JUNE Edition EAfrican E-book publishers E-magazine Welcome note from the founder We are changing the world, one word at a time. We are great people. Great people are ordinary people with extra ordinary amount of determination. I am happy to be associated and working with great people. I would like to thank all those who have sent their contribution. We have redesigned the website to incorporate our brothers and sister from the rest of the world who would like to give their contributions. Due to members demand, starting this month, we will be uploading copy of the e-magazine on the website (download a book page). Members can download for free a copy of the magazine or they can read the magazine online. Copies of the magazine will only be sent on request by the members Finally I would like to give special thanks to all those who have made it possible; together as a team we will make it. Thanks to our sponsors for their continued support and I personally would like to send an appeal for more sponsors to come up so that we can keep this magazine free and open to our members. If you like this E-magazine, please do a friend and me a big favor and forward it. If your friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read please subscribe to ebookafrica.net. Comments? Ideas? Feedbacks? I would like to hear from you. Just reply to this Emagazine and tell me what you think.
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A day with a Kenyan youth Everyday we have throats of crazy Coastal rundowns, dangling mostly the unbelievable seriousness of life. And in 2005, when education took Kevin Matolo to the Mombasa polytechnic which is now a fully fledged University College, the 25 year old boy only “came to see” Mombasa alongside a business course he was pursuing. “I had never been to this city and I used to hear people call it Mombasa “raha” -(Swahili term that means fun) and I had always wanted to come and study here,” he said. “Mom disliked the idea of her children visiting relatives who live in towns, saying that we would be spoilt and stop going to school. So I had a chance to leave home after receiving a letter calling me to join Mombasa Poly,” he added. Great son of Kenya’s Nyanza province walked alone to reach this education perk after graduating from a local provincial High school. (He refused to tell me which school exactly)Indeed, the first major city that Kevin visited is Mombasa having spent the better part of past life studying in Nyahera village, West of Kisumu city. He said that the city can be approximately six kilometres a way from their home. “I saw the advert on a news paper, cut the coupon below it and chose Diploma in Accounts and filled the rest of my details. I did not follow up anything, they just called me,” he narrated in disbelief. The horror stories of majic, which is known locally as ‘majini’ ; has remained a capital belief in the Coastal region and this interested the
meteoric Kevin who had a dose of Coast’s lesser evils and he lived to uncover a shocking story a bout himself. “Imagine I used to hear that there are fish which look like us (comparing the fish with human beings) in the Ocean, That the tail is fish and the head is that for a human being. I’ve walked a lot and I’ve not seen anything like that,” Kevin wondered a loud. Kevin opined that the existence of mermaids is a hoax and residents of Mombasa only have them in their minds. Actually, I agreed with Kevin as “there is nothing like that” in his words. The gory tales did not let him sleep at night with lights off and he bubbled with excitement whenever morning came. “I came to Mombasa like a parcel (he remembers) and there is no going back home before I know it well. In fact I have become a local tourist, I visit many places. I’ve been to Gomongo cultural village, Mamba village...ahh! (trying to remember other places he has visited) and Haller park and I’ll continue visited places, ” said Kevin, in a bragging manner. Kevin reported that according to her mother, his (Kevin’s) life would be cut short when involved in immorally upright acts like being a drunkard and loving all the women who come a round. “I like everything from Beaches to night clubs but I cannot be happy if my mother hears a bout these. She told me to take care of myself and not to ‘enter’ into bad groups. She insisted that my life may be cut short if I did so,” he said absent mindedly (expression on his face was like he remembered something crucial) Night out wrath “The first outing at the Coast took me to Casablanca (it’s a night club), and I had enough money to afford two bottles of napoleon (famous brand
of alcoholic drink--spirit, in Kenya that is) to maintain psyche. There are some things I can’t do when I’m sober. I feel shy and I can’t dance while sober,” he offered. Meanwhile Kevin was able to remember that on the same heart rending night, he was a bit tipsy having sneaked to Buxton beer garden for “a start”. It is a way of avoiding opulence especially during ‘that’ time that Kevin had a small elephant in the pocket. The joint is a seven minutes walk from the Polytechnic gate, when not hurrying. Usually, the price of beer is stepped up in night clubs ranging from 90 shillings to 120 shillings. I calculated this personally, having visited various clubs of power across the coast as a student reporter. Included are Mamba International night club, Causorina nomads, Pool bar, Salambo and the rest which I have scruples in remembering. Many had slight cost differences of ten bob to let’s say 20 shillings. “Casa’ is expensive I tell you. I paid one hundred bob (Ksh.100) at the entrance and we actually bargained and I still had to buy a bottle of beer ‘for me’ to sit in a table. You must have a drink in front of you if you want to sit on a chair, without that the bouncers gets you out of the tables. Moshing until morning was not easy and Kevin bought few bottles for the night to keep him inside a group of unruly friends. “ I found myself in the company of rowdy friends I had met before coming to this club, all drunks are friends and they (referring to his friends) even fought until we were allowed in at a half cost. We were a round seven of us and we chose one who bargained with the cashier, who let us in later at a price that we wanted,” he continued. Kevin told me that their group scattered all over dominating the dance floor like nonsense and only the love birds who had visited the papal land could resist the temptation of joining them in a dance.
“A lady who said her name is just Charity, was my dance partner. I liked her short skirt which encouraged me to dance with her more. We didn’t talk much but she agreed that I would go home with her,” Kevin remembered, looking miserable. “It was a round four o’clock in the morning” and all mischief were down and Kevin had already sobered up but cursing himself over what “reversed role” has done to him on that memorable night. “I decided to separate myself from the group and decided to leave in a company of Charity, who seriously requested for a night stand,” Kevin said, lacking words to explain what followed. It was the vertical and horizontal movement game stimulated by a bi sexual. It was a shock wave that beat Kevin on the face as he did not understand what the “lady” a bi-sexual that he saw with his two eyes, was doing in his house. “She was a man and a lady at the same time. It is the day that made me believe on the tell-tales that I used to hear back home on how Mombasa is full of majini (devils). She slept with me and disappeared,” Kevin said as he cried. This bizarre incident took him to the ground two years ago and Kevin is currently working as a clearance and forwarding officer at the Mombasa port. (He refused to give me the name of the company he works for). By Victor Adar.
Many are firmly in as youths. They need to be saved from this hell driving drums from the air away from nowhere. Causing skirmishes is what I
mean here. It was because of imbalance towards investment to the welfare of the young that lead to all the past uprisings in Kenya’s republic. Rebuilding job sectors is one thing authorities are not addressing openly, that’s why post election violence is still tingling a mid the young generation who thought that the ill fated conflict would end in peace and not in pieces. Consider this solved. Early this year many bodies launched various plan of action for youths. Microsoft hit the schedule with its National ICT plan apart from the overwhelming number of civil societies which rolled out extra ordinary peace building strategies for the purpose of bringing sanity after a disputed election results. Youths being capitalistic people, opted to receive money during last year’s political campaigns from the top eggs to help them live. Many told me that there was no fun in barricading roads and burning houses as majority thinks. Some of these youths were landing their first jobs and were paid for a work done. It was in bad time that they discovered that there was very little money in their pocket and were unable to afford even a biscuit. All the things have changed due to political problems which used the common youth to destroy things innocently. The politicians has the purchase power and they will absolutely afford even to ship what they need from a broad. Anything more than a paying job is what a young person currently need because this broke situation is squarely alarming! It was good and greener in a brief past may be because of a tiring casual job of making noise in the streets at a politician’s pay. For those who got the money, that is. Today shocks and even if you do not know how much effort to put in stepping up a spirited search for a meaning full job, then you better die. I tell you, claiming a place in hustling becomes a point in time. Many
young people spend hours on end next to the radio just to win easy cash money that comes after listening to the shows. They eagerly wait to be furnished with free airtime, recreational tickets, points et cetera. To be frank, the young people who perpetrated violence became miserable after discovering that they've lost and that luck is by far not for them. They ended up voting for the same, same old people. A lot of decisions go against the sides giving birth to separate fighting factors which are just bottomless problems spreading in all directions. Think about internally displaced persons. Should they call themselves Kenyans or foreigners in their own land? It is a chance for the people who work at night. They steal the game because over night pay is good to the pockets. Take for example, a case where one reports to work some minutes past four in the evening. He/she works round the night until few minutes after seven in the morning. This makes approximately 15 hours of task. This is more than a day's normal working hour by far. Therefore it’s not an illegal loophole to hustle at night as it's true that people did worse under the sun during last years election campaigns. This is a time people stopped attending nude revues in clubs and hotels. Let’s use this time to make extra penny. Remember that, not doing something great overnight is undoubtedly mad crazy. Sometimes we even fear that nothing can work out positively and lose focus in the end. Alright, youthful living is a dramatic battle that changes daily. This robs us of the right to sleep. And it is not a surprise that simple young people are trying to bring Jesus by working anytime, be it night or day. They are doing this as it is their social will to fight for a place and it’s not a secret the spots can be hard. The young are fighting their belief that they have a share towards building economy. “You are still young and cannot understand” are some of the issues demotivating young people and we should hear no more of those words.
These experiences are not unfounded and this is a blatant shameless going on that defines every young person who is in pursuit for something serious. Youth development is painfully slow, but be happy you are not dead. Continue living. By Victor Adar.
Youth Empowerment....just a different school of thought....... Everyday we hear renowned speakers talk of the youth as the future generation. The leaders of tomorrow. The cream of the crop. The icing on the cake. Taking one look at the dejected faces of this “cream of the crop” is enough to rule out any such convictions. Time and time again the youth have been subject to empty promises of plans to improve their lives, strategies that will be put in place specifically for their own benefit. Only to anticipate an end to their woes that seems so near yet realistically is still so far. In Kenya, the situation is made worse by politicians who use these youngsters to campaign for them and even engage them in violent activities amidst promises of catering solely for their needs once they get into parliament. Five years from now, when its time for the ballot to decide who governs, events leading up to the last general election will replay themselves again. And once more the youth will be the losers. One has to ask,”Why?” “Why are the youth so gullible? So willing to be taken for the same ride year in, year out?” “Why are they not empowered to think further than the words on the tips of the tongues of these people who for decades have made their situation bleaker with each passing day?”
I look at the European youth and try to draw some comparison. Perhaps to better understand why we are not like they are. Why things seem so much brighter for them. And why can’t it be the same for the youth in Kenya. In answer to this I’m reminded of the differences that exist between our two worlds. While my younger brother will go through the rigorous 84-4 education system, struggle through high school in ill equipped laboratories amidst constant teachers’ strikes, wait for 2years before gaining admittance to campus- or alternatively paying a handsome amount to join the parallel course- and years after being bestowed with the powers to read, will still be walking down Nairobi’s dusty streets looking for a job, or at least, unpaid internship, it becomes clear that we might just never catch up with the first world. Here, everything is done for you and still handed to you on a silver platter. If you’re not “up to” the ordinary school course work, join the arts, be a musician, an actor, a sportsman, the possibilities are endless. Yet you’re guaranteed to make just as much, if not more, than your counterparts who have some formal education. If by some unfortunate stroke of luck, you cannot secure a job, simply go to the government social welfare offices, go through a relatively easy process of registration, and start reaping the benefits of living in the first world. Never having to worry about as much as a hospital bill until when you’re able to sufficiently cater for yourself. Even if that takes the rest of your life, it’s okay. Afterall, the very well organised and funded government has the resources to cater for all your needs. This brings me back to the issue of youth empowerment. Maybe it all boils down to the youth realising that in this our Africa, nothing comes easy. Not even the politician on the podium with his loud empty words nor the youth development fund will make your life any better than you can make it all on your own. It’s all been said before. Think outside the box. Start from somewhere with just a single step a day and open up your eyes to the world of
possibilities out there. It’s not just about white collar jobs or leaving the country because you think the grass is greener on the other side. In all reality, it’s not greener. It’s tougher, harder and in most cases than not, speaks a different language. It’s not about working for the prestigious multinationals. It’s about simply looking beyond your nose having a dream and working to bring it to fruition. No one else will do it for you. Believing in yourself, and believing that you actually have something to offer to this world. However insane your idea might seem, it’s probably worth more than you could ever imagine. You have the greatest advantage of your youth, a sound mind that’s been trained rigorously through tough education systems and even tougher life lessons. Your best years are still ahead of you. Feel and be empowered! Brigitta Mugo Switzerland YOUTH EMPOWERMENT It is normally said that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow, isn't it a high time that they were given the responsibility right now? As it is, they are the majority in our country and unfortunately most of them don't even have a job. The ones who have way advanced in age are still in office don't want to leave. To make things even harder for the youth, they ask for several years experience so that they can narrow down the youth's chances of being employed. The youth range between the ages of 15 to 35 years and are the ones who are the most active in the society. The dictionary definition of the term youth is young people collectively. The youth remain one of the most marginalized and disempowered groups in many parts of the country. They are often excluded from decision making processes and have limited opportunities to engage in gainful employment. They are normally targeted by politicians during campaigns where they are given meager sums of money and are convinced that the
politicians have the youth's interest at heart. There have been several cries by the youth asking for recognition from several bodies but all this fall on deaf ears. They try too hard only for them to receive too little for their efforts and thus indulge in crime and all other unprintable vices one can think of. In Kenya, the government has tried to elevate the status of the youth in the country. They have been awarded funds in form of loans where they can invest and start businesses with the money so that they can be able to fend for themselves. It also issues annual Constitutional Development Funds (CDF) which is given to the MP's to try and improve the status of the constituency. Here, the MP tries and builds facilities like schools and toilets which don't benefit the youth directly. Though employment opportunities arise, it isn't enough to fend for all the youths in a particular constituency. Many then try to find more ways for survival in this man eat man society. They opt to do menial jobs which at least get them something on the table. They wash people's cars, clothes and others become guards. With this, they have to wait another five years when there will be political campaigns so that they can get that extra penny into their pockets. They would sit under horrid weather and for long hours but might get out of the stadium not knowing what the politician was talking about. The NGO's have now come to the rescue of the youth with several ideas for them. They educate them on enterprenual skills and even have competitions on who can come up with the best business plan and is awarded cash which can act as capital. When someone starts a business, it gives an employment opportunity for someone else thus benefiting more and encourages others to do the same. Other NGO's offer huge sums of money to credible youth who know about stocks and Intellectual properties for investment and the profit made is given to them as a reward. This becomes quite motivating as now the youth will use the little money they've made to work for them.
With this the youth get an array of ideas of how to make money which is an asset and not a liability. They get to minimize on their spending and do something with the money which inurn will bear fruits. They get to understand the fact that you don't have to be working in a white collar job to be able to get money. Motivation is what they mostly need to be able to move from point A to B. They need to remember that a journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.
BY Faith Kinuthia
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT The youth comprises the highest population in our Kenyan population. They are the backbone of the nation. Sadly, they are faced by a myriad of problems which leaves them exposed to various forms of abuses. For example, politicians have been known to use the as tools of violence during political campaigns, tycoons use them as drug peddlers while others use them as thugs for hire. There is a lot that can be done to harness the potential that is in them. Steps should be taken to use their energetic and innovative youthful minds into constructive use. Failure to do this has led to a disgruntled lot who will not hesitate to do anything for money. It is an open secret that some young girls engage in prostitution as a way of earning a living. Where there is a will, there is a way and plans should be put underway to empower our youth. An educated youth is an empowered youth and literacy should be given the highest priority as an empowerment tool. This is because if they are educated, they are able to make rational and informed decisions when situations demanding the same arise and they do not act out of ignorance.
Availability of funds should also be considered for youths. They should be able to access funding to run their businesses or projects without financial constraints. Means of funding them should be made simple. They should be able to access bank loans or Government funding without encountering hindrance blocks. Most banks and credit facilities usually demand some form of collateral like cars, title deeds, etc, before giving out loans. The youth may not be in a position to provide any since they are still young and at their teething stages. Instead, loans should be availed to them with friendly repayment terms. They should also be encouraged to form groups with a specific business in mind for which they would be funded. They should also be taught about doing project proposals which they would use for sourcing funding. It is also important to maintain discipline as it is an important ingredient for anyone to succeed. Society should come out strongly and be ideal role models/mentors to the youth. The youth should be exposed at all levels, be it in the villages or towns to societal figures they can look upon and emulate. They could be local administrators, religious leaders, doctors, lawyers, prominent business persons, teachers, media personalities, engineers, among others. It is comforting though to know of some high schools and institutions of higher learning that go out of their way to expose the youth to role models which shapes their young minds and encourages them to follow their (role models’) footsteps. It is a fact that the youth comprises the highest majority of the jobless population. The Government cannot be able to cater for all of them. This calls for partnerships to be fostered between the Private and the Public sector to solve the issue. The youth should also be discouraged from having the white collar job and instead be empowered with knowledge to become self-employed since the said jobs are scarce. Strong family values should be instilled in the youths for them to responsible parents in the future. A strong family unit is a basic necessity
for everyone and there is a security in belonging to one. The menace of street children, mostly the youth would be avoided. Eyesores like the sight of youth scavenging in dustbins for food would be a thing of the past. This is because strong family units produce stable-minded youths would not be prone to engaging in vices or bad behaviour. All in all, efforts should be made to uplift the youth in whatever way. Health, food, financial, moral, religious, among others should be put in place to help our youth. After all, they are the future of tomorrow. By Susan