Building a community

Hard to believe that it’s a year down the road I took in April last year, oops, March 2007. Old dogs do learn new tricks, believe you me. I look back to my marketing days and have problems recollecting the day today musings of deadlines and crazy targets! Change happens.

Its such genuflection that has borne today’s blog. After the March 21^st incident I had in Baragoi with the bandits the old lenses through which I looked at life just didn’t do the trick any more. I found myself looking at life and realizing that all that I saw around had actually been created! Someone labored to bring to reality the idea that is the road I drove on. It took perseverance and dedication to create the freedom that I took for granted. Someone lays their life on the line to guarantee me the security I always took for granted. It takes guts to invest hard earned cash to build the house I rent and so forth. Equally, it appeared as such a clear reflection that it takes concerted effort to design the systems that keep a society going. Efforts to weave enduring relations, and patience beyond what I had exhibited this far to see fruition of communal objectives! Thus was born the community developer in me.

After the two years in Ghana with VSO I came back full of ideals, fears and aspirations. I must admit that I came back to my community as a stranger of sorts. I have spent a year unlearning a lot of what I thought it took to make things work. Apparently a community is a lot about relations, sharing ideas, meeting physically and mentally, trading ideas, accepting and discarding notions and perceptions. It’s a continuous endeavor that once realized I have found I cannot negate.

Low moments abound, with nay sayers taking every opportunity to pull my pants down. Critical lessons from PFC (preparing for change) have however kept my focus on the true North however; focus on positivity! Sell your ideas to a critical mass and step aside!

After a while I have learned to hold back my opinion balance a raft of opinions, cajole my way through mined paths and ultimately offer leadership in quick sand situations.

The biggest project in my life so far, an hospital for my rural community is what keeps me believing currently. I must at times stand out as an oddity with my enthusiasm and call to get back to the objective on all parties. This project has brought me side to side with common people, churches and their leaders, ministry officials, contractors, suppliers, village headmen, schools, district wide health stakeholders, politicians as well as the donors and the donor representatives.

The challenge I pass to my friends from my past always is; who is building your community?

Extra days

I am writing this post from my office desk atop the hill. All around, for as far as my eyes can see are rolling hills, sparse vegetation, grass interrupted by boulders and the blue sky touching the horizon. This view, through my window, is so captivating that whenever I come here its like a fresh take of the scenery. The room is spacious, with three other desks for my colleagues. The floor boards, a shiny polished brown are worn in places due to use. Its a homely place that reminds me of a place I have read about in one of Hemingway's books, but I cant recall which one now. I am all alone in here, since we rarely meet here, unless we have one of our regular 'irregular' meetings owing to fieldwork.  The room is therefore quiet most of the times, and conducive to concentration and putting in some hours to reports, which is what brings me here mostly.

I wouldn't like to chance to explain why I have not posted for over a year now. I am guilty as charged for going off air, and leaving my 2 followers stranded in the desert of my life's story! Each time I have meant to write I have asked myself where to begin. I have decided to start from the beginning, which is here, where I am.

Its going to 14 months since I returned from West Africa from my two year volunteering stint with VSO. A lot has happened in my life, all in reflection milestones in my personal life, as well as my chosen career in development. I shall attempt to share some of these, with a view to bringing you up to speed kiasi.

Sense and Cents.........................................................................

Yours truly is almost a year old coordinating the activities of a not for profit organisation that works in my rural community. I get to work from my house most of the days, from the comfort of my study room. In many ways this is a dream come true, and a welcome relief from my 5Am drives to the office that characterised my marketing days. Increasingly, since late last year when I got a solar system for my home, I can now enjoy flex hours of work, and get more done.

Just after my last blog I decided to do part time taxi business around the community. In March 2011 while mulling over a puncture the good Samaritan that came by happened to be a program manager with the local Compassion office. Weeks later when I went around to say thanks for hooking me up with a mobile mechanic I found an advertisement for this NGO outside his office. A day to the interviews I presented my papers, whaooed the first and second panels, and got hired a week later. 

I like what I do, and in the short period of  nine months I have seen the partnership extended to my local Primary School, where now an extra teacher, monthly exams, tuition and equipment have been made available in the new partnership. We are in the process of building a medical facility for the larger community, and this year we begin exploring alternative livelihoods for the local men!

The past 10 months have been engrossing, tiring, frustrating at times, but definitely rewarding for all. There is a lot of contrasts to my marketing career, for the most part refreshing contrasts. I can only be thankful to VSO for the fantastic opportunity to volunteer with them. I am certainly better off, for having taken the 'risk' to leave my  comfort zones, and volunteering for the two years. Sharing skills, changing lives is the VSO motto. I truly feel like part of the global change!

In Quaffs and Gaffes........................................................................

Its quite a challenge to put to writes everything that has happened in the 12 past long months. All that I can say at the onset is that it has been a monumental year for me. I have gone places, literally and figuratively, that I never thought of before. I have forayed into zones that I never fathomed, as well as touched peoples life's in ways that I never figured possible. I have shaped, and been shaped by peoples life's. I have had to make a deliberate effort to catch up with myself, especially as it relates to my life before West Africa.

Visit to In laws

As per custom,  I made the one mandatory visit to my in laws in April. Ostensibly its an appreciation visit to ones in laws, traditionally, just before getting hitched, or in my case, after the fact. It s meant to be a celebration reflecting the commitment that a man makes to his spouse and in laws. The feast involves gifts to the in laws, as well as partying.

Mine was quite a sojourn, involving travelling 600kms from the Eastern part of the country. I made the journey accompanied my dad, my brothers in law and two of my brothers, mum, aunts and a couple of my friends as well as my wife's friends. My sisters in laws from the Western part of the country met us.

Quite apprehensive I was, considering that due to technicalities I did not make the visit earlier. It turned out to be one of the most colourful events that I have been part of, besides the approval it met! My wife still talks about it, and so did my dad, before his passing on last month.The feast was characterised by lots of food, drinks, singing and dancing, exchange of gifts. Overall the change did me good, having been accustomed to travelling up and down during my two year placement.

Shift to Kasuki farm

In April, a week after starting working, we shifted from to Kasuki farm. This meant a change of school for the kids, something that suprisingly they welcomed and continue to cherish, since we can all ride to school togather.

It was a seemingly daunting task getting everything packed and unpacked, fitting into the new sorroundings, starting new friendships, finishing up buildings and building new ones. We are now fully settled and accustomed to the new sorroundings. Its a welcome change for the better and the freedom to be an independent family once again is invigorating.

My dad passes on

With the good comes the bad, is a saying whose origination I cannot recall.

On 25th of January this year I laid my dad to rest, after a long spate of illness, visits and a surgery operation. The funeral was a deserving, black suit, white tie event, in due respect.

My dad was an epic, a self made man, as the parlance goes. Born in a very poor family, without brothers or relatives to reach out to, very basic education and training, it borders on miraculous to describe what he achieved. This includes sending two of my brothers abroad for university studies. His traversing Est Africa during his time, materially and socially. I salute you dad.

Most of my cherished memories of dad, especially the conversations that could go on and on for hours are during a shared drink. Its in your honour that I will be keeping off the bottle, at least for a year. Hats off to you.

Aluta continua....