I’ve been doing a lot of tweeting lately. It is a phenomenon that is somewhat an anathema to my generation, but I have found that I am so much better informed than I was a week ago. Originally I had started doing it to get the word out about One Village and that still remains the focus. However, as those of you who know me, I have opinions on just about everything and Twitter gives you the opportunity to put it out there. I can retweet a story about breaking up with a friend, or scold the Kenya Google chief. In fact I find it rather addicting.
I turn 65 tomorrow. It’s a good thing. What saddens me is that my generation avoids Twitter, barely uses FB and according to the Huffington Post (yay tweets) they are becoming more and more conservative. Where did the fight go? We were the ones who demonstrated against the war, burned our bras and rocked Woodstock. Does fear and money take over for audacity and hope (thanks Barak)? Perhaps this is so. But for me, I’ll be fighting till the day I die, and probably tweeting as well.
School has begun in Nambale and Siaya. Our kids are back in school and a new year begins. I am so far away from them and yet they are with me every day.I see their ragged uniforms, I look down at their unshod feet, I cringe at the disease I see in their eyes and on their scalps. I tweet for them, I solicit donations to help get them fed, I pray for them and for all the adults I’m counting on to care for them. I’m also praying that their parents really take on this community feeding program and make it their own.
I am also readying for the naming ceremony of my latest grandchild. I am looking at Shel Silverstein poems to read and I am remembering my own children when they began a new year at school. How privileged they were. Not only did they have entire new wardrobes, but they went to private schools and private universities. Health concerns or food were never even thought of. Their father was a doctor at Man’s Best Hospital, and their mother was a great cook who could go to the store and buy whatever she felt like cooking paying no heed to sales or limits.
For me, it is trying to get the world I knew to know the world I know now. I just read Bill Gates letter for the Davos Convention. It’s really good (and I don’t like him very much). He has a bully pulpit and tons of money to get his ideas out. I no longer live that other life, and getting people to care about starving children continents away is a challenge. So tonight I think about all my children, the ones that I bore, the ones my daughters bore and all the ones over in Kenya. How do I meld the worlds and make the one that needs it the most a better place for the children who live there?
As you know I read the op-ed pages of the Nation each day. I have been particularly vocal about the recent rash of suicides as a result of bad marks on the National Exams. But this beats any reasoning I have yet read on the subject and I just have to post the first page so you can read it.
The guy says that the children did not die in vain and that in another time they might be called martyrs. No…you just have to read this.
According to reports this week, as many as seven pupils have committed suicide over “poor” Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results released at the end of December.
Our hearts go out to the families that have lost their children. However, their loss is not all in vain. If this were militant politics, one would have said that the seven pupils are martyrs.
Of course, to commit suicide when you are a teenager is tragic because you are so young, you still have very many years ahead of you to try, try and try again until you succeed. It is a different story if you are 70.
All said, it is a good thing for parents to expect the highest performance from their children. And, one might add, a country where students commit suicide actually has a future. Which is why the KCPE suicides are at the same time a sign of hope.
If you look around Africa, the reason we are in such a mess and remain the poorest continent is precisely because there is little shame over poor work and shoddy service.
We tolerate bad roads. We reconcile easily to atrocious health services. We keep re-electing corrupt politicians to lead us – and spend all the time before electing them again at the next poll whining about how bad they are.
We grumble mildly at schools and universities that produce mediocre students and don’t innovate. Nothing changes.
So when a student feels the shame of underscoring in an exam and takes his or her life, there is a bit of them that we should celebrate
In fact, this growing demand for high standards was also seen in the parents who attacked headmasters of schools that produced lousy grades. They were taking the law into their hands, yes, but they were inspired by noble motives.
The bigger problem, then, is that the people who should really be taking their own lives for failing our countries in serious ways, are not doing so.
Take the Kenya election of December 2007. The dispute led to the death of nearly 1,500 people and the displacement of over 500,000. To this day, no one has actually come forward to take responsibility for the mess.
In Japan, someone like Samuel Kivuitu, head of the now defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya that organised that election, would have climbed high on the mast at Nation Centre, and jumped.
In Asia, a chief executive officer of a listed company who loses shareholders’ money is expected to lock himself inside his office and fall on the sword he keeps in the cupboard.
In Kenya and other countries in the region, if you ruin a company, you go and stand as member of Parliament in the next election. And if the people don’t elect you, if you stood on the ticket of the party that produces the president, he will appoint you ambassador.
Some of the countries with the highest student suicide rates in the world are China and South Korea. In fact, South Korea has the highest suicide rate in general in the industrialised world. Suicide is also the leading cause of death of people under 40 in that country.
Remember Francis my driver? Despite the grenades going off when last I was in Kenya, he reassured me that El Shabbab was nothing. I can’t tell whether that was wishful thinking or meant to keep my tourist dollars over there.
Today I read an extremely cogent article by Ken Menkhaus of enough project.org. His best sentence is this: Intervention strategies that plan the war but not the peace will fail. That should by the byword for all countries.
It’s not just Kenya, but imagine of Bush had thought about planning the peace in Iraq or Afghanistan.
What is so wonderful about this article is that he painstakingly spells out the problems of Kenya’s incursion into Somalia. Now campers, I wish you would read the whole thing and indeed here is the link:http://www.enoughproject.org/files/MenkhausKenyaninterventionSomalia.pdf
But since I find that folks don’t like to read lengthy articles I’m going to give you the highlights
Kenya’s military capacity to wage war. Kenya’s military has very limited experience in direct combat, and, with the exception of some peacekeeping deployments, has never waged war across the Kenyan border. Some analysts worry that Kenya’s untested forces will fare poorly in clashes with Somali forces on Somali terrain. Related to this concern are worries that Kenya initiated this attack in the early weeks of the dheere rainy sea- son, when track roads become impassable and heavy military equipment gets bogged down. This is one of the reasons Kenyan forces moved so slowly in the first two months of the campaign. This gave many observers the impression that the Kenyan offensive was not adequately planned.
Unclear objectives. Kenyan officials have expressed divergent goals. They have at different points claimed the aim is to prevent Shabaab from engaging in cross-border abductions of tourists, defeat Shabaab, capture the strategic seaport of Kismayo, and to secure the border area.
Shabaab terrorist reprisal attacks in Kenya. Kenya is exceptionally vulnerable to Shabaab terrorist attacks. Shabaab moves freely in and out of Kenya, where the group does business, recruits, and engages in fundraising. A major Shabaab terrorist attack
in Kenya would have devastating consequences for Kenyan tourism and business. Observers have expressed alarm that Shabaab could make good on threats to take
the war to Kenya, and that Kenya would be less secure as a result of its offensive into Somalia. As evidence of this, foreign embassies have elevated security alerts for Kenya. Two grenade attacks in Nairobi, carried out by a professed Kenyan Shabaab member and recent convert to Islam, have amplified these fears. Shabaab leaders have implored their followers in Kenya to launch jihadi attacks in Kenya, a tactic that could produce “lone wolf ” terrorism in addition to planned Shabaab attacks. The actual threat may beoverstated, however, as Kenya’s value to Somali interests makes it risky for Shabaab to launch a major terrorist attack there. But the danger could grow larger the longer Kenyan forces stay inside Somalia.
Kenyan offensive as tool for Shabaab recruitment. Observers have raised concerns that Kenya’s military operation into Somali territory could work to Shabaab’s advantage,
by rallying Somalis against a foreign occupation, in much the same way that Shabaab enjoyed significant popular support when Ethiopia occupied Mogadishu in 2007 and 2008. Though Somalis are exhausted from war and are devoting most of their resources to assisting relatives affected by the famine, a sustained Kenyan military presence, with inevitable reports of civilian casualties, runs the risk of generating a new wave of Somali jihadi recruits and fund-raisers for Shabaab. The ill-advised public announcement of Israeli counterterrorism support to Kenya was exactly the kind of misstep that Shabaab could parlay into propaganda to turn the Jubbaland intervention into a jihadi cause.8 So far few Somalis and Somali Kenyans appear to have joined Shabaab in response to either the Kenyan or Ethiopian military offensives in southern Somalia; Shabaab appears instead to be relying more and more on forced conscription.
Prospects of quagmire in Kismayo. Questions have been raised about how Kenyan forces will fare if and when they take the city of Kismayo. In a crowded urban setting, Kenya’s military will lose some of the advantage it enjoys from its armored vehicles and heavy weapons, and will be more vulnerable to urban guerilla warfare and the use of roadside bombs. It could become bogged down in counterinsurgency warfare that Ethiopian forces and now African Union peacekeepers, or AMISOM, have faced in Mogadishu since 2007. There is reason to hope that local populations are so furious with Shabaab policies—especially forced recruitment and heavy taxation—that they will turn on Shabaab and prevent it from waging insurgency attacks in the town. But most communities in Somalia today are so fearful of reprisals that they are more likely to lay low and do nothing.
It’s a really good article folks.

I have an ongoing problem with the millennium projects. I know they are the darling of Jeff Sachs and countless famous and important people. However, there are a couple of projects in Kenya where I work. The first one (and no campers I am not going to name it lest I get blackballed from the international community), is a feeding program and farming. When I visited it in 2006 the claims of success were astounding. But that was 2006…it’s 2012 and the Millennium Projects are finding it difficult to leave.
See they came in like a swarm of bees, told folks what they needed to do to improve their crops, gave out imported fertilizer, gave out nets for mosquitos and assumed that everyone would continue to do well. No…the community never owned the project. What Millennium has done in countless ways is to continue the culture of” donorism” thinking they could change attitudes by just showing people the right way to do things.
There is another project (and I’m proud to say it’s in Kisumu) where the people owned the project and guess what. The French who aided the villagers are able to leave. Until the Intellectual Powers, the World Powers, recognize the need to change attitudes first poverty will continue because people will continue to be dependent on donors who always leave.
I just had lunch with a lady who helps non-profits get the word out. She had some good suggestions all of which I will honor. As we were talking about the industry of charity and non-profits, I posited this dilemma. We are very small. Our budget is $25,000 a year. It costs about $3000 to sponsor a school. The problem is that big business and folks like Gates won’t give out $3000 they want you to ask for $300,000. And because we don’t want nearly that amount we can’t get any. So I’m asking you folks…do you want to sponsor a village? Would you and your company want to change a whole village for $3000? If so please get in touch. We only want to go into a few more villages.
It is an anathema to me that articles are still running in the Nation over the KPCE exams. (National Exams to get into secondary school).Today’s article featured the school that did the worst. In the description the author talks about the “usual things in the school like cement floors and electricity”.While I did finish the article, I did have to stop at that sentence.
Huh? I haven’t seen a school yet in our area that has electricity and most of them have dirt floors. What’s the deal here?
I have spoken out about the 1 laptop per kid already, and now I’m hearing about schools in Kenya where electricity is the norm. I am more in awe of the kids in our program than ever. These kids make do with dirt floors, no windows, no electricity, 5 to a bench and no books and they score above the average. Could it be that we feed the kids? Could it be that we make sure the girls get pads to go to school when they menstruate? Could it be that we have a nutritionist who goes to the schools and talks to the parents? Could it be that we have empowered the parents to start their own businesses? I’m thinking that’s a yes and frankly it pisses me off that so much attention is paid to the wrong things that kids need in rural Africa.
I’m just saying’ people can you take a look at us?
I just sign our MOU and we’re working in 3 schools, feeding program, micro-finance teaching, nutritionist, reproductive health, with over 2000 kids and we’re doing that for $18,000. I’m tired of the huge grants and the huge budgets that get lots of notice. What do you think it will take for folks to recognize it can be done better and cheaper with better results. Your opinions will be appreciated
From time to time people ask me about the schools in Kenya. They wonder mostly about things like computers and assume that because the schools we work in are so poor the kids probably don’t learn much. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I, frankly, find that the kids know more in more languages than our kids of the same age do.
In November the National Exams take place for 8th graders. These are the most important exams the kids will take until they graduate secondary school. They are called the KPCE’s and the marks will be the ticket to a good school, a national school, or not. Parents, who often don’t have much to do with the schools until the exams, worry greatly about the exams and the results can be tragic to say the least.
This year a couple of young girls committed suicide because of their marks, and today I read that a headmaster killed himself because of the poor showing of the children in his school.
But instead of my describing it, here’s the article from the Nation.
The blogosphere did indeed go blank from Mama OVAAT for a few weeks. It in no way should reflect the success of the trip. Frankly I’m over the moon over how we are doing. That Sunday, Monica and I went to church and then sat under the trees by Lake Victoria and talked about the way forward. It was a delicious day of friendship and love between 2 kindred spirits who “dream dreams” as Bobby Kennedy would say.
Monday dawned bright and beautiful for our ride back across the Rift. Francis and I drove to KMET for one last visit and thus ensued the “Series of Unfortunate Events”.
Yes fans, I managed to break my leg on the last day, and of course there was no adequate medical care. My fabulous Medical Rescue Card got me nothing and there were no working x-ray machines at Nairobi Hospital. Which was probably ok since I doubt they had a tech anyway.
Determined to get on that plane, we got to the airport, I got a wheel chair and thus began the long, long ride home. 2.5 days travel with an unset broken leg is a bit of a challenge, but I did get home, get it set, and still wound up in the hospital with the creepy crawlies. Then a fall down my stairs a week later got me 16 stitches in my head. That’s what I mean by a series of unfortunate events.
Ok, but here’s the deal. What we are doing in Kenya defies the odds. We are going to run this program for under $30,000. I so want people to know that with the right partners and working with communities to own their programs you can change attitudes and lives. (Y’all know how I feel about the big guys. ) And I can’t wait to get back there.
And the second deal is not to be afraid. Do what your heartsong is. I am 65 years old and I love my work over there. Despite “the series of unfortunate events” I wouldn’t give up one single second of life over there and here. And I wish that more people stepped out of the fear of not being a success, or of getting hurt, or of the unknown, or what people might think and go for it. As my grandmother used to say, “Life is short, eat dessert first”. So go for it with everything you’ve got and believe you can. You’re neither too young or too old, it’s your time. Now get up and do it.
What you say? What happened to the past 10 days? Ok I didn’t come back to the US in one piece, actually it was 3 pieces but that is a different story entirely. I wanted to wrap up the trip for you all.
That Saturday after we had finished visiting all the schools we returned to KMET for a team meeting.. Everyone showed up at 11A on a Saturday to develop the plan for 2012. We covered so many topics. We reviewed the difference between ACK, Nangina and Nina.
We realized that. 1. We had to develop criteria to see trends of when a school is failing before it gets to the level of ACK.
2. We noted that when I was the man behind the curtain the community immediately looked to each other instead of the muzungu
3. We realized that starting fresh meant there were no rumors of untold wealth and goodies and that we would struggle with that in Nambale
4. We all agreed that Nina is our new shining star and it holds so many hopes. For me it will hold my heart and I will be so glad to get back there
Then we set up a budget. First what needed to be done and a realistic number for what it would cost.
We needed to cost share the feeding programs in the 3 schools. We knew that it costs $1.80 per term for each child. Now OVAAT will get a list of the children and will base the donation on a realistic number. Further, after the first term, if ACK is not at 50% their feeding program will be dropped. And further to instill in the other schools that this is their program, the second term we will drop down from 50%-40% subsidy.
Our girls need sanitary towels to stay in school. For $400 per term ( 3 terms to the year) we can keep hundreds of girls in school by supplying them. Pretty cool huh?
We need to keep the community involved. We need the PICD team to visit each school each month to help the community develop a plan of action and a budget so that in 2 years they can take over the feeding program. The team not only teaches community development, but we have a nutritionist and a nurse as part of that team. The cost per term $1200.
Just before I sat down to write this wrap up I saw an add for “Save the Children” which shows you a tragic child in horrific conditions. Trust me these kids and these villages exist. But they’re not getting the community involved. They’re not teaching the community how to feed their children, how to work together and own the problem and thus, it seems to me they will be there forever. My goal for One Village at a Time has always been to go out of business. If we do our job right the community takes over, they are empowered, and everyone wins.
So for less than $5000 per term or $1500 per year we can change the attitudes of the people, make them self-sufficient and they can feed their kids. I call this a spectacular trip.
One Village operates on a very small budget and 100% of all donations go directly to helping the villages we serve. Even the smallest donation can have a large impact!
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