Uncolonized

A picture of Lydia Gaya at an Obama function. To find out more about the Obama meet click on my friend Obama

Hi There

Last weekend I received a very interesting submission from Aileen Mallya, who believes that Africa can be developed in three weeks by using a three-pronged approach. Changing our perception on Knowledge, Skill and Attitude. Click on the comments links to read her article.

UNCOLONIZED?
Also pushing a three pronged approach is Pan-African scholar Kagenza Rumongi. In his proposal for African liberalization, the scholar is promoting a physical, mental and spiritual struggle through strategies of ‘Decolonization, Intellectual Disobedience, Ma’at (African righteousness), Re –Africanization (African cultural knowledge), and Sankofa (learning from the past to build the future)’.

Kagenza’s memoir highlights an identity struggle that many African youth are going through today.

I, like Kagenza, went through a foreign education system in Kenya that refused to teach me the history of Marcus Mosiah Garvey (Black Moses), Haile Selassie I (the Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah), Lalibela and Timbuktu. Instead it indoctrinated me with stories on the ‘great’ kings and queens of the West, the same people who I later came to learn, had classified the African as an animal, sold him like a loaf of bread and named the greatest genocide in the history of humanity as a mere trade, a Slave Trade.

All good students were required to speak a minimum of three languages. I spoke four. Luo (my native language), Swahili (the national language), Spanish (a school requirement) and English (the official language of instruction). Today, I speak all these languages, but I am a master of none. I know about the cultures behind the languages but I am an expert in none. I have all these identities but I feel I belong to none. I’m African by birth and European by education. Was this done intentionally? Is this mode of education beneficial or detrimental to the
African cause? Is there such a thing as an African Education and if so what is it? Did old colonial and neo-colonial powers seek to mis-educate me and my African brothers and sisters? What do they gain from indoctrinating a wholecontinent? Can we break down these walls and re-educate ourselves, re-write our history, un-colonize our minds?

I look forward to hearing from you
Best
Mark Gaya

Jabs and Uppercuts

Hi there,

Today we want to welcome Guandiish from Ghana, Miriam, a German expatriate working in Kenya and my good childhood friend Timothy Mlay, who is writing to us from Tanzania. We look forward to reading your thoughts on the blog.


Above is a picture of the Pan-African Scholar, Kagenza Rumongi . The picture was taken in Ghana at the African Union summit this year.

Click here to learn more about the African union

I send out regular emails on the issues we're discussing. If you would like to be included on the mailing list, please send me a note on markgaya@villagevolunteers.org. Your email address will only be held by Village Volunteers and will be used for the purpose of administering this blog site. Cheers

Agriculturalist needed

AGRICULTURE
Do we have any agriculturalists on board or anyone who can give advice on horticulture? Majiwa Village in Western Kenya is one of the areas where Village Volunteers is working. The region has experienced severe drought for three consecutive years. Successive crop failure has left the community impoverished, diseased and malnutritioned. Does anyone have ideas on how to improve crop production in an area that is experiencing erratic rain patterns? Please send us your thoughts. Your input could save lives.

Please post your thoughts on our blog
It’s very easy.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Best
Mark Gaya

More Identity More Development

Hi there,

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to share the podium, listen to and be inspired by the great Kenya-American, Barack Obama. At the end of his fabulous speech he turned and shook my hand and that of the twenty or so people also selected to accompany him on stage. It was a great experience friend’s, one that I will never forget. I can only thank my mother-in-law Clover, for setting it up. Asante sana.

Check out barack my friend for more info


All the best
Mark Gaya

Identity and Development

Hi there,

A big thanks to all who participated in last weeks discussions, and to those who read our blogs, emails and comments. Your contribution is much appreciated.

This week I want to welcome Kirsten Clemens to our forum. She is a former Village Volunteer from Seattle and is currently doing community work in South Africa. I also want to welcome Augusta Moses, a British Nigerian living in England. We are very happy you could join us and look forward to hearing more from you in the future.

A Recap of the past week
For those who missed out… Last week we examined the provocative statements made by James Watson on the African/ black persons “lack of” intelligence. This discussion has grown to cover the socio economics of racism, different perspectives on intelligence and the impact of tribalism vis-à-vis development on the continent. For those still wishing to comment please send me an email on markgaya@villagevolunteers.org, or post your thoughts on the provided links below.

This past weekend I received several emails correlating identity and development.
Pan-African scholar Kagenza Rumongi says there can be no development without a knowledge and promotion of self-identity, in this instance, the African Identity. He goes on to chastise the ‘African educated elite’ for loosing its identity and in effect lacking a development agenda.

Some of you have written questioning his concept of Africanness and it’s connection to development. Tallash Kantai in Addis Ababa asks, whether being African means dressing in African clothing, driving African cars, feeling African, listening to African music and if it does, how does this affect economics on the continent?

Do you, like Kagenza, feel that the African (middle class especially) has lost its identity? Is there any connection between a promotion of self-identity and economic development? Should Africa emulate the US, which grew by producing and consuming its own products before opening its doors to trade with the world? Is it safe to drop tariffs and trade freely with the rest of the world? Can Globalization kill African industry

For more info on African economics see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa#Economy
For more on economic protectionism see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism

We look forward to hearing from you

Tribalism

TRIBALISM.
Those of you who are familiar with African/ Kenyan politics know that the period before elections is the most ethnically charged period in the entire continent/ country. Some of you have suggested that tribalism is Africa’s worst enemy, even implying that this is the number one reason She is still so underdeveloped.

Some statistics I put together.
Singapore, which was less developed than Kenya in the early 70’s, now has an economy three times larger, even though its population is only a 7th of Kenya’s 34 million, and it possess few natural resources of its own, including land (Singapore’s total land area is 704 km square while Kenya’s is a staggering 580,367 km square). Where did the Africans/ World go wrong and what can be done to rectify the situation? What did Singapore do right to get where it is? Can we use the same development model in Africa? Is there any hope for recovering lost ground? What role should we as young leaders play to mould a better Africa/ World? Is it possible to stump out tribalism and why does it always rear its head before elections?

Please post your comments in the provided link below

For more data on Kenya
For more data on Singapore
For more info on tribalism in Kenya

Africans Less intelligent than Europeans?

This week I want us to talk about Race, What can and can't you say about it? Veteran scientist Dr. James Watson, who won a Nobel prize for unraveling the structure of DNA, was quoted in an English Newspaper as saying that Africans are less intelligent than Europeans. Regardless of whether you agree with his assertions or not should he or anyone else be allowed to make such comments? Or does race have to be removed from science's research? Are there some beliefs about race which are simply intolerable and deserve disassociation and condemnation? (Ros Atkins, BBC)

I send out regular emails about the issues we're discussing. If you would like to be included on the mailing list, please send me a note on markgaya@villagevolunteers.org. Your email address will only be held by Village Volunteers and will be used for the purpose of administering this blog site. Village Volunteers may also contact you to further inquire about issues raised in mails posted to the blog.