re: Mkida - Mr.Makora/Mr.Gekara: thank you./ Nd.

Naphtali Makora wrote:
Education is a dynamic art and science; the more you seek to know and hence solve apparent problem/s there in, the more you discover and create.

Some in our community have had a privilege of expansive and intensive formal learning and have a chain of academic credentials. The motivation for such expansiveness and intensiveness in knowledge attainment in the academia is more with the quest to finding answers to puzzling issues than to merely change one's title - Mr. to Dr., etc. Of course because of the recognition and honor attached to the title in the academia and general society, one feels somehow fulfilled to achieve such an academic rank. It should be noticed however, that merely attaining a doctoral level academically but failing to contribute practically for making a difference to oneself and the community where one lives is tantamount to abuse of the academic honor granted one at a graduation. However, it is also possible for one to be honored as qualified to be a member of the reputed academy of scholars and yet due to misplacement be irrelevant and therefore one's credentials be just that in name only. Many of our comrades in our acclaimed community in the Diaspora, and I mean many, especially here in the USA have remarkable achievements experientially and academically, but you know what, we have never been fully accepted in the main stream to make contributions that are relevant and are commensurate to our academic attainments. It is possible it may be us to blame partly because we have poor networks relating to our job search, or may be the people in the system are biased, prejudiced or discriminative.

Recently I sent my resume to a friend - his response was - "Don't ever send this resume to anybody until you have worked on it." He made a lot of sense as he offered a constructive diagnosis and critique. I listened to him attentively and sighed deeply. You see I am licensed to teach English grade seven through 12, but can teach college too, and my experience runs far back to the late 70s, 76 to be exact, in the remote areas of my beloved Kenya. Here in the Diaspora I have scratched hard on my own (no scholarship) and earned degrees in the American system and soon hopefully and God willing I will step too on to the highest wrung of the ladder of the academia. My good and well meaning Kenyan friend tells me to strip my resume of my Kenyan experience and add artificial fertilizer to make it bear good salable crop. "How do I do that?" I asked. "You know you have even to lie to get into the system. Gate keepers cannot let such resume to reach the hiring personnel" He emphatically remarked. He himself is in the system and works from within.

Wanainchi, is there any among you who feels wasted as I do? Do not give up. Dawn is coming soon; our concentrated learning and experience will, even for a very short time, produce remarkable revolutionary results.I am proud of those of our close family stock who understand our pain better have gotten into the system and are not only talking but are too walking the talk. Mkida has created a platform for speech and conversation for a meaningful creation of network.

When I look back tracing my steps to my academic beginnings, my eyes melt for both joy and sorrow. Joy for the contributions I made that impacted lives and the academic successes I have been able to achieve through God's gracious kindness. I marvel that I taught English from grade one through grade twelve and yet I knew very little. Some of my grade 8 and 10 students scored As - unimaginable back there. How much could I do now if given students willing to learn? I never coveted teaching as much as I did preaching. Preaching the Gospel, God knows why He shortchanged me for teaching, burns in my heart as a flame. This is what I wanted and still want to do above everything else, though I think I may not humanly qualify to fill that role, for I am more spoiled than when I responded during my teens three decades ago. Blessed are they who preach the gospel with purity of heart and purpose.

I read Mr. Gekara's experiential resume and diagnosis of what he saw in our system in Kenya and was deeply touched. Such a man knows the problem in that system. As the diagnosis of prostate cancer may not in itself provide a cure unless there is surgery or serious treatment, so it is with our Gusii education. Even if we have been away for a decade or more, we know what the problem in Gusii education is, and we know what to do to solve the probem; we have an answer. I can confidently tell you - take me to Gusii and empower me with the authority not only to reform but transform Gusii education and keep me there for only five years, I bet my blood by the grace and mercies of the living God who created the earth and the universe, Gusii will become TOP in education in the Kenyan republic. Leadership and critical analysis of the variables will no doubt provide remarkable fruit.

But let me caution you, the problems of education are continuous, and therefore require continuous attention. American Federal Government constitution does not have a clause on education. Why? They have left education to the states; they only provide finances to the state governments to give appropriations to both k-12 and higher education systems. Those of you who have had opportunity to study the two systems, as I have, know that the American education systems have never been perfect. A very most recent evaluation and analysis said that the system of education in America is broken and needs fixing. America in k-12 system does not lead the world in math, science and reading. Why and yet it has best equipped schools in most regions. Higher education on the other hand has various problems, especially relating to budgets, discipline, drugs, teaching and research, and governance. Why of all places should a 231 years old democratic republic still be struggling in education?

Why?

When President Kennedy came into power in 1960, former soviet union had given America a scare through space science. America was awakened out of slumber. They then through the leadership of Kennedy and the congress poured money into research and the teaching of Math and Science. Kennedy challenged space exploration by NASA to put a man on the moon within a decade, and they did in 1969. In Medicine, Agriculture, the Arts, armaments etc. America rocked the boat of the earth. We came here because from out there America was an admiration and beckoning beacon shining from hilltop; we hastened because it is a land of opportunity. Here we are, and we know that "Mzungu" does not have superior intellect to an African, may be they know how to work smarter and put greater emphasis in honoring their constitution, the only tool that levels the play ground. Is this not our time to show out clearly that we can too be relied upon to solve bits of earth's problems, especially those at our backyard? Leaders in the African Union are talking and reviving Kwame Nkrumah's dream of African Federal Government. If only we can learn to be more responsible, accountable and truthful, there is no doubt in my youthful mind and sincere bounding heart - we can and will split chimbara - "NGURU CHIABAMURA NCHOGU EGWATIA MBARA". That is what we are. Greater things are attainable from now hence. Most achievements in our fast moving civilization are not loterized; they are achieved through visions and dreams and carefully crafted missions, minus fraudulent craftiness and selfishness. What can we not achieve if we thus act and in unison. The way forward is through continued progressive dialogs. We must be tolerant and accommodating of diversity in talent, age, gender and academic accomplishments. Encourage constructive criticism and critiques. Discourage divisive judgmental railings at those who differ in opinion and views. We are not to be photo copies of one another; we are individuals and immensely unique. Let us salivate to learn from one another, then we shall build and uphold one another. Encourage brotherhood, friendship and comradely but castigate and discourage antagonistic and alienating views. Above all let each be an inspiring living citizenry and patriotic example to one another. All that is good and desired is possible and achievable.

Lastly, we must be courageous and fearlessly so. When we ask for donations or sacrifices, it is prudent that we also be responsible enough to know the resources and sources of the donations and sacrifices. In other words do we know what our people do and how much they earn? Are we caring enough to seek employment for those who cannot penetrate the job market? Have we sought to know what our people lack to be more productive and more helpful both here and in our mother country? DO we ask for sacrifices and donations from those who have nothing to give because they have been jobless for months? Are we letting others who recently or just came into our community to begin life the way we began a decade or two ago? Do we let new comers begin by trial and error? If I knew what I know now when I came to America and later moved to MN from NJ, I would prioritize my plans differently. "Nchera tiyanyagotebia mogendi" - The path you are sojourning on never warns you what is a head. However there is also this - "Obwate omwabo obwatwa koboko ..." He who has a brother is received with a welcome ---. There are those who have walked or traveled the way - you know the potholes and roughness of the way. You can sure help. Won't you? The majority of us who have come to America or elsewhere in the Diaspora are not from rich families, but with determination you made it and are bearing juicy fruit being enjoyed by many. All of us have made impact on the Kenyan economy. This you know well. Yet much more could be done. No one is new to the saying "Umoja ni nguvu." I wonder if I am the only one who burns with crazy ideas and dreams. Kenyans in the Diaspora, it is time we woke up and in a big way. I know we are awake yet many of us are doubting Thomases who cannot believe unless they see. When we see fruit then all of us rush like sheep - even down a cliff we can fall following one another. Are we not like that? (Excuse me for not stopping after saying - Finally). One more point please.

My mother brought forth five boys and five girls. The girls went to theirs as customary they used to go. Of the five boys, the oldest was the most industrious man I ever met and is still living, now about 70, he is the poorest among the poor. He only worked for the stomach, never invested in the education of his children, and never saved. He also had a long hand. He could sell anything in his way - chair, eggs, jembe, panga, clothes, etc. His follower who founded Nyanchonori Hardware Store at Keroka was also industrious, a dreamer and a visionary. He pursued an American dream in Africa and achieved the results of the dream. To day even though he slept a good sleep about two years ago, his oldest son now runs the business, another has an auto shop in Nairobi, five of his sons are here in the USA and one son and his family are in England. Talk of success, who can deny that my brother who had no formal learning didn't get it?

What am I saying Mkida and all Diasporan Kenyans? We can do more than recognizing communally those who have earned academic and professional credentials. We can! We are afraid of dreaming a bigger dream. We know what our strengths are but are afraid to venture into something bigger than seeking to go run for an elective office in Kenya, though there is nothing bad with that. It is their individual effort that has birthed a fruit that we celebrate, but we CAN do more than celebrating in what appears as one constructive critic calls it - parallel awarding of diplomas that already has been achieved and recognized.

If I have provoked somebody's thinking, then I am grateful. Let me then hear and read great dreams hatched into plans for great things. Write plans, form committees of think tanks of founding a University for the people in the Diaspora - a unique University of highest ranking class in terms of what it provides, then challenge the Diasporans to stand and be counted through their donations. It can be MKIDA University. Reach out to the wealthiest who donate towards such institutions that change lives and make great contributions through research and teaching. Two, let another committee of think tanks hatch a dream of forming a financial institutions of highest order in Africa. Why are we so stupid even after the Kenyan government has come out and given statistics of the foreign currency flowing into the country in billions we cannot begin to think creatively and responsibly how we can transform that inflow into greater power. Shall we for ever be looking at World Bank and other international monetary institutions which make us to bow and worship humiliatingly before they give our poor nations loans that they charge exorbitant interests?

Thank you for reading this far. I wait for your critiques, support and greater creativity and dreams for a better tomorrow while we live on earth and history which is His story lives on.

Sincerely,

Makora, Naphtali