the offerseems too good to resist.
Over the years, the district hadto depend on Carissa, Manderaand other parts of the countryfor majority of its food needs“few years back nobody wouldimagine that Wajir couldproduce the variety of foodcrops we have produced; kales,spinach, lemon, banana, maize,water melon and many more.”says Mrs Shelley Abdi thechairlady of Nasib FarmersGroup in Makaror village.
A typical semi arid area, withthe soils deficient in nitrogen,phosphorus and limited rainfall,irrigation farming seems to bethe only way out of thequagmire of food insecurity andover reliance on relief food.
Mrs shaleyattributes this tothe new cropp r o d u c t i o nt e c h n i q u e sgained fromagr i cu l tu ra le x t e n s i o nofficers andArid lands ResourceManagement project (ALRMP)“initially we used to bury theseeds in the soil and wait forwhatever the outcome; simplywe lacked the capacity andknow how to fully utilize theavailable resource.” She says.
Mrs.Shalley, a widow with eightchildren says their successdidn’t come on a silver platter
“for the first five years we neverreaped any fruits from ourefforts, it was merely astruggle.”The frustrations of seeing theirefforts amount to nothing hadencouraged them not to give up.A ray of hope has began to
shine on them as every effortnow seems to bring more thanthe expected returns. “Everyeffort we make now is acalculated move, we considerseveral factors before we plantanything” quips Mrs.Shalley.
Wajir East district agriculturalofficer Adan Haji says that, withmore support and funding,Wajir farmers have the potential
to fully satisfy the needs of thelarger Wajir district and thesurrounding districts.
“The soil has huge untappedpotential, only that people havebeen made to believe thatsatisfaction comes from free
things” he says“overreliance onrelief supplies hasmade farmers lazyto cultivate theirfarms. We shouldprovide food forwork instead offood for free tor e d u c ed e p e n d e n c ysyndrome” notesMr. Adan
The ministry ofagriculture has shifted focus toeducating farmers formaximum utilization of theprogramme. In October this year, theagricultural minister Mr. WilliamRuto paid visit to Nasib farmson the outskirts of Wajir districtwhere he called for the need tointroduce alternative cropvarieties that are drought and-continued on page four
Mrs Shalley samples lemon fruits in her farm during the interview (below)A member ofNasib Farmers group admires the fruits of his labour (Photo/Mohamed Ali)
Page 4 Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live.
THE MACABRE RITUALBy: Mohammed Hirmoge
to the macabre situation at hand,perhaps the magical, miraculouselixir of life, or so it appears tothe concerned fellows. Toobad, the doctors pronounce herdead on arrival.But why did she have to die?Its all in the name of a bizarrepractice. The torture, sufferingand deprivation of the motherof all rights in book; the right tolife. Unjustifiably in the name of
obligation. The perpetrators, intheir misguided deductionsmust have found theaforementioned justificationsbalancing perfectly well with thejeopardy posed to human life.What an imbalanced, unfaircalculation.
nnocence manipulated, right violated, tender body butchered;a life of a promising leader oftomorrow denied at one go,courtesy of a grotesquelooking, frail, oldseptuagenarian who with norespect, sympathy and empathyfor a scared infant, twisted theblade of a rusty knife deep intothe privacy of an innocent girlchild.
Suddenly she is in a pool ofblood, some seriously vitaltissue severed, looking pale,drained of staggering pints ofblood. Her once beautiful figurereduced to a ghoulish imagemore like the roller coasterfigures in the horror movies,with shreds of herbal grains,root paste and mixture of leavesand pith of a tropical tree to helpact as disinfectant and moreimportantly to fast track healing,covering her from the abdomendown.
All hell breaks loose, her eyesroll in what appears to signifyher last breath. Alarm bells ringin her parent’s subconscioustriggering danger, concern. Inthe ensuring confusion, hospitalapparently appears to be the lastpanacea
I
a rite, a ritual so barbaric. Allbecause of circumcision. Topurify, to shield virginity, tosafeguard morality and aboveall to be firm in the inexorabletenet of a time tasted cultural
Despite the doctors caution thatthe dangers of female cuttingrun up to motherhood(specifically in the process ofgiving birth), turning the tideagainst the seemingly indeliblegenerational cultural practicehas proved an upheaval task,
a giant that cannot be shovedas easily, a dogma that cannotbe subject to brain drain.continued on page six
continued from page threesalt tolerant.To address this problem theminister challenged the localleaders to avail a piece of landto be used for research purposeby the Kenya agriculturalresearch institute (KARI).
Constant breakdown ofirrigation sets resulting from thehigh water salinity has causedfarmers to incur huge expenseson repair and maintenance.
The minister promised to bringone farm tractor for hire byfarmers to develop their landearly next year.
For the case of Nasib farmersthe only operating windmill thatwas donated by World Visionhas broke down due toaccumulation of salt on thesystem.
Nasib farmers have decried thepoor roads and urge thegovernment to improveinfrastructure “our productivityis largely hampered by the poorroads,
To double their productioncapabilities she calls for thegovernment and otherstakeholders to come on boardand help small scale farmers torealize their full potential “we
This new initiative is an aptexample of how food securitycan be improved throughirrigation farming for a regionthat has been dodged byperennialdrought and other disasters.This programme has thepotential to spur economicgrowth and improve the livingstandard of the resident if wellmanaged.
appeal to the government andother potential donors to helpus with farm inputs and othernecessary tools for us tomaximize our productivity”
sometimes it becomes difficultto transport farm produce toneighboring towns due toimpassable roads” notes Mrs.Shalley
“our productivity is largely hampered by thepoor roads, sometimes it becomes difficult totransport farm produce to neighboring towns
due to impassable roads”
PAINFUL MOMENT!
In this photo, a young girl stares blankly as all is set for the maccabre ritual. (Photo/File)
Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live. page 5
1995The year wajir peace
was formed.
BY MOHAMED ALI
Naivasha DC Mohamed Birik (in black suit) poses for agroup photo with otherparticipants during the workshop. (photo/ Mohamed Ali)
continued on page eleven
To support this noble
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P.O.Box 50-70200, Wajir TEL:0464-21265/0724244825, EMAIL:alhamdahfs@yours .com.
For more infomation Contact us through:
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With friendly and r eliable service, passionate about quality, loyal to ourcustomers and always striving to be the very best in everything we undertake. ......
Come and pay us a visit.
we are situated along Mandera Road 2.7km from Wajir town.
Wajir - the epitome of harmonyIt is usually a rare phenomenonfor the people of a district,which had once been branded‘ Shifta‘ zone to literallybecome peace exporters, giventhe unfortunate reality that peacehas become an elusive ‘quicksilver’ like commodity.
In a mixture of surprise andcelebratory tone, this was onthe lips of every participantduring a four-day workshopand exchange visit held inNaivasha courtesy of Wajirpeace development agency.
The people of the vast RiftValley province were hit hard bythe post election violence of2007, and Naivasha was one ofthe worst affected, after horrificincidents and the gruesomekillings that targeted membersof some communities that ledto serious internal displacement,loss of lives and destruction ofproperties worth millions.Indeed a horrendous experiencethat begot trauma andanimosity. , Wajir Peace havingresolved conflicts amicably inthe past became champions ofgood hope in the exchangeprogram.“I never expected people fromWajir to come and lecture uson matters peace because wesaw them as hostile and violentpeople only to realize how peaceloving they are” said one LucyKariuki, a participant of the four
day workshop held inNaivasha.*(please state theexact venue)
The workshop which wasdubbed ‘Visitors of Peace‘brought together elders, youth,women and other opinionleaders from Wajir district and their counterparts fromNaivasha with the aim ofborrowing a leaf from thesuccess story of Wajir Peaceand forming various peaceclubs to mitigate futureproblems.It was seemingly a mixture ofrelief and godsend blessingfor the people of Naivasha to
meet and interact with anorganization that borne out ofresolving inter-clan communitydisputes, cultivated harmonyand happy coexistence in whatthat can be summarized as it isin an old adage No elephant istoo weak to carry its husk
“….As Kenyans who haveundergone similar problems andhave successfully rebuilt theirlives, it is our responsibility toundertake communityeducation and share ourexperience lest what transpired
in 2007 happens again” saysAbdi Bilow, deputy coordinatorfor Wajir Peace.During the four day workshopthe youth from the two districtsexchanged ideas andexperiences on how t o achievedurable peace. The youth heldin unison that learning from thehorrendous experience andtaking on board the lessons wasthe first step towards realizingunending peace and harmony.On sharing his experience,Yussuf Amin, a youthrepresentative from Wajir said,“We have achieved durablepeace in Wajir. You can spend
Page 6 Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live.
continuedfrom page four
Probably, apractice that isthere to stay.Inthe olden Somaliculture, when agirl as young as13 was at aperfect age forbetrothal, anuncircumciseddamsel of 15 inthe communitywas the absoluteembarrassmentthat could lead toexcommunicationand beingdespised.
there arose the need to tametheir sexual urges and of coursethat had to do with some“surgery’ at the venereal organsdown under. This, it is arguedis in the interest of morality andto instill restraint. Libidosuppressed.
By and large, thebelief that ladiesexhibit strong sexual desires,are more lascivious ascompared to their malecounterpart and that they bearthe consequences that comewith intimacies (unwantedpregnancies),
“Her once beautiful figurereduced to a ghoulish image”
The indoctrinationthat female genitalmutilation is the onlyproven way touphold virginity, earnrespect andrecognition, avertembarrassment andbeing morally uprightresult in a brainwashthat force the ladiesto compliance almostby will, it broughtabout an automatics u b s e r v i e n c e .Where, when thesubject of femalecutting is discussedbetween the girls andtheir mothers, noobjections, quarrelsor fight is observed.
BY MOHAMED HIRMOGE
In Kenya, we eat, sleep anddream politics. Fromparliament, political rallies,churches and temples, Kenyansare fed on politics day in dayout. While they politick, theplanet is heating up withdevastating consequences.This subject, which shouldhave long replaced politics inthe public discourse, has beenleft to a small group of expertsand activists who habituallyrecede to five-star hotels andhold discussions in seclusiononly to try to reach the publicduring press briefings.Fortunately, however, thesematters are already receiving
attention elsewhere. In a jointarticle titled “Global Plan ForHabitat Disasters”,, Mr. BekeleGeleta, Secretary General forthe International Federation ofRed Cross and Red CrescentSocieties and Mr. John Holmes,the United Nation’s undersecretary general forhumanitarian affairs andemergency relief coordinator,pose “what will African farmersdo when floods wash away theircrops as is happening in westAfrica?”In our country, the evidence iseverywhere. Budalangi peoplehave seen perennial casualties offloods, the Mara River has beenreduced to a trickle and thecountry had just been throughdevastating long spells ofdrought. Desertification inNortheastern is rapidlyexpanding, causing cut throatcompetition for the meagerpasture and watering points left.And things could get worse asimportant water towers aroundthe globe show signs they mightrelease water that they hold in
the form of ice. One of themis the Himalayas Mountains inAsia.Geleta- Holmes cite scientistswarning that should theHimalayan glaciers disappear,the impact will be felt by morethan one billion people acrossAsia. And isn’t Asia already incrisis? Just as Indonesia isrecovering from the relics of theTsunami, more hurricanes andtyphoons sweep the Sumatraand Philippines and many other
parts of Asia. The tragedy withglobal warming is that it mostlyaffects those who havecontributed the least to it.These are usually veryvulnerable people. Studies likethe one carried out after theIndonesian Tsunami, allude tothe unfortunate fact that climatechange impacts are moreheavily felt by the poor andweak in terms of gender
continued on page ten
TIME FOR KENY A TO END INDIFERENCE TO GLOBAL WARMING
ith evidence everywhere that Africa will be a major casualty
in a warmer planet, thecontinents leaders should havebeen jolted into swift action. Butthere is little evidence of that. Itcan thus be concluded that thecontinent is ill prepared for thedevastating consequences ofglobal warming.
W
Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live. page 7Thr ough the lens of Wajir live
EID PICTORIAL
43
5
Photos/ Mohamed Ali &
Ibrahim Mohamed
1
6
1. Muslim faithfulls gatherat Orahay grounds to markEid-ul Adha.2.Children enjoy a free rideafter Eid prayers.3.Achild in a deepconversation with his father.4.The Feast.5.Time for prayer.6.Kadhi Sheikh Mohamedadresses the muslim.
2
5
43
1
Page 8 Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live.YYYYYour Letterour Letterour Letterour Letterour LettersssssWith global warming andincreased incidences ofdrought, i think our society isheading for a disaster. we needto think hard, particularly thosewho are in a position of privilegeneed to think long and hard. ourpeople are dying ofundiagnosed diseases andhunger, children are dying ofmalnutrition, our educationsystem is worse than anywhereelse in the country and schooldropout rates are higher thanany other province in thecountry. Do you ask yourselfwhy..here are some reasons which ithink may explain...
1. We are consumed by triballoyalties and ethnicity
2. Corruption; Those inauthority; politicians, publicservice workers don’t thinkbeyond their bellies. they arestealing from their own poorand vulnerable people.
3. The rich don’t understandsocial and communityresponsibility. they are illiterate,thick headed and don’t wantanybody else to succeed
4.The poor don’t understandtheir rights and they are alwaysvictimized and spit upon bythose who have a little bit morethan them.
9.Those in position of privilegeincluding myself think onlyabout ourselves and ourimmediate families.
5. We claim to have andpractice religion but our greedpredominates us
!7. we depend on others somuch that we forget that we cancome with the solution.
10. Our Leaders are Naive
11. Lastly, we all know thegovernment has ignored OurpeopleI know there are many morereasons why our lives canonly get worse.
8. we would like others to solveour problems
6.The young and the old areaddicted to Khat (mirra)!!
Why our lives could only get worse?
HASSAN DUGOW
Globalization has manyaspects. it contains manyimportant aspects as wellas many negative effects. Thewhole world has accepted andembraced the ways towardsthe advancement oftechnology. Our youths areplaying a vital role in this rapidpace thus affecting our strongand mighty cultures. Howwould it appear to you as afather, brother or mother whenyou see a little girl of yourswatching and saving verydisgusting video clips she hasdownloaded from internet?.
evident in countries such asSaudi Arabia where such websare closed automatically.
Hajji Farah
we lack strong organisations orcommitted minority who couldblock many disgustingwebsiteswhich in one way orthe other influence our youthsnegatively. such initiatives areneeded in our society to safethis young generation
We welcome your brief letters on topical issues.send to: [email protected] or mail them to:The
editor,Wajir Live, P.O.Box 311-wajir.letters will be edited for clarity and space.
Lets Tr eat Technology With Caution.
many of our youths areconcentrating on some badchoices, a few of them areinclined towards knowledge,information,awareness and
exposure. the majority of themappear to have misused theinternet.
Our youths are playing a vitalrole in this rapid pace thus
affecting our strong and mightycultures.
Many youthspend theirprecioustime incyber cafe`sviewingdisgustingsites thathave hugeimplicationson theirmoralityand socialbehaviour.
Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live. page 9
ABDIHAKIM ADAN AFEYThe Power of Positive Thinking
The main reason why I choseto write about this topic is thefact that our Religion Islam isall about positive thinking. Theprophet (PBUH) alwaysadvised his followers to neverthink negative. He used to tellhis Sahabas that even if youhear the trumpet finish what youstarted. This means you needto have belief in yourself, thatwhatever you are doing willbenefit someone somewheresome day and that will earn youreward from the almighty. If youthink like “why will I do thistoday and tomorrow i am goingto die.” that is negativethinking. Think positive and doeverything positively.
THE ONLY LAW TOCHANGE IS:
You can change who you areby changing what you put intoyour mind. When you changeyour mind, you changed yourlife. Although the wheel ofchange turns slowly, it alwaysturns in the direction of whatyou put into your mind. You fillyour mind with positivethoughts so that your life movesin a positive direction.
What does it take for one tothink positive? How can onethink positive? It has beenproven beyond doubt that whatyou think is what you are. theway you think is the way youlive, how you think is how youcarry yourself….the bigquestion here is WHAT DO U
THINK OF YOURSELF?With all this in our minds letssee how or what makes one notto think positive.It has beenassumed few years back thatmost youths from Wajir districtdon’t end up in goodinstitutions after their end year
exams, be it primary orsecondary. Many people triedto ask themselves why this ishappening and what is makingthe students from the region seethemselves inferior or not ableto compete with the rest of theyouths from the country,whatever reasons people gaveregarding the youths it all cameto the perceptual thinking theyouths had for themselves, andonce they changed how theythink the wheel changed itsdirections. Currently you takea look at the major nationaluniversities and other biginstitutions in the country andyou will not be surprised to seethe number of Wajir youths whoare undertaking variousprogrammes. Now someonewill ask himself why?The answer lies with us and itis all in our brains and how wethink.. Anyone will agree withme that 10 to 15 years back itwas not even possible forstudents from Wajir to make tonational universities in bignumbers. Because of all thenegativities that surrounded usregarding the
their thinking, all this peopledidn’t hate me but that is all theinformation they had. Theytended to think negative aboutuniversities in the region. But Ididn’t give much attention andwent ahead with it and today iam so happy about myself. Myargument here is; what wouldhave happened if all thosefriends of mine had positivethinking regarding theimportance of education? wellthis would have made themappreciate education and go forit whenever they want and behappy for me ,for choosingsuch a step...just as ourprophet(PBUH) said ‘seekknowledge even if it meanstraveling to China”., well thosedays china was the farthest placethey could travel to anyway..you might never think the sameas your colleague, friend oranyone you ever met or thewheel of thinking might neverface the same direction but onething is for sure that the moreyou put positive things into yourmind the more you stay focusedto what you want in life and thatfor sure makes things easy foryou as an individual and thepeople around you. As a youthyou are surrounded by manypositive things which you mightnot realize at that time becauseof all psychologicaltransformation that a person is
intake process, courses offered,
the life in the city and theexpenses. But once someoneexplores and changes his/herthinking capability things tendto be glowing and that you seethe achievements are incredible.this is just because the youthsfrom Wajir explored theirthinking and influenced eachother and that has led to youthsaccepting education to be theonly thing that can transformtheir lives. I remember beingtold many negatives thingsregarding universities in southEast Asia when I was startingmy bachelors there. but little didI knew that the people telling me
READERS FORUM
undergoing. But with clearvision of the future one cannever be stopped ordiscouraged. When you haveparents telling you not to do thisand do that, they are alwaysright because no parent will everlie to his/her child. But what youneed as a youth is a balancedway of thinking wheresometimes you have to sit withyour parents and make them seethings the way you see, becauseyou are the one who knows bestsince you are in it. But neverever go against your parents.The best way is to always makethem be with you in terms ofyour thinking and the steps youtake.My advice to my fellow youthfrom Wajir is: think ahead alwaysand put positive things into yourmind…that will make it easy foryou and your lifebetter.Everything you put intoyour mind is important, becauseit changes who you are. Whenyou put in good things, your lifeimproves. When you put in badthings, your life becomesworse. There are noexceptions to this law.With all this, i am sure my fellowyouths from Wajir will now startto see things in a different way.
This column gives readers aforum to share their personalstories. send your story [email protected])
POST YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ON
THE DISCUSSION BOARD
Wajir LivePride in Our Heritage.
Page 10 Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live.
The rich can afford to cushionthemselves during cold seasonsby using warming devices andcooling effects during hot spells,leaving the poor to the vagariesof the weather.
continued from page six
Most of the poor, who are atrisk of succumbing to adverseeffects of the changing planethave little or no understandingof such phenomena as globalwarming, ozone layer depletion,climate change, and in any casecan do little to alter the courseof things. Most of them do notunderstand the connectionbetween their actions in suchactivities as deforestation andclimatic change and cannottherefore contribute their effort,modest as it may be, toreversing the trend. ManyKenyans belong to thiscategory. According to a recentBBC research, Kenyans, haveyet to come to the understandingof the relation between thedestructive human activities andthe impacts this has on globalwarming.In September, the UnitedNation’s General Secretary BanKi Moon took a nine day boattour of the Arctic, he madestartling observations. Moonwrote, ‘I visited the Arctic; Isaw the remains of a glacier thatjust a few years ago was amajestic mast of ice. It hadcollapsed. Not slowly melted -collapsed.’
What made ice that has beenthere for possibly millions ofyears collapse so suddenly?The answer lies in the adverseclimate changes that have beentaking place for some time now.This collapse is a recipe fordisaster. The collapsed mast ofice indicates that sea levels arerising. This is at the height ofglobal warming’s rapid effect.
If global warming continues attoday’s rate, it won’t be longbefore the ice in Greenlandmelts completely. The resulting
rise in sea water levels wouldlead to increased tides anddangerous waves, endangeringvoyage and sea holidaying,storms and typhoons sweepinglandscapes.
It is now acknowledgeduniversally that climate change,today at its peak, is the biggestthreat to human survival anddevelopment, threatening;economies, health,development, and business.Of course efforts have beenmade to arrest these changes,but somehow, they have notbeen effective. There have beenpacts and protocols that havebeen signed to commitcountries to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions. TheKyoto and Montreal protocols,particularly the former, cameclose to reducing emission ofgreen house gases. But failureof the U.S to ratify it made itlargely ineffective.
Arctic ice will rapidly accelerateglobal warming. According toMr. Moon, the thawing ofpermafrost is releasing methane,a green house gas whoseimpact is twenty times worsethan that of carbon dioxide.These men Moon, Geleta andHolmes are united in their pleaahead of the Copenhagensummit, where Governmentswill gather to negotiate a newand healthy global climaticagreement in December. Theirplea is that as this headsbrainstorm in achieving thepurpose of the summit, theyshould be bold enough to comeup with measures to assist thosewho re vulnerable frominevitable climate impacts.
continued on page eleven.It is feared that melting of the
WE WISH ALL OUR READERSA HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS
2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Most people don`t understand the connection between their actions and climate change.
Destruction!
Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live. page 11
continued from page three
Mzee Muhumed HassanMumin, an elder from wajir
receives certificate ofparticipation from one ofthe guest at the end of four
day workshop(photo/ Mohamed Ali)
Well Done!
Today, one can significantlyconclude that most Kenyans oreven Africans are indifferent tothe whole aspect of climatechange and global warming,simply due to the obviousreason they are notinformed,while others haveonly heard the hackneyed phrase ‘climate change’ .Civic programs informing andeducating the public arenecessary that by and large theirvery actions grossly contributeto climate change. That forestthat they are destroying with a
Our people should be made tounderstand that the largerpercentage of occupants inhospital beds suffer fromenvironmental related diseasesand ailments. That when wehave become enemies to ournature , possibly perhaps toavert hunger, for deforestationis done in exchange for money,little do we know that we areonly inviting more problems;diseases, food and waterinsecurity, floods and droughts.It has become like escapingfrom an enemy, only to seekshelter in the ‘enemy’s’ cottage.
lot of relish (talk of Mau ofKaya) are carbon sinks.That plastic polythene bags,pollution of air and water,environmental degradation andthe subsequent desertificationare parameters to the escalatingrisks of global warming.
and social stratification, due totheir weaker resistancecapacity. The poor, Thedisabled,The old and theconvalescing. Women andchildren. These are members ofthe society who have very weakresistance capacity.
continued from page tenAccording to a report released by UNAIDS,the number of new infections have fallen inrecent years but sub-saharan africa remainsthe region with the highest incidence of HIV &AIDS, with about 70% of the global HIV in-fections.The prophet (SAW) said. “people will not stopdoing promiscuity openly,only Allah (SW) willbring onto them diseases which they did notexperience before”
Remember abstinence is the single mosteffecttive control for the spread of HIV.
This message is brought to you by Wajir LiveInitiative Group.
Take control and visit the nearestVCT centre to know your status.
in the streets ofWajir at nightwithout fearingfor your life andproperty unlike in1993 when youcould not ventureout oncedarkness hasfallen”Wajir peacedevelopmentcommittee whichhas organizedthe workshop isa communitydriven peacebuilding initiativethat was formedin 1995 as aresult of theinter-clan clashesof 1993-1994 inwhich severallives were lost. Its uniquestructure, which bringstogether civil society andgovernment officials, hasworked well with anoutstanding achievement inthe larger Wajir district.
Various youth peaceambassadors have called on theorganization to continue with itsprograms of training volunteerpeace crusaders to helpcommunities resolve theirproblems amicably.
Abdi Bishar, a teacher at ShantaAbag primaryschool whoattended thei n t e r n a t i o n a lcampaign againstland mines held inNairobi onDecember 2004says theexperience he hasgained has helpedhim in hist e a c h i n gprofession on howhe has to deal withhis students“Apart fromlearning fromNobel peacelaureates likeShiren Ibadi andWangari Mathai Iam using themediation skills Ihave learnt whichhelps me in mywork of balancing
official and socialresponsibility.”
Perhaps a relative positiveinteraction among theNaivasha communities in thecoming days will be animportant benchmark ingauging Wajir’s peace effortin achieving harmony.
Page 12 Dec.‘09 - February 2010/Wajir Live.
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