22/08/2018
You know, to have a vision, it requires some thought. So many things can be said to encourage visionaries, to give advice or to warn of the pitfalls. A friend of mine was remembering an old friend of Kenya’s who recently died of cancer. Susan Linnee, was a journalist who loved Kenya very much. She had a vision. According to the Nation, she said at her farewell dinner in 2015,
“I want you people to know that you have a beautiful country. Kenya is a special country in this region, and it has the potential to be great. I love this country. Do not let your leaders destroy it with corruption and tribal politics. Hold them to account. Be bold in your reporting and keep exposing the corruption scandals. Don’t let your country down,”
Visionaries Aloud has a bold mandate, to showcase those people striving to make positive change in their neighborhoods, country and world. Yet, to take the first step on the road to become a visionary, like the ones highlighted by Visionaries Aloud, you must have a vision. A vision isn’t something that comes without thought. You need to look around and see the challenges and the problems that people face and then seek to innovate, challenge and take on those issues, those injustices.
I feel Susan Linnee was a kindred spirit. You see, I am also a mzungu with a love and vision of Kenya. I too believe that Kenya can be great. Throughout my visits to Kenya, I have sat in international, national and county meetings. I have listened to NGOs and church folk. I have lived in a slum, yes, that’s right. I have been living in a slum now for over a year.
There is so much beauty, integrity, ingenuity, work ethic, drive and community caring. Yet as I sat on the floor of my locked veranda during the election violence last year listening to angry voices in surround sound from Congo, Stage 56 and Stage 2, my soul hurt. It is hard for me to see, since I don’t belong to a tribe. I can see only the commonalities.
I see people that care about their families. I see people that want to work. They want the chance to provide for their families. I see people who want to have a better life, free of disease with a good education for their children. These things don’t vary between tribes. Once you see these commonalities among people, it is time to pause and think.
Ignore the voices of the media. Ignore the tweets and Facebook posts. Open but don’t look at that Snapchat. Take a breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Yes, breathe.
Breathing is the first step to having that vision that will make you a visionary. Breathing allows us to think. And with deliberate thoughts come visions. Try it.
Breathe.
What do you see?
By J.
