Re: [Jambo] Kenyan Delegation Visit Mr. Calvin Burgess in Oklahoma

Jackton,

While I agree with you that it was not necessary to publicize the meeting with Burgess, I support the Dominion activities in Yala swamp and I am still waiting for your rhetoric to turn into a practical alternative.

Our enemy right now is not the Odinga's and the Wazungus that you seem to be fixated with, but hunger, poverty, disease and ignorance. We need to concentrate our energies in fighting these enemies that are killing our people in droves- not with rhetoric but with action. Luo thrift, Luo Union or Riat were very good practical ideas which may not have panned out as expected but the concepts were noble and with new information, awareness and know-how their spirit can be emulated and successfully used to launch other more successfull organizations. We learn from our mistakes, try again, make more mistakes and keep on improving. You seem to be suggesting the opposite that because mistakes were made then we should never try again.

I really have seriouse problems with people like you who are full of words but no action. It is very simple for me. Dominion is investing money in our community and doing something that even our government has not been able to do since independence 45 years ago. People like you who use the mzungu language very impressively to call these wazungu names but are actually offering nothing that cannot be translated into anything tangible to help our people.

The only suggestions I have seen from you people are still calling upon other people or the government to do something or criticizing the government and the Odinga's for not doing something. You are not offering anything but blaming everybody else for not doing something. That kind of rhetoric cannot feed a hungry person.

Its Talk, Talk, Talk, but nothing to eradicate or reduce hunger, poverty, cure diseases or educate our people. Compare yourselves to Dominion who are actually doing something that is tangible. If Africans cared about their people more than whites then why did the Kenyatta government and the Moi government not develop many parts of our country but decided to steal the money instead. I am sure the government of Kenya could afford to do what Dominion is doing but those who makes these decisions would rather steal the money and put it in private accounts in Swiss bank than do the dirty job Dominion is doing.

We cannot rely on the government alone. We have to find other partners who have money and are ready to spend with. Dominion has proven to us that they are ready to put their money in our community and that is nothing to sneeze at, because our government, foreign governments, and even NGO's have not been able to do that. Instead of vilifying Dominion who has spent more money in Nyanza than any other NGO, why don't we support them and work with them to improve the lives of our people.

Dominion could have decided to put their money in stocks and bonds and go to sleep but they decided to spend it on a very risky investment in our community and that is why people like you high on rhetoric cannot convince us that these people are bad people who are just out to exploit our community. We know many Africans or African governments who have monies in the bank and will not invest it in our communities. But these people-Dominion-are. We have to appreciate at least this part of it.

There is a lot of money in the private monies in the western world and the only way they will spend it with us is if they can get returns on it. Why don't we find a way that they can get this return while we also benefit. I believe that there is such an equilibrium where we can maximize our benefits and minimize our costs. You can only do this by talking to Dominion and not vilifying them all the time.

You have criticized everybody and every organization that was formed in Luoland and connected to Jaramogi, but you have not come up with any alternative. This is why people are not taking you seriously. It is always easy to tear down but very hard to build. If you do not like Dominion , I urge you to give us an alternative-not theories and position papers- but something we can take to the bank. Something better that could cause us all to agree with you and to kick out Dominion and replace them with that something today.

Joab