Page 89 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 7

FEATURES

for a better Afrika, who are trying concerning having a wrong heart man that looks unreachable,
to do things about it, but from a and attitude towards people. I is a spark of light that if given
negative attitude towards the Af- first came to Kenya in 2016 for the right wind will burgeon into
rikans that they say that they are a fellowship meeting. I loved the a huge furnace that will give
trying to change, simply because entire Nairobi environment be- warmth on the cold days of life.
they think and compare Afrika to cause the weather was different The Afrika that we need now is
Europe and America. Such are from that of Lagos where I had not the one complaining about
never tired of complaining about come from. It was cool and re- the past years, but the one that
everything. And by such wrong freshing as against the hot and is not afraid to step out in bold-
attitudes, they never get any- humid weather of Lagos, which ness, face the fears and make
thing useful done. Then we meet looks more like Mombasa. And the change that is needed.
others who just think there is not I also loved the not too hasty
a single hope for Afrika, they are nature of Kenyans in Nairobi. The media is loaded with all
happy living their borrowed lives Coming back in 2017 and hav- manner of weird attitudes to-
in the borrowed foreign land that ing to get married and to make wards Afrika and Afrikans, and
they are living in. To them, any- my home here changed some almost all the time from twisted
thing Afrika is useless. Some things about the entire love story and negative angles. We can
are just outrightly wrong in their in my head concerning Kenya. I understand when these views
approach towards the change in got closer to people, moved a come from outside of the conti-
the Afrikan narrative. They, more bit more around other places in nent, but when these things are
than is needed, use the informa- Kenya, outside of Nairobi, from also shared by Afrikans them-
tion they have about Afrika for which I had drawn my initial con- selves, then we have a bigger
condemnation, rather than for a clusions about Kenya, and then problem because the power of
spark of compassion. They are I began to see things I didn’t the media to influence culture
just constantly playing the card expect. I felt very disappointed is well known. When they turn
of condemnation and the nega- and deceived. Three years later this weapon against Afrikans, as
tive attitude about Afrika. But the I was still nursing some issues Afrikans, it is a high form of be-
truth is this, no matter how pas- in my heart concerning the en- trayal. For if we, as Afrikans, use
sionate you are towards others, tire Kenyan story. One day as our gifts to join in with those who
you can't reach them, if the only I was on my morning walk, the have chosen to harm Afrika, who
cards you have in your bag are Lord started teaching me a few then will be left to render a differ-
complaints and condemnation. very important lessons. He said ent opinion if all that the people
It’s not possible. No man wants to me "do you think you have hear, repeatedly, are how poor,
to bear the burden of condem- the right to be disappointed at a awful and wicked they are? We
nation alongside the already people that you have not invest- cannot continue to take up arms
heavy weight of whatever they ed love, hope and compassion against ourselves. We must use
are going through or what they in? You can't condemn what our knowledge, tools, gifts and
have done. Afrika does not need you have no power to redeem." abilities to transform the narra-
more condemning tongues lash- I knew He wasn’t talking about tive of Afrika for the better and
ing out, she needs people that me alone, but about the wrong we must look at this as a sacred
are bold in speech but with a attitude we all have towards oth- trust and duty to perform for the
good spirit and attitude of love ers when we think they are not current and future generations.
and care. She needs people that what we expected them to be. I
will speak the truth the way it is, learnt that good lesson that day Remember: We cannot
but with the intention of creating and I hope to use it well for the change anything in Afrika
the room needed for change. good of others going forward. and in all the world outside of
love, compassion, faith and
There is light in everyone No one is hopeless hope in people. There is light
There is light in everyone, no No man is born evil or irredeem- in every heart, we just need
matter how dark their lives may able; we all are just victims of to find it.
seem, we just need to find it and the things we picked up from the
give it life. I have had my own journeys of our lives. Meaning
share of scolding from the Lord that right within the heart of that

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