Choose leaders wisely

In life, water has always been a basic commodity that no human being not even animals  can do without.

In my community where I live, there has been  shortage of water for two months. The taps have been dry, without even a single drop of water coming out.

Shortage of water has  led to outbreak of waterborne diseases, not only in homes, but also in schools, hospitals, prisons leading to high rate of deaths in the villages.

Not only that, learning has been disrupted, since children can no longer attend classes making their academic performance dwindle.

Our member of parliament has not uttered a word on regard to this issue, yet he is our representative as well as our ambassador.

It is a high time we Kenyans voted wisely when it comes to electing our leaders, we rather elect responsible people who will take matters of the community at heart. Instead of those who give us empty promises that they never live to fulfill.

Disability is not In-ability

The only thing that these people have in common is disability. Every one thinks that they are dwellers, yet they have to struggle for their children and for themselves too.

 In this world, so many people were born with disabilities, others were not lucky as theirs came as a result of fate. In today’s modern world, life is a struggle accompanied with so many challenges.

Whether one is educated or not, everyone has to struggle, just like, people with disabilities struggle to make a living by selling sweets while seated on a wheelchair; everyone else has to struggle to make life worth living.

I am so happy, for the government has put the needs of these people into consideration by recognizing them through sports, thus enabling them to exploit their talents fully. This has enabled them feel to be part and parcel of the society. More so, the government has always catered for their needs into the constitution, hence enabling them enjoy their rights and freedom like other citizens.

 Such has enabled them be more hardworking as they can associate, speak and move around like other able people.

When will we eradicate poverty?

Years are passing by, and still no signs of a poverty free community as we always dream of. Life to the bigger percentage of Kenyans remains unbearable due to low income generations and heavy burden of tax imposed by the government to the citizens.

Many youths suffer in the streets just to get something to fill their empty stomachs as a result of high poverty levels. One was not able to acquire education so as to secure a job in the very competitive society.

Crime has not been left behind as the youth’s use any possible means to earn themselves their daily bread. Car hijacking, mugging and drug trafficking all have been in the lime light.

Too much blood around, Young men losing their lives at the ages when even the nation needs them to build a reliable society. There is need for a change in our systems so that we are able to come up with a solution to protect the youths for them to defend the nation in the future.

Families keep on mourning not from only gunned down people but also other small issues which are affecting only the poor. Illicit brews have been another hindering issue for many decades now. Many have lost their lives and others sight.

 Thanks to the legislature for passing the alcohol control bill which if signed to law; will have saved many as the brews will have to go through standardization.

It’s so ironical after all this deep worries and problems in Kenyans hearts, some even going  without food and clean water for domestic use. Our leaders have turned a blind eye to all these problems to an extent of increasing their salaries yet they are the among the highest paid across the world.

These generous salaries are nothing but just another distress to Kenyans as the cost of living is getting higher and higher each and every day and for the first time in history this government is run by forty four cabinet ministers who are unable to come up with a solution ailing the poor.

Alcohol is disastrous

It will be now unfortunate for most families in the slums including even the youths who are living in the slums now that the government wants to legalize the illicit brew called “changaa” which is not good for health .

photo by peter

The debate about this illicit brew is still going on but what the government wants is to get revenue from this brew by legalizing it and making it cheaper. For this matter the big number that will be buying this illicit brew is the slum dwellers because it is cheap and furthermore it has been legalized which it not good.

From experience and all that I have seen is that this brew kills and at the same time it can make one blind due to the harmful chemicals which have been used to make it .

You will find a man  had a family but due to this his life of alcohol, the man has now gone astray and does not care about his family at all. Also you will find some homes where by the mother and the husband all are drunkards and do not mind about what their children  eat, drink, or wear and even education of their children. When the parents die the children are left alone having nowhere to go but just to live in the streets.

It will also affect the youths who are abusing drugs because now they will be free to buy “changaa” which kills after some few hours when you’ve drunk it or get blind immediately.

 

Bitter fruits of disobedience

It may sound difficult to not only hear, but also tell the sad story of a woman who was called, Tabitha, who used to live with both parents.

Immediately after dropping out of school, she could not be told anything, be it by the parents, not even the elders in the village. She got into drinking alcohol, yet she was still a minor. Each and every day, she would come home drunk late at night.

photo by peter

Her alcohol intake increased day by day and it did not take long before a stranger took advantage of her drunken state and impregnated her. Still this did not deter her from going back to the drinking dens to gulp more glasses of alcohol.

When the day came for conceiving the baby, she was still less concerned and would hurl insults at the doctors more often, and kept on yelling how she hated the innocent child. Immediately, she conceived, her parents got hold of the baby, but the nurses could not let them go away with it, as it was still underweight. It had to be taken back to the incubator for a period of one month in order for it to gain weight.

The day Tabitha was discharged and referred to go for rehabilitation; it was not of any use to her and just went on with her drinking habits. The child was brought up in a world of her own, with no one to call a father, not even a loving, caring mother.

It did not take long, before she died when the child was 3 years old, and had to be left under the care of the grandparents who were willing and ready to do the best to their grandchild.

At times, the elders, parents, guardians try their level best to give their children a better upbringing, some end up being successful, others give up, while others end up being hopeless.

I’m proud of my mother

My name is Peter Ndung’u; I was born and raised up by my parents. At the age of five years, my dad passed on. I never had a chance to enjoy my childhood in the presence of a father; I ended up being raised up by a single mother.

I have always been proud of my mother, for she never let us down as a family. Being raised up in a small slum called Kagichu, she kept on struggling day and night to put food on the table.

photo by peter

Unlike what other single mothers in her situation would do. Great thanks to my mother, for she never abandoned us, and never imagined us going to the streets.

At age 17, sometimes I recall back my childhood friends I was schooling with in Methodist Academy, sometime back. Right now, they sleep and eat in the streets with no one to provide for them. Not even a person to call mum or dad, as a result of being neglected.

75% of people are living in poverty, while 25% are living happily. Why should they suffer this much, yet they are innocent?

If only wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Poverty in Kwale

For the past four days I was in Kwale a district, I came across difficulties school children go through every time.Children living in Kwale area have been neglected by their parents; but the government has done little to help them, so as to discourage child abuse that is so rampant in the area. School drop out is not a big deal, especially among girls, as a result of boys being favored, when it comes to education matters.

photo by peter

More so, relationship between teachers and female students has contributed towards school drop outs, as a result of unplanned for pregnancies and early marriges  among  girls. More so, parents are also to blame, as they accept to marry off their daughters at an early age to old men, in order to get wealth in return.

It is a shameful act  in deed, as the children are being punished for no reason by their  parents, who go further to favor their male children, instead  of giving equal love to both boys and girls.

photo by peter

It is a high time the government came up with ways of enlightening parents on the importance of education by using the media to let the children air their views.

Mid-night Tears

Simon was awoken by a sudden noise that he never knew were it was coming from. No sooner had his alarm clock rang, than he looked at the clock beside his bed and found that it was 2.00 a.m. At first, he thought he was dreaming, but it was real.

Simon was alone at home; his parents had gone to the village to visit their relatives. There was no one to turn to, for help. Immediately, three men entered the house, they looked huge and very strong.

Simon’s heart was beating as fast as the Tom Tom drums. He could hear those making movements in the house, many questions started running in his mind, on what pain they will inflict on him.

As much as stealing with violence is becoming a rampant act in the country, it is a high time the government took stern action against the offenders. Many innocent lives are being lost on a daily basis.

Battering of Women

In this modern world we are living in, women are suffering day in, day out. Be it in marriage and the African culture that has made them not enjoy the happiness they all yearn for.

On regard to the dowry that is paid traditionally, in order for a girl to be married off, officially, it has made women to pay a heavy price for it. As a result, women are battered by their husbands, since they think they own their wives.

This has made women be slaves in marriage, since their relatives are not in a position to refund the dowry. More so, they fear complaints that would be made by their relatives that may render them out casts in the society.

For instance, there was a rich man called, ’Kimanja,’ he would beat up his wife senselessly for no reason. Each and every time the wife wanted to escape, she would think of the hostile reception she would get from her relatives and parents.

With time, she got admitted in the hospital from the bruises she had sustained after getting a ruthless beating from her husband. She lay unconscious on the bed, battling for her life.

Many people think that, a girl getting married off to a rich guy, makes life a bed of roses. All these are lies and before one realizes, it might be already too late.

It is high times the government take action against those culprits who mishandle women

Importance of a library

It was my first time to enter a library. It was not bad-looking at all, as I had earlier thought of. There were a variety of books to choose from, I ended up being spoilt for choice.

Some years back, we always thought of library belonging to the selected few, in regard to the class and age of a person. Today, it’s a different thing all together, children as far as from primary schools are able to get access to books from the library, and the Government has improved in this sector of ensuring,” education for all,” enabling most of us improve on our writing skills.

Despite all the efforts that the government has put, still we need to discourage theft that is rampant in the public libraries, as it will enable most of us and the generation to come gain and achieve more academically.

It would be a great idea if the Government constructed more libraries within the estates, to enable those who cannot afford  to pay fare to the city center libraries, be able to get access to books.