Page 12 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

MY AFRIKA

with Perkins by his driver.
Bear with me, I am going some-
where with this story.

Later in the same chapter, Perkins
gave some details about the way of
life of the Saudis. He said concern-
ing a thought he was having within
himself in this way “As I worked
through these ideas, I thought of I have watched the governments I am only using Kenya as reference,
the goats, and the words of my in Afrika, their policies, the deci- so it's not just a Kenyan thing and
driver often echoed in my ears: sions they make in the name of definitely Kenya is not a target.
“No self-respecting Saudi would their people and I have come to
ever collect trash.” I had heard that conclude that the people are really But seriously
refrain repeatedly, in many different not their priorities but the foreign When will Afrikans realized that we
contexts. It was obvious that the masters who pay their bills are. all have stayed on this side of the
Saudis had no intention of putting Every day you hear about how rich desert for too long and then start
their own people to work at me- and wealthy Afrika is in words and to empower one another to grow?
nial tasks, whether as laborers in on paper, but right there, as you are Especially in this season of the
industrial facilities or in the actual listening to that story of riches and African Free Trade Area.
construction of any of the proj- wealth, you see how poor and im-
ects. In the first place, there were poverished many areas in Afrika are. The youths are getting it but...
too few of them. In addition, the It is obvious that we have become We have entered a season in Afrika
royal House of Saud had indicat- a continent whose leaders either in which the young people are real-
ed a commitment to providing its plot, help or simply fold their hands izing how wasteful and unproduc-
citizens with a level of education and watch as the west plots and kill tive their leaders have been and are
and a lifestyle that were inconsistent those who meant well for Afri- beginning to create new realities for
with those of manual laborers. The kan people. Case in time, Thomas themselves as youths. But are the
Saudis might manage others, but Sankara a fine Afrikan leader whose older people or the Afrikan lead-
they had no desire or motivation to head was in the right place was ers really paying attention to this
become factory and construction killed in a coup orchestrated by his change or are they just busy saying
workers. Therefore, it would be own best friend, a man who later the youths are trouble makers?
necessary to import a labor force became president. And now after I asked my wife on the day I was
from other countries — countries thirty-four years, his 'friend' is being writing this article "When will Af-
where labor was cheap and where convicted of the murder of Sanka- rikan leaders realize that the young
people needed work. If possible, ra. Talk about lateness. ones are awake and then give them
the labor should come from other the accurate support and resources
Middle Eastern or Islamic countries, Some time ago, my wife and I were to make things happen in Afrika?"
such as Egypt, Palestine, Pakistan, in a particular clothing shop in Her answer was, "maybe they the
or Yemen.” Nairobi CBD. I noticed the clothes leaders are actually afraid of the
were new and unused but they were awakening of the young people."
What a way to think. What a way not looking great. In my innocent
for the leaders to raise a people. surprise I asked her what she thinks Her answer definitely rings a bell in
What a way to create a progres- is the reason. She said that there are my head.
sive thinking culture that enables a clothing factories in Kenya which Here is the thing. If her answer is
people think beyond servitude and make clothes for export but that true and I am beginning to think it
subservient attitudes. Mind you, the those particular sets of clothes I is, then the question is, are we really
above story happened in the early was asking about are the ones re- ready for a progressive united Afri-
70’s and we all know that the way jected. They could not be exported ka? For a progressive united Afrika
of life of the Saudi has not changed so they are sold to Kenyans. I was can only be made possible by the
till date for anything but the better. almost bursting with anger. So the united force of the Afrikan youths
one thing that fits the good people in tandem with the wisdom and
What about Afrika? of Kenya from their government experience of the older ones.
are the rejected clothes? Mind you, Hotep!

12 | we tell the true afrikan story