Friends are Like Flowers

                Friends are Like Flowers 

By Kefa Onditi

A musician once wrote a song romanticizing friendships and analogized them to flowers and life as a garden. Like flowers in their variety make gardens beautiful, so make friendships in their richness—the lovely orchid, like a friend that compliments, bring sparkle and color to life. Roses are beautiful, but the thorns remind you to tread carefully; those are like the friends who criticize you. I have no idea what flower proliferates and is always ahead of its time, but we will always have a friend who is ahead of us.

The friends who compliment you are essential because a compliment can brighten up your day. They could comment on something as insignificant as new earrings, and suddenly, you feel a fresh gush of confidence. Suppose you did well in public speaking or a presentation, and someone makes a nice comment about your oratory skills. This gives you a boost of self-confidence and joy. Friends complimenting you always see the details, acknowledge your efforts and make you feel seen. They will be there to crown your every achievement. They will help you gain the respect of your peers because they magnificently see you.

When someone tells you that your hair, shoes, your beard, or even your house are always clean, you will always maintain a neat beard and a clean house so that they don't find you with a dirty one and lose that respect for you. It is human nature to desire affirmation and to feel seen. Your mental health needs to stay with people who find a way to complement you.

Every garden needs a rose. In this context, a rose alludes to the ones who criticize you. There are two sides to criticism; you must be wise to tap into constructive crisis. Simple questions about “why do you always frequently wear that shirt? Why doesn't your house have a Tv? Why are your window curtains transparent? Why are your children always walking with runny noses?

Such questions make you realize the small things you are doing in the wrong way.  These questions sometimes bring out the bad personality traits that you have. Criticism about the company you keep can be in the form of “Why do you like walking with that drunkard? “Why do you always laugh loudly everywhere? “The bad habits you possess are what you should read behind that statement.

 These people might look like your enemies, don’t like you for who you are, or don't appreciate what you do. But that is not always the case. You will discover that you are not perfect by listening to these people. You become better when you listen to them, fix yourself, and work on those small mistakes. These people might even compliment you after you have improved on what they told you, and you be happy and proud of yourself. You will always be on your toes to keep those compliments.

The ones ahead of you. These people will constantly challenge you and inspire you to want more from yourself. This is because you will be challenged to be like them and bask in their achievements; they will share some of their aspirations and dreams with you. You may see that yours are too small; thus, you will begin to dream big, set high standards, and have a bigger vision of your life. Then as the hardworking person, you are, you will work to achieve bigger. So always ensure that those around you are way above you, and you will use them to guide you and give advice from experience. Some may even care enough to offer favors once they see your desire to improve. These are people with better financial status, better relationships with their families, and better social qualities like leadership and spirituality.

You are whom you keep around are whom you keep around you. One biblical allusion to friendship is in Amos 3:3; two cannot walk together unless they agree. It would be best if you kept essential people around you. Your success depends on your company and habits as on what you do every day. You will unleash your most significant potential if you identify.

The Drinking Monster

                                                    The Drinking Monster 

By Kefa Onditi

Last semester when we got our projects, I researched the students' business ideas. Most of my respondents agreed that liquor stores are the best to invest in.  When I cast the net wider, I realized that the idea of selling alcohol was in the societies we live. The youth are just a product of their environments. There is an insatiable demand for alcohol. The population is addicted, and the copious business people are well aware. The reasons many choose this poison are varied.

In the past, elders set a drink in their midst when they needed to deliberate on heavy matters of their people. Sharing a drink was a sign of friendship, hospitality, and invitation. However, times have changed. Many young people drink alcohol out of pleasure and as a way to kill their weekends. There can be no party, no dancing, and merry-making without alcohol involved. Some drink to gain confidence and courage. If someone wants to approach a girl and is somehow anxious, alcohol is always a proven remedy. Public speaking is never accessible for some people unless accompanied by shots gulped down hurriedly. It’s always as though drinking summons courage from the pits of one’s liver.

We have heard tales of men battering their wives after drinking spree or a bitter wife maiming a husband for drinking away the family fortune.  Those that have walked the alcoholism path find it hard to endure a day sober. People find it more challenging to communicate and articulate their feelings after throwing away their sobriety. How can a man keep a family and a relationship with which he does not connect? How do you tell a spouse you love them when your drinking is the reason why they languish in abject poverty? How does a father ask his sons to be upright when he cannot stand?

It is no surprise that many justify drinking as an escape from their daily misery. They always say alcohol drowns their sorrow and makes them float in ecstasy. For a moment, their problems are not their own, which becomes the gratifications sought. Some drink because they have been caught by other people drinking. This type can easily be swayed because they do not have a particular reason rather than the bandwagon of peer pressure.

Drinking has consequences in the short term and long term. While it is true that the gratification sought is to relax, the price to pay comes from empty pockets and addiction. Alcohol is expensive and continuous consumption is bound to have financial implications. People have spent months in therapy and rehabilitation for something that started as one shot for the pain …

Forbidden Lust

 Forbidden Lust

BY BUNGEI BRENDA

There was no more music to play when I saw him, only beautiful memories.

Often getting lost in my own thoughts and blaming it on dejavu

I want you, you know

 

I want to stare at those shy eyes that shine like stardust, like sprinkles,

Like little sprinkles of shinny feelings, sprinkled from the sky

Those lips that promises absolute desire

I want your hands on mine as we walk down the stairs

I want to show case you to the world

So, here’s to the shy boy that sits behind me in class

To that glorious boy that melts my heart, with no effort

I thought you should know, I want you

In every sensual way

 

This goes to the boy that makes me all musshy and warm on the inside,

He makes me all smiley like a stupid huge emoji

He makes me want to drop everything and show him the world

They say age is just a number but then it is not the age that really matters

It’s what you feel on the inside

 

Thoughts of you awaken these lustful desires

That when tapped you can never get enough

Those desires that you can’t stop no matter how hard you try

He gives me something intense than weak knees and mere goosebumps

The fluttering butterflies he gives, gives a worthy thrill

He makes me feel alive as though I have been missing out

 

I want you with a fervor that shakes my soul

I want you as the moon rises and as the sun sets

I want you with the magnolias glow and the rose’s riots

I wanna wake up to moanings of entangled sheets laced with poetry

Playing your skin tone like notes of an acoustic guitar

Bringing you closer to pleasure, tasting of cherry blossoms

Make you closer to heaven on my knees

 

There are no happy endings

However my lust rather love would make cities burn

With my glimpse of affection, I could shatter hearts

But you are on the other side, you are not mine

So at least let me get a taste of those charred lips

Let me taste of that uttermost devotion

That would make my body ache with desire.       

Crazy Campus Course mates

 

Crazy Campus Coursemates

By Mercy Jelagat

 Like any other learning institution, the campus environment is a crazy one. There are phrases such as ‘’kuinama’’, which means not being able to have supper or lunch due to financial issues. This is forgotten almost immediately when a funny comrade crosses the innocent mind, as asserted here.

Latecomer

I think you should know what I am talking about. These people tend to appear past 20 minutes before the class begins. They sneak into class twerking with their little bubble butts in miniskirts to attract every eye. You may think they walk from a long distance but later find out they are from the university residence. They come in late consistently the whole semester. These terrible latecomers have rarely been punctual to class, not even on campus before the early bird sings its melodious song.

Resurrected Ones

These are the kind of human beings that appear during the final exams, sit in cats, and on presentation days only. You may wonder what stuff is keeping them off the campus environment because they are rare to be found, just like the sunflower in the desert. It is with no big surprise that you happen to see them in every class attendance list, yet they don't exist in any of the classes. Most of them put on dark heavy jackets during their final exams carrying sources of light just in case of blackouts in the exam room.

Party Fanatics

Every day is a weekend for them as long as there is a party.  They rarely attend morning classes. Why? Perhaps they suffer from the previous night’s hangovers. They spend much of their time and money partying and impressing their friends. The majority are drug abusers. Of course, what is a party without stiff drinks?

Drama Queens

The majority are female students. They are talented in formulating drama without being the focal point of the circumstance. They can even burst a thunder of laughter in class and pretend nothing has happened. They know all the gossip, including the lecturer's side chicks and main chicks and their family issues. They are usually the backbenchers.

Lecturer's Pet

They are so irritating to the whole class. You find them sitting in front seats dressed half-naked, maybe seducing the lecturer. They laugh loudly at the lecturer's jokes and ask rhetorical questions. Who does that? They never miss a chance to respond to any right or wrong question. They are seen with the lecture after class; who knows what they talk about?

Hand raiser

No class ends without their hands being raised. Of course, they are brilliant, but sometimes, they are annoying. When questions are asked, you do not need to rotate your neck to look around, as you already know precisely whose voice is.

Loner

They are those who do not really hang around with other students and actively stay away from social interactions. They neither chat with anyone after class nor walk in with anyone. They rather talk to themselves. You even find it difficult to say hi to them because they may blue-tick you alive.

Huggers

These people are the single souls on the campus. We are tired of their impromptu hugs. Imagine, after every daily lecture, you find them hugging almost three – a quarter of the class. If she is a lady, she hugs nearly every man and vice versa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Campus Leadership

 CAMPUS LEADERSHIP.

                                                  

By Felix Ouko                                               

Leadership is about making others better due to our presence and ensuring that impact lasts in our absence. As leaders, we're only sometimes going to do things right. We're going to make mistakes. We're even going to make decisions that lead to failures. We need to learn from those mistakes and continue to take risks.

Comrades, I am writing these lines on the evening of the 9th. I am averse to clannish leadership and unapologetically disinclined to partisan politics. Over the years, clan and party politics have led to the installation of mediocre and unscrupulous awful elements as leaders. No society develops in the hands of such characters.

With all my might, I urge comrades to realize that everything hangs by a thread. We are confronted by problems that are not to be solved by conferences or congress but exclusively by people, by the masses, and by the struggles of armed people. The situation is critical in the extreme. It is now clear that delaying the uprising would be fatal. Students’ silence doesn't mean they are enjoying the kind of campus leadership we have, but they are crying from inside.

The cost of university tuition fees is rising at an alarming rate every academic year without students concerned. This is coupled with other costs of housing and meals. Comrades are starving in the hostels in the name of 'KUINAMA,’ missing meals even for three consecutive days, leading to lack of concentration and, eventually, missing lectures. Contemporarily, students are dropping out of university since they have a recipe for unmanageable debts. This situation makes our students vulnerable to physical and mental health problems like depression and stress.

There is a substantial basis for solidarity actions. Many students already work alongside their studies and face exploitative conditions and low pay. They are hit massively by the surge in the cost of living, exacerbated by extortionate tuition fees and university rent costs. The rising state of the economy harms their education.

Who must take power? This is not important at present. We need our leaders to stand for comrades. We cannot afford to lose a whole to depression. We need a healthy generation. Save our generation.

Overcoming Depression

OVERCOMING DEPRESSION

 By Susan Akuku Simolo

Campus life is not always a walk in the park. Many obstacles come along the way, and many challenges one faces. Some give up, not knowing they were so close to accomplishing their dreams. These day-to-day stressors, when not tackled, lead comrades into the spiral of depression.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, and constant emptiness. This, of course, affects the daily activities of the individual or person. It has been that comrades who face the pressure to balance academics, social life, co-curriculum activities, relationship issues, finances, few job spaces after graduation and parents’ expectations. All these form a dangerous recipe for depression among university students.

Some common symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or worthlessness, difficulties with concentration, memory or decision-making, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, restlessness, weight loss, and other physical symptoms like headaches and muscle aches. This is, according to the research that has been done over time. The symptoms are not always the same but vary from person to person.

Depression has become a disease slowly eating away the youth, especially the ongoing university students. Some debate that it may be due to the pressure of wanting to achieve things quickly without having worked for them. The internet is left behind when it comes to such a sensitive topic like this. There is no definite solution to treat the symptoms of depression. It takes time and patience to determine the best mental health treatment for depression.

 There is a lot of stereotype and stigma that revolves around it. Some in society do not view it as a disease but a weakness, especially among the male gender. Depression isn't a proper illness; people who experience depression are lazy and mentally weak. Depression is a result of having a tough time are some of the stereotypes revolving around the topic.

There are several unhealthy and risky alternatives. The students opt to take them to relieve themselves from their depressed state. Some decide to start abusing drugs by taking alcohol or smoking marijuana. Others engage in unsafe sex. Lastly, those consumed by thoughts of suicide decide to take their lives. These measures end up messing up and hurting them even more.

Some recommended measures while going through depression include seeking help from the guidance and counselling department. Of course, every institution has to attend to such matters. Everyone is encouraged not to die in silence but to open up to those they trust, so they offload whatever heaviness they have on their chest.

Other ways include having adequate sleep, improving diet, not taking drugs, engaging in activities such as sports also strengthening connections with family and friends. Do not lose someone through depression. Let’s all be our brothers and sisters, keeper

The ripple Effects of Childhood Trauma

 

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

By Dravil Duke 

Lately, I have been thinking about how our childhood upbringing affects adulthood and what they call trauma. Knowledge and education have taught us to discern what is wrong and correct in all contexts.

Chanced on a video of the Nyeri woman abusing and criticizing her husband in front of a kid, I wondered what this did to the child. Of course, if the child is cognizant and has a healthy long-term memory, the image of parents fighting or the father beating the mother will never leave her.

Insults. Poverty. Abuse. Incest. Rape. Neglect. It can also contribute to trauma.

According to Mary Trump’s book on her famous uncle, Trump became a pathological narcissist because he was ignored as a child and his father, Fred, believed in winning at all costs. And look what happened due to that neglect—a man constantly seeking favour.

As children, most of us went through a lot.

People used to erase such memories and move on with their lives. However, with modern psychology becoming all too available, most people cannot overcome their childhood demons.

It now manifests itself in a variety of ways. Someone who grew up in poverty may have a horrible spouse because they make money their only goal in life. Someone mistreated (incest, rape, etc.) find it difficult to trust again, and every minor trigger sets them off. Some people handle it better than others.

However, the majority of people are afraid. Out here, people are terrified of their shadows. Moreover, we act so foolishly to hide our fears that it worries me.

In his 21 Lessons for the Twenty-First Century, Yuval Noah presents a compelling argument for secularity as an antidote to religion's constraints. He extols the virtues of secularism in its pursuit of compassion, freedom, and equality. But he stops short of claiming that humans may be scientifically manipulated or designed to develop compassion, empathy, and other traits.

It's a hollow argument because humans are complicated, and no amount of science or psychology can explain how unreasonable we are. It's similar to the now-debunked idea that humans are rational buyers. Have you ever seen where men start buying mizingas?

For example, why do people, especially educated ones, squabble in front of their children? Or do harmful things to other people, even those they love, knowing full well the consequences? Why do we continually crave vengeance, even when we know it will harm us more? Why do we live to prove a point, even if it is meaningless? Why is there so much pettiness in relationships and even friendships?

Is it possible to get over one's pride? To control our ego? Is it feasible to live down to the calling of adulthood and its responsibilities?

And, more crucially, given our brokenness, can we spare our children unneeded turmoil and give them a fair chance in life?

 

Dravilduke88@gmail. com

Mitigate stress to avoid mental health problems

 

Mitigate stress to avoid mental health problems

By Jackson Nyakoe  

 

There is an alarming rate of reported and unreported cases of suicide as an outturn of stress and depression. It is expeditiously escalating into a pandemic, and urgent action should be implemented to curb the menace.

People are struggling and aching in silence. They don't want to speak up, and some can't afford the therapy. People are acting normal and okay but are dying on the inside.

We are living in a society full of people with selfish mindsets. People do not want to check up on their neighbours and friends.

On the other side, the victims don’t want to share what they are going through, even with the family members or buddies who accommodate their inner circle. The holes keep enlarging until they are powerless to get out of it.

Shockingly, both the employed and unemployed are victims of this. The unemployed people’s expectations are always high once they land a job. Fewer salaries, pressure from bosses, overworking, and stagnation in junior positions for a long time are the primary triggers of depression and mental illness.

The crisis of depression is more threatening than an economic crisis. People can’t report to work on time, or they don’t know entirely because of mental disorders. This disease highly flies youths aged between 20 to 35 years.

Unemployment, tough life brought up by economic factors, and family matters, especially when a man stalls to care for his family because of financial constraints and toxic relationships, are the significant drivers of depression.

This peril is now like a phase, but most people fail to fight it. After trying more than two solutions, and they don’t help, many give up. Others start drinking alcohol and even forget to eat healthier without considering that their immunity is weakening. In the long run, these issues develop into suicidal thoughts.

The Ministry of Health should implement the Kenya mental health action as fast as possible to rescue the future of this nation. We open up to our close friends as a mechanism for finding a solution, but that's how they get topics to discuss with their allies.

The intensity of depression for someone who has a career or is employed is a bit elevated compared to unemployed fellas. The higher your career is, the few real friends you have. Your trust levels are low, and you are overconfident in almost everything. Now with all this in play, one major setback in life will get you back to default quickly.

Fortunately, there is still hope. You can tickle depression by hitting the gym and trying weightlifting once you feel down. You can make yourself busy. Loneliness should not be encouraged at all at this time. Having friends to talk to will play a salient role in battling the disease.

With no robust support system from relevant departments, depression is kicking in and draining our future generation.

People don’t fake being depressed; they fake being okay. Visiting a therapist for counselling should be one of the immediate and best remedies. Most people can’t afford that therapy because it’s expensive.

This should not worry you. You could go online and read articles about depression, different states of depression, causes, s treatments and herbal remedies.

Do you have hobbies? If not, find something that interests you and keep at it. Watch different films, play video games, or you can also ride a bicycle, and these exercises can offer you relief from depression. Let us be our brother’s keeper by regularly checking our friends’ whereabouts.

Mental illness is scary, but it’s treatable.

By Jackson Nyakoe (journalism and communication student Moi university) Twitter  @Jacksonnyakoe

Uproar as Education CS Suggests Government Plan to Stop Funding Universities

 

Uproar as Education CS Suggests Government  Plan to Stop Funding Universities 

By Maloba Tisa

"Government to stop funding public universities,” says the CS  Machogu. He said that the government is currently experiencing financial pressure that later calls for alternative ways to source income for universities. Therefore, universities must venture into research, innovation and technology to generate income. He said this at a CBC public hearing in Nanyuki on November 4, 2022.

What does it mean to fund a public university? Higher education in Kenya dates from 1956 when Nairobi Royal Technical College was founded, an institution that later became the first Kenyan university - The University of Nairobi.

The government started funding universities to support various programmes essential for the qualification of its professionals as a state. This was because; almost all the courses are so expensive for the learners to pay from their own pockets.

Without government intervention, a bachelor's degree in clinical medicine can cost a student a Differentiated Unit Cost (DCU) of Ksh.720 000 per year. Some causes in essential humanities, social sciences, and economic geography must pay a DUC of Ksh.144 000 per year.

Despite all this support, most students will still seek support from HELB loans, bursaries and scholarships to cater to the remaining percentage they must pay. Sadly, all these approaches only sometimes fill the gap; thus, some students have petty fee arrears of up to Ksh.5000.

Getting rid of this government funding for the universities will, therefore, in no time, make it impossible for some needy students to join campus and accomplish their various dreams. The continuing students might drop out of school due to this impending pandemic.

The CS has suggested innovation, research and technology venturing to generate income. For innovation of all forms, it takes time. It is an investment with long-term returns. Research, on the other hand, costs people time and resources. Moreover, for research to become useful, more capital is needed to cater to all these. Whenever technology is mentioned, its improvement brings more benefits, but before that, one must accept to incur costs that most universities can't still afford.

Additionally, most universities already have pending debt they need to pay immediately. How will they be able to pay these debts and at the same time do innovation, research and improve technologies, something they are already trying but straining?

Currently, with a cohort of 145,145 students, the country needs 32.7M, while the available is 12.6M. The incoming cohort will be larger than the existing one by 52,195 students. Regardless of the CS's current urge, the government will need more funds to sustain university learning. This will reduce the number of students joining campus. Moreover, dropout cases will never be news again.

With his claim of being misquoted, the talk continues since he touched on a sensitive part that affects the higher education sector. He then said that the government would continue to fund public universities. He further added that universities have to continue with research avenues that would generate extra income. He said this at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology.

Rhetorically, we are left to wonder what this research would do for us when we already have them, but they are not sound. Are we left with the opinion that the country cannot generate more income on itself to help fund its various institutions rather than transferring burdens to their subjects?

 

Facts Behind The Beauty of Dimples

 Facts Behind The Beauty of Dimples

By Jelagat Mercy

My friends back in primary school used to ask me, "mbona hapo kwa cheeks zako kuna kashimo?" I replied,"nilizaliwa hivyo".I was naughty and cheerful but clueless about the science behind dimples. Had I known this unique feature's amazing facts, I would have told every story about them with pride.

People with dimples are highly admired and found to be attractive. These people look different from the rest of the world. It is okay to question if people with dimples are more attractive than those who do not. I believe that they definitely are. Perhaps not attractive in a sexual way, but cute. Dimples are undoubtedly the cutest deformity ever. These little holes on their chubby cheeks make one look cute and mellow.

 I am a Kalenjin by culture, and we consider dimples attractive and cute. We believe that people with dimples are beautiful, bring good luck and happiness to life, and are also blessed. Absolutely, with a shred of evidence, people with dimples smile sweetly and are frank, generous and happy. I have a massive crush on my little cousin because the dimples on his face look sweeter than muscatel wine whenever he wears a big smile.

Around 20% to 30% of people have dimples on their cheeks. They are considered as elites 20%. Wow! They must be so lucky. I love them for free. Of course, you can't be angry at someone with dimples. Those people are ever cheerful. Keep them because they are rare.

However, not everyone with this kind of disorder looks attractive. It depends on the person who has it. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. What one person perceives as flawless and charming might be ordinary to another. You may have dimples, but you can't be attractive in other people's eyes. Attractiveness is highly dependent on your uniqueness.

Dimples are found on the cheeks and in some body places, including the chin and lower back. Dimples on the chin are called cleft chin and aren't hereditary. It occurs due to the incomplete intermingling of the lower jaw's left and right halves during embryological development. At times, you notice your baby has a dimple, but it gradually disappears as they grow. This is simply because their muscles grow with age and reach their standard size.

Lower back dimples are caused by short ligaments that connect one's pelvis and skin. They are harmless and are considered a sign of beauty, especially in ladies. Some say that ladies with this kind of dimple ejaculate more quickly because they signify good circulation in the pelvic region. I'm not sure of this. Maybe those who have it can expound to us.

Shine with your dimples, baby girl! Life is simple when you smile with a dimple. Keep smiling if you are blessed with it because it's healthy!

Let them do their Rituals

 

Let them do their Rituals

 

 By Nabungolo Ibran

 

The contemporary issue regarding the position of women and girl children in society was inquisitive and touching until I attended my second lecture class regarding the same problem. While seated uncomfortably on a metal seat, favourably in front to get the plausible sound of my lecturer and also avoid distraction from crushes and friends who have just been out for a weekend holiday and have a full-packed narration of how they killed the weekend in pubs and how they nailed and laid innocent fresher, mine was to get the discourses of my lecturer prof Donald Oluchiri.

The contemporary issue is about how we handle our gender in our society. The impulsive way that we male gender, bear the blame for not empowering the opposite gender, came to my disagreement with the statement just minutes after the lecture as it kicked off.

The ritual power of a woman? Yes, how women use this charm offensive tactic to reach greater heights in marriages and relationships struck me. The power in them, the power of cooking favourite dishes and, of course, injecting in some body fluids - menstrual fluids, which are believed to have mysterious power in them that can make a man submissive, become a weaker link in the house and forever be entangled to that woman who is in love with without going astray bombard me,  but no that much like those campus couple goals which were seated just in front of me. The lecture, in fact, tipped the girls on what to do.

Waves of laughter and mixed reactions from those couples inside side-by-side sitting. The reminiscing of the famous Martha Wangari led women to march at Uhuru garden, daring to stripe naked in the event of assault from police brutality, vindicated how powerful the gender is compared to us men. That's why the Uganda government finds it hard to touch and whisk Human rights activist Stella Nyanzi despite the Hot peppered Museveni government.

My cognitive dissonance ran back to our tiny village in Western, how a mama Pima single-handled busaa and changaa brewing business was unstoppable and attracted teetotalers from five villages without competition. She could rub shoulders with chiefs and cops who were not topers. Still, those who wouldn't dare because the brew's power was stronger to handcuff you to the makeshift benches with a metal cup glued to the mouth than to the police land cruiser.

And for those cops who managed to raid that den, they found the reason why the flavoured liquor from that mama Pima was the best. Used inner clothes and other feminine private clothes were part and parcel of the chemical process of brewing the liquors, attracting drinkers from the south to the north.

 

That was the conglomeration, by extension, thinking of how the ritual power of Women makes them more powerful than men in society. As the lecture ended, the underlining issue of women's empowerment to me was no more. Let them do the ritual!

 

Money is the Remedy

 

          MONEY IS THE REMEDY

By Calson Mugodo

            I am just five moons shy of my 22nd birthday. The societal law has it that I  am a grown-up man, ready to take up responsibilities even when I don't think so. For this reason, I need money so badly. I need it urgently to fulfil the oath I took to obey the societal law, even if it wasn't willful. I need some coins to abide by the covenant engraved by a hot iron rod on my heart. Oh! It sucks to be an African man.

           A man has the right to cry, so says my conscience, " men don't cry" this is a yoke I live to carry daily. Now I am perplexed about which one to abide by. I believe pain is a common denominator to all humans, including men, and crying is one of the most immediate responses. But money is the greatest of all. It soothes the ineffable mysteries of the soul. It calms the mind and yields emotional relief.

          It is so sad that my society is oblivious to this and reprobates men from even portraying a shiny eyeball. It's shameful. It is illegal. It is weak and weird for men to cry. This is a menace to men's existence.

            I remember a scene dating back to eighteen years earlier. In that sketchy hut of ours sat my father on a three-legged stool, his left hand on his cheek supporting his baldy head while staring at the dimming paraffin lamp as the dusk was approaching ruthlessly. What could he be thinking of? Money! , Of course, you are right. People with money don't live in huts but rather in luxurious mansions.                                                                                                                                                                       My father could not cater to the needs of his nuclear family, his wife and his two skinny children due to lack of money. It made him feel like a failure, a worthless and useless being. This triggered trauma and depression, making him think of alcohol as a solution. I think this was wrong. Money was the appropriate remedy to this calamity. Alcoholism didn't help either; instead, it did worsen the situation. Poverty knew him by his three names.

            Indeed, Mark Twain, a phenomenal philosopher, was right when he said, "lack of money is the root of all evil."  People steal due to lack of money and kill for the same reason. Many have plundered their souls are corruption and an insatiable desire for money. I have always known that coming of age would mean providing for my family and removing them from the yoke of poverty.

 Our financial situation at home did not allow me to join a prestigious school. We used to sit on plastic chairs as we wrote with books on our thighs, 120 students in one class since this was the only school my father could take me to. It was a dilapidated place and dehumanizing, but it was what father could afford. Anyone with a few coins could have offered to improve our infrastructure and create a conducive environment for learning. But we lived in the poorest parts of the hood.

I managed to qualify for university, which is when the curse of poverty became fully fledged in our household. Indeed Sidney Sheldon was right, "being poor is only romantic in books". I do not need to read books to tell the story of how excruciating poverty is. I envy my campus classmates who can afford three meals daily and flashy wardrobes. I can barely afford a change of clothes. When paul in  2Thessalonians 3:10 tells people not to eat without work, I assume he didn't know studying counted as work.

           Sometimes you may be in a position to give advice or contribute to specific topics while with people. Still, you shy away from it because you are poor. Oh! Mighty king Solomon of Israel, were you referring to me? , When you said," No one thinks of the poor as wise or pays attention to what they say "Ecclesiastes 9:16. I need some coins to turn this around.

           

     

 

 

My Lost Soul

My lost soul 

By Titus Maloba 

I am a lost soul. I have been nursing heartbreak for months now. I have tried to number my wounds in the most unorthodox of ways. I have dated twins; orphans, and I have had a sponsor once. I have been a good student of love, but I have failed to follow the rubric of love. For my troubles, I have cheated, lied, and lost my soul while at it.

I remember the last attempt at acing this class called love. I met a girl. Her name was Nekesa. She made me feel all sorts of feels. I had butterflies in my stomach. I quivered and shivered at her touch. She made me laugh, and my mundane life stopped being so mundane. If you have never had a girl drive you wild, you have not lived yet. When it's dusk, and all the neighbors are quiet, she will slide her hand to my thighs, and like a conditioned response, every nerve of my being is activated, and I meet her with a growl. I want to devour till we go sour.

I am a firm believer that at least once in life. I guess this is mine. I feel so at home with her. I have found pleasure in being in her arms. My mind is always racing with insane and weird ideas to try with her. We are not always at par instinct-wise, but we find a way to make it work. We are conscious of our need for each other, our raw desire. We consent our way into adventures we never imagined possible. We take risks, and so far, so good. Our movements are in perfect harmony.

Do not get me wrong. We take our spirituality very seriously. We read the Bible, we worship, and we pray. There is a solid discipline around this matter, and we take meditation sessions occasionally. We have a good thing going, I am tempted to say perfect, but I do not want to jinx it. We go to church, although lately, we have been slacking off. We have taken to the habit of calling the higher deity every morning in our house. In our own twisted way, we fit like perfect functional cog saw.

Some days, we decide not to sleep at night. We later slept the whole following day. Some of our mornings start at twelve noon. For us, there is nothing terrible to worry about. Our usual daily duties are watching movies, reading our favourite stories, gossiping about our friends, and cuddling.

We have to refer to each of them by some nasty names, and nobody feels bad about it. I can't wait to be called 'Umbwa'. She also can't wait to be called 'bro”. I  am impressed by the way she smells. I sometimes wonder what goes through her mind when she is careless with her hygiene. She does not care about my sweaty armpits after I hit the gym. She holds me, and we fly away to ecstasy city.

I remember how all this went to the drain. I met the boys she attended church with. I knew I had been deceived. Something did not sit right. They were everything I was never going to be. It all boiled down to Hosea. He had managed to capture her heart even though I thought she was entirely mine. I failed the love class again, but I knew why this time.

 I no longer miss Nekesa. But I know I will always love her. She gave me the gift of freedom. I do not call anyone, bro. I have no one to hold me accountable or turn every conversation into a quarrel. Now I just walk around with my lost soul. It is the only thing preventing me from getting lost.

 

Dear October

                                                        DEAR OCTOBER

By Maria Njoroge .

Hello October, I have been waiting for you. I hope you will be kind to me this month. I have a lot going on and could use a break. I hope you will be sunny and bright, with a few cool days. I love the change in season and look forward to all the activities with it. I hope you will have a shift in energy toward the positives. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I had goals when the year began, and I hope you will help me keep crushing them.

 Let us make a few house rules, so you do not end up like your sister September and all her siblings before her. She made me cry and mop, and I felt like it was a downward spiral. But you, my new love October, are just a darling. I intend to conquer the world with you. We will go places together, and I will be the best person you have ever met. Just promise that you will pull me out of the deep end evetime I lose control.

It would help if you did not think this is a one-sided relationship where you do all the work. No, no. It is symbiotic. You are the darling month; I get to do the work. I promise you that I will put myself first at all times.  All that screen time has been a distraction than a constructive tool; I promise to ditch that too. Water, water, I will stay hydrated and remember to take all my meals on time. I mean an appropriate lifestyle that is in line with the goals we want.

You see that ex-boyfriend, entanglement, and friendship I mopped about last month; those habits have to go. For you October, only the best habits will do. I meant it when I said I wanted us to go places. We are to remain more focused, more conscious of our atomic habits, and to hold each other accountable in everything we do. This month, we will be more consistent in building on our talents without procrastinating

Thank you in advance for being a good month.

Yours sincerely,

Me

 

Musings Of My Broken Heart

                                                  MUSINGS OF MY BROKEN HEART

BY BUNGEI            

Spare me the enchantment

This is a losing hearts tournament

Because I still hear those heartbeat sounds

Despite the blockage of my ears

I hear his muffled cries

I could almost taste his tears

I still feel the guilt and grief tear his heart

I find it hard to ignore this hurt

There were stronger bonds holding us in a fay

However, not anymore-I broke his heart

 

I knew I could never run far enough

Or fast enough form the pain I caused

The pain I felt

He loved me with his soul

Yet I couldnt love him back

I had too much baggage

I knew I would live to regret

Yet I still led him on

 

He had a laugh that made my mouth water

His soft silky skin with a caramel reflection

His subtle scent

His deep brown eyes almost dark

Made the world revolve around me

But that world has been torn apart

The teacup I lived with him

For the few months now leaks

 

Too much pain

Too many broken promises

Too many memories

That chained me to my past

Deep shadows and whispering secrets

An empty soul

I couldn’t do it; my fault not his

So I walked away and kept walking

 With a tainted heart and empty soul

 

The Human Dog

                                                 THE HUMAN DOG

By Titus Maloba

Until I discover something precious, I have been a dog!  I have ever walked around and I have never stopped. Sometimes I changed the environment but I have  never changed from being a dog. My behaviors,my imaginations, my actions, almost after those of a dog, or maybe a chiwawa. Funny enough, I just liked being a dog,  because  I never had  any essence of living  as human. 

After a dog ages a little, it can be sold or given to someone as a gift, the same way I was given to my parents ,then eventually they gave me to school. I despise with the nature by putting up with my weird  thinking.

Such knd of mind is  very dangerous. It's is still dangerous to anyone who may have it today. I remember I could do a mistake ,not once or twice , I repeated some mistakes unknowingly. For some, I committed knowingly. A dog vomit and returns to its vomit (luke 16:21).

I wonder which direction I can  take. What I know is that I have to make a move, even if it meant in neither direction. A dog can just wake up and decide to make a move.Who tells the dog to make a move? Does it have a job so that it should wake up earlier to avoid brushing shoulders with the boss. Does it even sleep? Yes it does. Even when it's daytime and some hours in the night too.Just like that dog,I also find  myself awake at 3 in the morning engulfed in sharp strikes of thoughts, sometimes I even don't sleep for fear of insecurities. I'm even suspicious of what would await me about  the following day, or even in those dark hours. 

I could relate the way I breathed during sunny days, I would relate the way I turn bitter and talkative whenever I'm offended. I  could also relate the way I got happy and sung joyously whenever I'm in my fine days. I listen to the barking dogs outside. They are either offended, or in other words, they are   just expressing their feelings of happiness as they prepare to tackle their night duties.

My life and that of a dog is  just one of the allusions I use  to compare these days. I was never reading the word of God. I can not understand how human in nature I'm, sometimes I imagine that I I'm no longer human. I'm just another version of a dog in a different architect that God had constructed.

In Genesis 2:7, the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And man became a living soul!

God did not make a body and inserted  a soul into it as you can do to an envelope. Rather, he  formed man from the dust, he breathed His divine breath into it and by doing this, he made body of dust live. Thus, the body did not embody a soul, it just became a soul, a soul that is alive.

Being a living soul means there is even a continuation of life after death. There is also a sure instinct that human beings have the ability to know what is right and what is wrong, a habit that animals do not have.

Earlier, God had made best of the earth of his kind, cattle or his kind, and everything that creatures on  earth after his kind, including dogs! He never  breathed a breath air  In Women.

 

I can draw a conclusion that human life is like a boat surrounded by water in the sea. Only the compass  can save it from getting off the direction. The word of God is the direction of our lives. Without the word, our lives are likely to get swayed by our imaginations, our bad company and even the antichrist.

Many people nowadays act like animals not because they like it.There is lack of exposure to the  word of God. Even if there is, then meditation upon iit had never been  their concern.. A human being should treat other human beings as one.

Reading the word helps us grow stronger spiritully by feeding our souls as human beings.The word helps us to even pray more. It makes us aware of our surrounding and guides us to the true God. One will never get lost in his instincts or be swayed  by the winds of this earth. Read the word of God. It is the life for human beings!

You are human! N dog shall resemble you. You shall never be a dog even if you decide that your actions should bear resemblance to its action.

When you don't read, you will be anything. When you read, you will be a treasure.