Back in the day when I was a kid, like 9 years old, there is something that I experienced that makes me smile whenever I remember it. I should digress and say that I was fond of crying/weeping a lot at that time. I never had any jurisdiction over the tear gates. That was around the time I went to a boarding school. It used to be a teary affair when leaving home for school. My dad would comfort me by telling me that I was just washing my eyes in preparation for daunting studies ahead. I would replicate the affair on visiting day as my mum was leaving me behind. Back to the original issue. So on that fateful day I was watching TV with my bro and dad. I am not sure what appeared on the tube that made me all teary. Dad saw me as I tried to secrete away the tears. On being asked what was amiss, I gave the most ludicrous answer. I still can’t believe I said that. I just told him I was crying because I was feeling hungry. Sigh. It was nearing supper time and I thought I could get away with it cheaply. We live in a rural set up and food is always in profusion. Nobody could understand why I ended up feeling so hungry that I had to whimper. As usual I stuck to my original answer, withstood scorn from all corners and never bothered to tell anybody that really it was not hunger that was bringing forth my tears. I am not going to say whether I still the teary lil guy that I was at that time.
As other people pretend to be crying because of some simulated hunger, there are those Kenyan who are currently facing actual starvation. We tend to take it lightly when it is reported that individuals are facing starvation in some corner of the country. It is like we do not live in the same country. Yesterday I reflected on the kind of situation that these guys are experiencing and I felt touched. You know dying of hunger is a far more painful experience than poison, hanging or falling from a balcony. One has to endure a lot of pain over a long period of time before succumbing. On top of this they do not have adequate shelter. You know it could be easier to starve in a conducive environment. Most of us cannot imagine, let alone missing a meal in a day. Yet some others spend days before getting a handful of ugali kavu. I salute the efforts that the private sector and individuals have put up in availing avenues for contributing.
Yesterday, the prime minister hinted that the government was doing their best in tackling the situation. He claimed the media was portraying the government negatively on the matter. The governments’ best comprises of giving false assurances and spending most of their time campaigning for next year’s elections. Parliament was yesterday passing a motion that may end up increasing their pay packages. That is the best that they can do. Things cannot get more retarded than this. Warnings from the weatherman were shelved. You can’t blame them, after all Kenya is made of people engaging in empty talk all the time. I like the way the media is really shoving this matter into to the noses of whoever who cares to notice. I was watching citizen business yesterday and the background picture was very malnourished kids. There was another picture of kibaki n raila with wailing kids between them.
This is a national crisis and everybody who is able should give a hand should go ahead and do it. Our government is full of shite to solve this problem alone. It takes just 10 bob to make a difference. Contributing 100 bob will feed more people than you can imagine. There are over 3 million Kenyans (and other somalians) who are repeatedly day dreaming how fellow countrymen are deeping their hands into pockets to help them. They are surviving with hope that you and me will do something to help. I have already given and will continue to give, will you?
Boom box playlist:
Footprints in the sand – Leona Lewis
No comments:
Post a Comment