KACA TOWN HALL MEETING

By: Douglas Bonuke – Secretary Kenyan American Community Association (KACA)

Publication Date: 8/23/2007.

On Sunday, August 19th 2007, the Kenyan Americans Community organization (KACA) held a Town Hall meeting at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church located at 496 Bramhall Avenue in Jersey City, N.J. This was the first in a series of such forums organized and conducted by the newly elected KACA officials in New Jersey to enable the community openly reevaluate certain aspects affecting the community and recommend ways that can make the current system work better.

The venue opened at 4:00pm and momentarily the meeting was called to order. The first agenda to be deliberated was Pre-Wedding fundraising in our community. As a pre-wedding concern, members one after another gave accounts of how the community had been taken advantage of. It was noted that some wedding candidates were very receptive to the community’s financial support through a steering committee only to disband it (steering committee) after a pre-wedding thus rendering the community unable to enjoy the-hoped-for services during the day of the wedding.

Another concern raised was on how soft and soliciting community members are approached before and during a pre-wedding, with a surprise change of tone at the wedding. An example was given where members are not even allowed to take pictures in an occasion that they have been openly invited and fundraised for. It was reiterated that since the community was involved from the beginning, organizers should let parents and those in attendance to take pictures because among those taking part in the matching are their son, daughters or relatives and friends. It was observed un acceptable to be denied an opportunity to take a wedding picture but reserve it to a hired photographer who in most cases is paid by funds raised at a community pre-wedding.

Another example given were members of the community get requested and others demanded that they have to cook for a financially community supported wedding with instances of either less or not enough the food and juice evidenced in some receptions. There was resentment on how some wedding couples have gotten to a point of hating their community members if they missed to attend their pre-wedding party.

During the discussion, a wedding was defined as a private event or “ thing” as one member put it. “In the olden days, it was a shame for a man to tell the community to help in order to get a wife” one member reminded those in attendance. In a case where an individual to marry did not have enough, he privately approached friends, parents or members of the community for help but the issue was kept silent between the two he concluded.

Examples were given of couples in the audience who did successful wedding in New Jersey not long time ago without soliciting a penny from the community but received gifts at the reception hall. When asked how they did it, one said “ If you really love each other, waiting for a year while saving for your wedding won’t be too long”.

Currently there is a concern at which the community and its generosity has been taken for granted, it was observed. This has made the community to be stretched financially with pre-wedding fundraising done without notice or within a short interval Even though the sentiment from the community about community members wedding was very positive and encouraging, serious concerns about the support system were alarming.

Those at the meeting commended church organizations that have stepped forward in addressing this issue of pre-weddings but stressed the need for others churches and KACA to join in finding a lasting solution that will not only help men and women get married successfully but also lessen the community’s financial burden that comes with it.

Incidences of individuals from other states or communities moving into the community and then within six (6) or so months decide to organize a pre-wedding was not well received, prompting those in attendance to insist that anybody planning to have wedding should be asked to come up with a budget in which he/ she must state how much he/ she has at hand from his/her personal account before the community is involved.

Others were of the opinion that every couple thinking of conducting a wedding should come up with 40% to 60% of the total wedding budget and then form a pre-wedding steering committee who will help them collect the remaining balance from friends and family members. In this case, it was stated that the steering committee would organize and coordinate the entire process of that wedding to be disbanded later after reception.

A member challenged the crowd to think about how much of help the money given in every pre-wedding and political contributions would total to be if out of the 4,000 Kenyans in the community could agree to contribute $20.00 each for at least 6 months totaling $120 (compared to the $100 given every other week to support politicians and or a pre-wedding). This will net $480,000, an amount that will help mightily, he wondered.

“ This is a community that invests I eating” was a statement that summed up how one member considers the community when it comes to investment priorities. He challenged everyone to think about what their children and grand children will related to when they grow up stating that “ right now we don’t have any long term benefits” like a banquet hall and other amenities that we call our own. An example was given of how in a certain year, a Kenyan barbeque eat-out event was marred by rain as their was no where to take cover.

To conclude this agenda, the community proposed a motion that was to be binding and be communicated to the rest of the community. With a 68.75% voting in favor while 21.25 voted against and the rest 10% abstained, the community agreed that:
“ ALL WEDDINGS SHOULD BE A PRIVATE AND FAMILY AFFAIR IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY AND CHURCHES SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THEIR FUNDRAISING”

2. City hall issues:
Moving on to the next agenda, a chronological account about the City Hall check was tabled. After a long deliberation, it was concluded that the community “ was taken for a ride” to believing that there was a check of $6,000 coming from Jersey City, City Hall. The “ taken for a ride “ decision was reached due to the fact that there was no written agreement or documentation to base proof on indicating that such a verbal financial promise was immaterial.

This came as a surprise to many in attendance who for long had an understanding that their was such an amount since the issue had taken center stage in many forums more especially during and after KACA campaigns. There was concern on how to finally” clear the air” and bring to normalcy the tension, misunderstanding or discomfort that had been created since this issue came into being. There was also a legitimate concern raised as to how to deal with those who have been accused maliciously on how to get their “names back”.

After deliberating over this concerns, the community acknowledged that many in the community took the allegations as truth thus making them make accusations of mistrust, lying and put to question individual’s personal fundamental believes without proof. It was then recommended that since the issue was in an open forum and the truth was revealed, it was about time for the parties or individuals concerned to start a healing process and put this issue to rest once and for all.

To alleviate any misunderstanding during this healing process, it was stated categorically that from August 5th on, any forum or meeting arranged to discuss City Hall issues without a consent from KACA as the initiator or host, be treated as private and personal.

Subsequently, if KACA or an official is or are invited or requested to attend any forum or meeting organized by an individual or any community entity other than KACA to discus City Hall issue, KACA or any KACA official MUST decline such an invitation.

On the issue of KACA’s fundraising and financial support, KACA officials were advised to use the organization’s non-profit organization status as required but also continue using the common personal member contribution “ harambee formula” that has so far succeeded than depending of personal empty promises.

To make sure that something of this nature does not happen in future, it was recommended that from then on, any KACA financial transaction or agreements made, follow the stipulated procedure and proper documentation signed off as self-evidence incase of any misunderstanding. At the same time, it was unanimously agreed that KACA desist from seeking support, promises or advise from emissaries or lobby groups on how to forge contacts with public or private entities but rather develop direct links on its own terms.

The forum stressed the need of a fair and balanced reporting when community members are participating in public media forums. This came into light after a realization that issues that were “private” in nature about the Kenyan community were crisscrossing the Internet web, read by people who have no interest in them.

With a need to come up with a procedure on how to solve community issues requested, an appeal was made to all community members to localize community issues that don’t belong to other communities, nationalities or forums, be sensitive when handling suspicious allegations or rumors without an identifiable or proven source and seek evidence all the time before reporting or quoting an issue to “ 10 -10 news” to avoid cleaning the community dirty linen in the open. If this was done, it will safeguard the good community image here and broad.

3. Deaths
Echoing Ambassador Ogego’s appeal to Kenyans in Diaspora at our KAD event on August 5th 2007 at Lincoln Park to come up with Survival tactics due to the increased number of deaths and the daily skyrocketing cost of transporting the remains, in out own hall meeting the community saw a need to assign the Emergency sub-committee on an exploration mission in gathering information that will eventually help start a new funeral or emergency group that will run independently without any association or affiliation with KACA.

It was agreed that when its time will come, this funeral or emergency group will develop its own rules that will govern; who the beneficiaries will be, how much each will be required to give, when to give and how much to give, and many other aspects as they will be stated in an agreed constitution. It was recommended though that, since there are many funeral organizations with a fully developed and successful constitution, re-using or borrowing won’t be a bad idea but the issue was left to the emergency sub-committee to come up with their recommendations.

Many examples of existing emergency groups were given but their was a concern that for those who were unaware of their existence and somehow might not qualify to join, will now have no excuse not be belong to any group but be able to join once a new emergency or funeral group is formed.

Even though those in attendance were in agreement, their was an observation that in most cases, those who join such emergency groups in most cases are always those who are responsible and who see the need to want to be “insured” but the concern was how to deal with those who don’t see any need to join and then happen to get a family death or die tragically here leaving the “ burden” to the community to figure out how to help them during their grieving period, raise funds to transport their remains home or their funeral expenses altogether.

Charitable contributions:
On the issue of charitable contributions, it was recommended that KACA as a non-profit organization and its officials should not be involved in the planning, organizing, hosting, or endorsing any fundraising activity towards any politically affiliated need, be it is in New Jersey or abroad. It was stressed that as a community and individuals, never to divorce our selves from the happenings around us but be very alert and aware in all aspects both here in the US and in Kenya. This was reiterated as very important with a realization that our involvement will help the community be part and parcel of any outcome.

It was pointed out that the community’s involvement and contribution to Kenyan politician made in New Jersey, has made Jersey City be particularly a ”must-stop political venue” to most Kenyan politicians. This was a good indication of how politically affiliated we are, a notion that was applauded and to be propagated to the communities advantage as it want politicians who are to stand firm for the family values and to “ change” the living standards of millions of families back in Kenya.

The concern articulated at the forum was that, though this has for many years given us a platform to voices our political opinions and vise versa, their is evidence that unlike the past, the current politician aspiring for the up-coming 2007 Kenyan parliamentary and presidential seats are capitalizing on the community’s generosity to cash in through arranged political fundraising with members not even questioning political persuasions.

It was recommended that if it was possible, the community should at least see nomination papers, party affiliations or even evidence that they have been nominated from the grass roots. This was stressed after a revelation that in past, an aspiring politician was fundraised when he did not even win grass root election meaning that even his own could not make his name a-wish. In another instance, an aspirant had to spend politically fundraised money in personal investment after realizing the up-hill battle he had to face to secure himself a favorite and winning party’s ticket.

This and many more had no absolute answers. One thing that was recommended was to let those involved in the planning of such political fundraising, conduct their activities openly without intimidation or malice to any by letting individuals freely support.

Ends.