Elevating the Youth #ForwardMoving

***

"I will be allowed to call myself successful because success is about the change you bring to other people’s lives, it’s not about the number of zeros written on your pay check." 

~ Francis Okongo Kinyanjui

Going down my newsfeed on FaceBook is usually an emotional journey. 

Sometimes I see things that make me happy, 

... others make me laugh so hard, 

... some make me really sad, 

via Planet Website

... once in a while I come across those ignorant posts that make me want to scream and knock some sense into someone but I say my ooh-saa's, breathe in and out, and keep scrolling... or sometimes I can't help but leave a comment,

via My Science Academy 

(Yes I support gay rights in case you are wondering because "I might not be the same, but that's NOT IMPORTANT, no freedom till we're equal. DAMN RIGHT I SUPPORT IT" ~ Macklemore)

... and most times I am inspired,

Yesterday I came across this young man who inspired me profoundly, there's so much I could say about him(though I don't actually know him personally) but i'll let his work speak for him. Reading through his site, I could feel the honesty in his words. So I hope this inspires you, like it did me, to make a difference somewhere, anywhere! And I hope you will support him in his great cause because it's not about how much you give, but the intention with which you give the little that you have/can.

The "Kibera Kids Tennis and Sports Project" is an initiative started by a young man called Francis Okongo Kinyanjui to empower and encourage positivity amongst the youth by providing a better platform for growth away from drugs & crime, among many more issues affecting the youth today, especially in marginalised areas like Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya (Africa's 2nd largest slum), through sports. The goal at hand being to raise 800,000 Kenyan shillings to build tennis courts at the heart of the Kibera slums.

"I am bringing the youth factor into this initiative and encouraging the more privileged youth to help the underprivileged youth by setting up a youth to youth support programme. I consider this opportunity my greatest achievement because sports helped me become a leader and I want to help others become leaders too because when you pass through a window of opportunity your not going to slam it shut behind you, but instead reach out and pull the rest of your community through-that's what leadership is about . I have not only been able to find ways to bring people together and convince them to work jointly to positively change lives in our community, but I have been able to promote peace through social integration because the aim of building these courts is not only to train these children on tennis but to teach them life skills as well. Sports not only opens up opportunities such as scholarships and chances for individuals to further enhance their education but it additionally creates a connection between players whether or not you speak the same language or are of a different racial or ethnic group. It shows us that we are all equal and that is the message I hope to spread through my online and face to face marketing. I know that I have been empowered with a chance to create systems that will constantly benefit my community for decades and I have been accredited with a chance give these kids hope, a chance to change their lives for the better, and ultimately, a chance to slay these beasts that have haunted my country for years on end causing Drug use, Poverty and Xenophobia. At last, utopia is now in the horizon."

What I loved most about this project is his perception and understanding of success,

"I am passionate about this project because I know that this court won’t only be there for a term or two, No, It will be there for years to come-etched in the earth. year after year, It will open up windows of opportunities for these Kids and years from now-I can promise you, I will look back at that court and think, ‘I was a part of this’, Years from now I will watch those Kids go off to University and I will say, ‘I was a part of this’, and Years from now, when hundreds of crowds contently embrace these leaders of the future in honour, I will shout enthusiastically, ‘I was a part of this’. I will be allowed to call myself successful because success is about the change you bring to other people’s lives, it’s not about the number of zeros written on your pay check."

For someone to have such conviction, compassion and so much humanity in them at sixteen, is simply admirable and truly inspiring and deserves all our support. So right now, stop for a moment and in all honesty, ask yourself, "what am I doing to make an impact in the world?" and as you figure that out, check out Francis' site here: THE KIBERA KIDS TENNIS AND SPORTS PROJECT, read & learn more about the project, find out how you can be of assistance, BE of that assistance and you too, will one day look back and say, ‘I was a part of this’...

Remember: You are never too young or too old and there's never a wrong time; every minute, is a chance for you to make a difference. "Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do" ~ Steve Jobs

#YouthOnTheRise

#WHATWHAT?! :) 

Happy Easter guys! Stay blessed, stay safe & DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! 

***

AFRIKA's UNTOLD

***

“Just think, that this race of black men, today our slave and the object of our scorn, is the very race to which we owe our arts, sciences, and even the use of speech!" 

~ Count Constantine de Volney

It’s quite ironic you see,

Apparently black is selectively beautiful,

They love my black oil and my black gold,

Yet they condemn my children for the color of their skin.

I am trapped by dead aid that only cripples me,

My children accept the third world status,

With a beggar mentality,

Forgetting the 1st world was built on Afri-Aid.

My identity is consumed in headlines,

Wars that have left nations crippled,

Dirty politics that have left children hungry,

The lack of education that has led to ignorance,

The greed of men that has led to tribal clashes,

The poverty that drives the insecurity,

The unemployment, which drives the idol youth to addictions.

I say there’s so much more to me and my future is bright,

But they say all I am is a dreamer,

I say there’s more to me beyond the poverty, diseases, wars or hunger,

They say I’m just a, dreamer

Many times I ask to give you a break,

A break from stereotypes you attempt to fit me into,

I ask you to take my hand,

And allow me, to introduce myself.

But you call me, THE DARK CONTINENT,  

And say I’m just a dreamer.

You see once upon a time,

I ruled the world,

Yeah, I really did rule the world.

My history was not one of slavery,

But one of inclusion, love, peace and unity.

Kingdoms so large, larger than Western Europe,

Where millions attended universities,

Education that didn’t have them drowning in debts,

Many lived in abundance and luxury,

With no fear of crime, murder or rape.

But violence, they say, is in my nature,

And my children are more prone to commit crimes.

In Timbuktu, my children were uplifted,

Profits were not made at the expense of humanity,

But instead, for humanity,

Souls were not traded,

But instead, enriched with knowledge

A reason why the book-trade was so prominent.

Recorded by Mani as “the world’s third Kingdom”,

Ancient Ethiopia was the first kingdom,

To build stone castles of its kind,

Where coffee was discovered,

And it was the first Kingdom to convert to Christianity.

The Kush Empire, an empire so powerful,

That it defeated the Greek, Persian, Roman and Syrian armies,

A King so competent that he revived the Egyptian economy,

And came to the aid of Israel when it was under attack.

Yet they call me uneducated and uncivilized,

My civilization is burried in the sand, 
As European civilizations are storied,

A reality so suppressed that it sounds almost surreal.

I guess that’s why they call me a dreamer.

Still today, I invite you to take a walk with me along the Nile,

Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Victoria Falls,

Come and witness the great wilder beasts migration in the Serengeti,

Or better yet, take the challenge and see how far up Kilimanjaro you can climb,

Perhaps even wine and dine in the Sahara desert,

Maybe then you’ll understand the beautiful paradise I am.

Alternatively, allow me to alter your perception,

Of the violent culture I am all so commonly associated with,

Let me tell you about Ubuntu,

One of the most beautiful humanist philosophies you never hear of,

A notion that simply stands for, "I am who I am, because of who we all are",

Because I understand, that humanity is interconnected.

You see one day,

I will rule the world again,

Yeah, I really will rule the world,

Not in isolation of others or prejudice towards them,

But with inclusion, love, peace and unity.

Because in Africa, we don’t want to merely go fast, alone,

But instead, far, as human beings,

And so we go together.

And you, you can feel free… To join me.

***

Virginity: A Cultural Anomaly

***

"Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them."

~ Stephen Covey 

The theme of this years International Women's Day is the ending of violence against women, a cause I am strongly for. However, in this post I shall focus on a different issue affecting women, and in specific young women, i.e virginity. I must admit I am no expert on the topic and shall not venture into the never ending controversial debate in search of the ultimate definition of virginity. The word therefore, with reference to this article, is to be taken in its most basic sense; relating to the state of never having had sexual intercourse.

I once sat with a group of friends where numerous issues were being raised and discussed. At some point, sex was brought up and I was asked to give my two cents on the topic. My reply was simple, I had no contribution or opinion on the matter as I am a virgin. Suddenly there seemed to be some sort of spotlight trade, sex lost all the attention and my virginity had big, bright lights all up in her face. I mean there had to be something wrong with me. There was all kinds of comments from, "you don't know what you're missing" to "you need to get you some". To be honest that was not really much of a surprise since I get that all the time so i'd be surprised instead if I was made to feel perfectly normal. 

In the Dinka tradition, women are raised to be virgins, or rather to remain so, and when it comes to marriage, the dowry price is higher if the woman is a virgin(a sort of gesture from the groom to the brides family appreciating they raised a 'good girl' and a symbol of pride for the bride's family). I'm sure this applies to many cultures but I specifically mentioned the Dinka as that's where i'm from(maternal side of my family) and i'm familiar with. Per contra, today, girls are having sex at a young age, with the average age being seventeen. Many of them from peer pressure, a need to conform, others do it for some sort of "cool" status i.e to be able to say "I slept with so and so", and some have a misconstrued sense of self-worth i.e "If he slept with me, that means i'm worth it".

Sometimes I go on youtube and watch the Maury show. I watch young women of the age of 18,19,20, you name it, come on the show to "find the father of their children" because they had multiple lovers and don't even know who impregnated them. The problem here is never that they slept with 50 men or had one night stands, because that is perfectly normal in contemporary society, but that they don't know which one was the father. I mean, it's not a situation that can be changed because what's done is done and it's great that you want to find your child's father but did it really have to get to that point? After all, isn't your body sacred? 

I can sit here and point fingers all around and blame the consumerist society we have today, how sex has been glorified, and how we have role models who just promote it further but that would not change a thing here because unless we all switch of the TV's and get on the streets to protest against such(which is highly unlikely), nothing will change. Now don't get me wrong, I am no Mormon telling you that you are impure if you have sex before marriage or that you should take a vow of chastity. I am not even here to judge your life decisions and tell you when it is right for you to have sex or not have sex for that matter. Instead, i'm here for that young girl who feels they need to do certain things to conform to society. The high school girl who will not proudly admit that she is a virgin because she will feel like an outcast. The young girl who feels a sense of embarrassment when everyone is talking about sex and she has no insight on it or the young girl who feels that she has to sleep with this guy because that is the only way he'll stay with her. 

I write this because as I always say, I have a younger sister whom I want to grow up knowing there is EVERYTHING right with her for being a virgin and that it is something to be proud of and not ashamed of. In the words of one tweep, "Women if you are a virgin, hold that. Reserve that. No need to rush and if a dude can't wait, forget him". So i'm not here to ask anyone to remain a virgin or condemn someone for not being one, but to simply ask every young girl to do everything at their own pace. Reserve that virginity for when YOU are ready, not when THEY THINK you are or should be ready. Never conform. 

On the other hand, as a friend put it to me, "sometimes people lose their virginity because they're in love, and that's okay too, but when you fall out of love, remember that your body is still a temple whether 'pure' or 'impure'" :)

In other news, I wish you all a HAPPY WOMENS DAY!!! Let us remember all those women living in conflicts and being marginalised by tyrannical regimes and while at it, stop and find out how you can give them a voice or lend a helping hand. Most importantly, never forget your self worth as a woman. Respect yourself and remember YOU ARE ROYAL.

On that note, I leave you with this beautiful piece I came across earlier today. 

The Beauty of A Woman

The beauty of a woman

Is not in the clothes she wears,

The figure that she carries,

Or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, 

Because that is the doorway to her heart, 

The place where love resides. 

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole 

But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. 

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, 

The passion that she shows, 

And the beauty of a woman 

With passing years only grows! 

~ Teresa Mahieu 

***