The Youth Man

Is it true that Christ died to save the world? And he died for our sins? Those are some of the religious philosophies I grow up with from my childhood. Every night before going to bed I ask God to send me angels to guide me through the night and help me wake up a different person. Until I visited Hungary I had never taken prayers seriously, maybe I have never been serious with prayers, and maybe I have very little faith. Waking up is a criminal offense, I have spent about 15 years since I left school looking for job so if a politician gives me money to kill my fellow country men I will take the money and kill because the government is doing nothing about my joblessness. If they make dead voters vote in the general elections, what can’t I do because they lead by example.

I have two sons with Caroline, (Max and Ehud) but tradition does not respect my marriage because have not taken a cow to Caroline’s parents, so it is not a marriage, am just one rude boy running away with some body’s daughter. May be there is hope if the vision 2030 and the millennium development goal is realized, though I will have to wait till 2030 for me to afford a cow to marry my so called wife or Max and Ehud will pay may dowry in the year 2030 that is if will afford their education.

Perhaps I am the only young Kenyan undergoing this dreadful experience, or am one among a million Kenyan youths with the same experience, some have even more worse experiences, yet we have to wait till 2030 for the vision to be realized. Little patients pays what about very little patient? Most of my generations are very worried about the slow growing economy, because the vision 2030 is a political tool to mobilize votes during the general elections. We were economical close or well off to economies like Singapore and Thailand but currently we are very behind from the two economies.

Promotion of youth groups as instruments of change is relatively a new concept to this country, which has lead to the formation of ministry of youth affairs a political ministry which was formed with the purpose of mobilizing youth votes during the general elections. There have always been community development initiatives such as youth groups; however the tradition in the past tended to see youth groups as mere conduits for channeling tribal wars, and political violence. No wonder therefore the impact of such efforts towards the eradication of poverty has been miserable dismal with too thin coverage and concomitant dependency; with the kind of politicians we have vision 2030 is a smoke screen. More recent empirical experiences have suggested that youth groups if started and supported with the right motive have the potential to become efficient conduits for social transformation. They create chances for the powerless sections of the community.

Maybe tomorrow I will my poverty level will increase while the reach will increase their wealth if that is the vision 2030 and millennium development goal then it is very much possible, with the current leadership that where we are headed to. Will I ever pay dowry?

VOICES WITHOUT VOTES

If the people of Luo Nyanza could have been given the chance to vote, Barack Obama could have gotten more than what he needs to be the next US president. Obama for president campaign posters and t-shits are every where in Kisumu, the campaign is so high in Luo Nyanza than the US. To show how it is serious, Obamas posters are allover Kisumu in the homes and on the streets, they are being sold at a very high prize but people buy. To me Luo Nyanza is one "State" that should be given a chance to vote.

traditions vs science in reproductive health/HIV

Who said that Female Genital Cutting is harmful cultural practice, it as been there in the community since the times of our great grand parents in the name of reducing female sexual appetite, therefore where is culture in practicing Female Genital Mutilation if the women who have under gone the cultural right of passage (FGM) complain of biological life threatening complication of their reproductive organ?

Thanks to the elders who came up with the idea of FGM in the name of reducing female sexual appetite, thanks to the reproductive health service provider who discovered that male circumcision reduces the chances of HIV infection while FGM increases the chances of infection.

Where science meets culture there is usually violent conflict between the two. The introductions of male circumcision as a method of prevention against HIV infection recently come across a cultural barrier from the Luo Council of Elders not because that male circumcision is a method of prevention against HIV infection, but because they feel that they are the most targeted community because they don’t practice male circumcision, the community removes six lower teeth, that is the Luo culture.

The main issue is that at one point in the history of AIDS in Kenya the community registered the highest HIV and AIDS related cases, and now the research is targeting the community because of their culture of not circumcising men and is relating it to the high causes of infection while other communities practicing male circumcision are also facing the same problem of increasing number of new HIV infections. The research may be stigmatizing the community.

Anyway the council concluded that any male in the community can under go circumcision but not because of the HIV prevalence rate in the community, but because of self choice. Then what happens to the condoms, male circumcision my lead to negative attitude towards condoms and may reduce the use of condoms in some communities who practice male circumcision hence increase in the number of new HIV infections.

collins

odu at the opera house in Hungary

Politics a Major Art

Yes most goverments do not feel good if one posts an information that is not corret about the particular goverment. So being a major art that controls all ather forms of art it is its responsibility to protect its citzens aganist the Media, but most goverments are doing the oposite of what they are deligated to do for the people of a nation.

Dear friends for us to change the goverment we must change the philosophy of the goverment being the major art.


to be continued