So this week the office took us for a retreat cum teambuilding to the Aboretum...this place is kinda nolstalgic for me coz i was at State House Primary School which is very close to the forest. in fact, we used to do our games in the kaopen field in the forest...primary life for me was a blast..no wonder i get goosebumps being here..but i digress.
As some of you may know...these days aboretum is a prayer centre...from when we got to the ka main field area you hear shouts...people fervent in prayer...one of my workmates then volunteered what many of us were thinking but were too scared to admit out loud: "mapharisiya". In english, thats the pharisees, you know those religious groups in Jesus time who thought themselves to be so holy and righteous but Christ called them vipers..yah them. Now to say that of everyone who comes to the aboretum to pray would be a great misjudgement as we do not really know who they are when they are behind closed doors and anyway, someone would argue they are in the privacy of the forest so no harm to other kenyans going about their businesses in the city.
But prayer styles aside,there was one guy who caught my attention. He was a young man in jeans and a t-shirt. He picked the furthest corner of the area and began pacing back and forth holding his bible and praying. He was not shouting, it was a conversation, just something like, "ok..its how with this story God? What the deal with that Lord?"
It just made me think..wow..a young man...praying...with that intensity...and i just thought to myself..when was the last time i prayed? as in prayed..not that quick one that comes out my mouth when my daughter escapes a big fall or injury..or that one when ive just ponead..or when i really need something to happen...
Then i thought about the youth...if we had more young people praying..how different would our lives and value systems be?
Im a big Madea fan and theres a play i think you should go and look out for its called "Madea's Big Happy Family" and in it she says that theres something wrong with kids born after the 80s, they think that they need to be given things and not work for them. Nothing comes easy, you need to work on it. Do not be tricked by the blings, cars and rap videos. Work." And to add to those powerful lines, seek first the kingdom of God and these things shall be added to you.
Pray.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
JIJUE..FOR THE CHILDREN
It is what makes a difference between a terminal illness or an infection free life for your baby, yet, making that trip to the ante-natal clinic to do that all important test is still shunned by many Kenyan women and their men. Reason: taking the test means knowing your HIV status and if you’re found to be positive, well, you believe that it is all downhill from there.
It seems so 1990s to be talking about ‘stigma’ and the fear that ‘your life has come to an end’ when one finds out that they are HIV positive in 2011, especially when one looks at all the advances in medicine and the numerous campaigns to get people to go get tested, but the truth is: stigma is still stopping people form knowing their HIV status.
As a journalist who reports on HIV and AIDs, the main question that is posed to me by HIV+ persons is: “And what will my neighbors think when they see me on TV talking about my status? They will stop talking to me! I do not want to be isolated!”
Ask most Kenyans and they will tell you that all these campaigns about getting tested are well worth it, some will have even braved the counseling session of testing for HIV and even know their status but announce it at the rooftops? Never! They will prefer to get their daily dosage of ARV and do the clinic trips but in uttermost privacy, why? The Kenyan society is not yet ready to do away with stigma.
Now going with the above sentiments, add a baby, an innocent human being whose only fault was to be conceived by two adults who either never talked about using protection during sex or who knowingly knew their status and are on a revenge mission to spread it to as many people as possible or in the most likely case of a married couple, a spouse who has been unfaithful…the list is endless. You have spelled doom for that child and it could have been avoided if you just took the test.
So you are pregnant, you are frightened to death about finding out that you may be HIV positive, how will you handle it, what will they think of you in the office or at home? Can you handle the stares and backbiting? No! But think about it, you and your child HIV positive: going through the ARV lifestyle of timed drug intakes, a healthy nutrition diet and of course the stigma. And you never know, that child may grow up to finally give us the cure for HIV that we have been searching for years in vain and in this African setup, that child may be the one who will look after you when you become too frail.
Now let me talk to those of us who have never gone to take the test. Ok, so you are healthy, but for how long? What will happen to your children? Take a walk to Nyumbani Children’s Home and spend time with those children to get a clue about what it means to be an AIDS orphan. It is something you could have avoided for your children, yet, you are not ready to face the truth. The government and NGOs are spending a good chunk of their budget on HIV infected and affected persons without each of us having to add the burden.
Go get tested, if not for yourself, then for the child you are carrying or those children that you love.
It seems so 1990s to be talking about ‘stigma’ and the fear that ‘your life has come to an end’ when one finds out that they are HIV positive in 2011, especially when one looks at all the advances in medicine and the numerous campaigns to get people to go get tested, but the truth is: stigma is still stopping people form knowing their HIV status.
As a journalist who reports on HIV and AIDs, the main question that is posed to me by HIV+ persons is: “And what will my neighbors think when they see me on TV talking about my status? They will stop talking to me! I do not want to be isolated!”
Ask most Kenyans and they will tell you that all these campaigns about getting tested are well worth it, some will have even braved the counseling session of testing for HIV and even know their status but announce it at the rooftops? Never! They will prefer to get their daily dosage of ARV and do the clinic trips but in uttermost privacy, why? The Kenyan society is not yet ready to do away with stigma.
Now going with the above sentiments, add a baby, an innocent human being whose only fault was to be conceived by two adults who either never talked about using protection during sex or who knowingly knew their status and are on a revenge mission to spread it to as many people as possible or in the most likely case of a married couple, a spouse who has been unfaithful…the list is endless. You have spelled doom for that child and it could have been avoided if you just took the test.
So you are pregnant, you are frightened to death about finding out that you may be HIV positive, how will you handle it, what will they think of you in the office or at home? Can you handle the stares and backbiting? No! But think about it, you and your child HIV positive: going through the ARV lifestyle of timed drug intakes, a healthy nutrition diet and of course the stigma. And you never know, that child may grow up to finally give us the cure for HIV that we have been searching for years in vain and in this African setup, that child may be the one who will look after you when you become too frail.
Now let me talk to those of us who have never gone to take the test. Ok, so you are healthy, but for how long? What will happen to your children? Take a walk to Nyumbani Children’s Home and spend time with those children to get a clue about what it means to be an AIDS orphan. It is something you could have avoided for your children, yet, you are not ready to face the truth. The government and NGOs are spending a good chunk of their budget on HIV infected and affected persons without each of us having to add the burden.
Go get tested, if not for yourself, then for the child you are carrying or those children that you love.
Monday, March 14, 2011
THE WORD LESS
Its everywhere, you see it on the tv, you hear it on the radio, its the most sought after thing...the search for the ideal mate to spend you forever with. I dint really think much about it until i saw this very young couple holding hands in town and it made me think, wah,theres pressure to huk up! For a minute there i asked myself if the pressure was that high when i was back at high school, to huk up that is...hmm...thats debatable seeing as our version of huking up is somewhat different from the huk up we see now.
To ask why would generate another big debate so im going to focus on is: before calling on the radio to ask the presenter to find you a man or woman, or texting 'single' to 6677 (not the real number) or attending the Easy FM singles party or whatever other means i hear people use to huk up these days...what we really need to ask ourselves first is;
1. what do i really want?
2. what does huk up really mean to me?
Now when i was young (teeheehee) no, actually after i cleared Form Four there was i mentorship bible study i was a member of. Simply put, an older christian woman inculcates christian values in the younger woman's life in the hope that they will raise a generation of young people with the kind of values that will see them succeed in life, marriage and work under the umbrella of christianity. One of the things we were once told was to write a list of the kind of man we would want to marry...no matter how silly it sounded just put it down in the list. I have to admit that at 18 years ur world view is a bit warped and the list may have been a bit unrealistic but several years down the line, some of them remained and held true...id say the experiences i went through after writing the list made me rewrite my expectations of my future husband,nonetheless im glad i wrote the list because it was my compass in finding exactly what direction i wanted to go with in choosing the man that i married. The point of that whole exercise was direction and discovery.
Many of us ladies do not really know what they want or what they SHOULD want in a man...the same goes for some guys although going by what i have seen, the woman of Proverbs 31 pretty much sums up the guys wish list. I think women should also know what they want...and im guessing if i search the bible ill find the woman's wishlist too! However, you cant really know what you want in someone else if you really dont know what ur about first. Its very easy to say: "he should be tall, dark and handsome" just coz thats what everyone says a good man should be about.
I watched a tyler perry movie jana which was focussing on this issue. There was the woman who had low self-esteem that she did not think she deserved a good man even if he was right there in her face (and he was!),then there was the woman who just wanted the world to see she was not alone so any man would do, including the abusive type and thats what she got,then there was the girl who because she had never felt love from her mother fell for the first guy who told her she was all that...im guessing some of us are these women..perhaps at different levels..maybe theres more to the list..
Theres got to be a line for all of us...marriage is not something to be taken lightly..neither is dating for that matter...no pressure should make you sink below what you are really worth..but first do you really know ur worth? And men, do you know that when you love a woman and respect her, she submits to you? Its all about bowing down to the right thing, no point giving your all to someone who is not worth it...
Most important, you get ur true compass on who you are by going to the One who created you..just a thot..or three!
To ask why would generate another big debate so im going to focus on is: before calling on the radio to ask the presenter to find you a man or woman, or texting 'single' to 6677 (not the real number) or attending the Easy FM singles party or whatever other means i hear people use to huk up these days...what we really need to ask ourselves first is;
1. what do i really want?
2. what does huk up really mean to me?
Now when i was young (teeheehee) no, actually after i cleared Form Four there was i mentorship bible study i was a member of. Simply put, an older christian woman inculcates christian values in the younger woman's life in the hope that they will raise a generation of young people with the kind of values that will see them succeed in life, marriage and work under the umbrella of christianity. One of the things we were once told was to write a list of the kind of man we would want to marry...no matter how silly it sounded just put it down in the list. I have to admit that at 18 years ur world view is a bit warped and the list may have been a bit unrealistic but several years down the line, some of them remained and held true...id say the experiences i went through after writing the list made me rewrite my expectations of my future husband,nonetheless im glad i wrote the list because it was my compass in finding exactly what direction i wanted to go with in choosing the man that i married. The point of that whole exercise was direction and discovery.
Many of us ladies do not really know what they want or what they SHOULD want in a man...the same goes for some guys although going by what i have seen, the woman of Proverbs 31 pretty much sums up the guys wish list. I think women should also know what they want...and im guessing if i search the bible ill find the woman's wishlist too! However, you cant really know what you want in someone else if you really dont know what ur about first. Its very easy to say: "he should be tall, dark and handsome" just coz thats what everyone says a good man should be about.
I watched a tyler perry movie jana which was focussing on this issue. There was the woman who had low self-esteem that she did not think she deserved a good man even if he was right there in her face (and he was!),then there was the woman who just wanted the world to see she was not alone so any man would do, including the abusive type and thats what she got,then there was the girl who because she had never felt love from her mother fell for the first guy who told her she was all that...im guessing some of us are these women..perhaps at different levels..maybe theres more to the list..
Theres got to be a line for all of us...marriage is not something to be taken lightly..neither is dating for that matter...no pressure should make you sink below what you are really worth..but first do you really know ur worth? And men, do you know that when you love a woman and respect her, she submits to you? Its all about bowing down to the right thing, no point giving your all to someone who is not worth it...
Most important, you get ur true compass on who you are by going to the One who created you..just a thot..or three!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
