SYSTEMS ENCOURAGES DOMESTIC VIOLENCES

First and foremost, let me express sadness and disappointment as a result of this news (Mr. Namegabe Kelekele Mushegero killing his wife with a hammer). I am saying disappointed and feeling sad because as a community member, I knew this family, especially the kids with whom I played soccer a while ago. It never occurred to me (Five years ago ) that he (Mr. Mushegero) was capable of something so disgusting, deplorable and unbelievable. But I guess we can’t go wrong with the saying; we cannot judge the book by its cover. As I heard the news yesterday, I felt let down and shamed (Both as a human being and as a community member) by someone who was once revered to be a loyal servant of God, a person who seemed to care about his family and their well-being. Oh well, changes happen don’t they? We may never know exactly what led the violence to such a point of no return, but we know an innocent woman has lost her life as a result and her children are now left in the unknown. In addition, not only are her children left to wonder what their future will look like, many are those who relied on this woman for help in different ways. She watched over other people’s kids for absolutely nothing! She was that good a person who did not deserve such an evil act. Yet again, if more is to be understood about this family and maybe speculate why what happened, happened, one has to look from the community lenses, because so many are secrets buried within the core of such horrible acts. 

From a community (African) centered on a patriarchic (In this case total male dominance) family system, comes ongoing abuses of all kinds (Verbal, Physical, Psychological, Emotional, so on and so forth). Unfortunately in Ms. Nabintu’s case, her life was not spared. Using these lenses, one can understand Mr. Mushegero’s actions. However, this is not to give him any reason for what he has done, because there can never and should never be any excuse for anyone putting hands on somebody else body (Whether wife or husband), let alone taking their lives! Only God who gives life should be the one deciding when and how he takes it back. And as once a religious person, I know Mr. Mushegero was well aware of this. Anyhow, I believe what happened yesterday was just a tip of the Iceberg. There seems to be so much happening within many houses’ walls that we do not know about, as far as domestic violence is concerned. One because these poor, innocent women do not know where to go for help when they need it, and even where help should supposedly be, is not always there for some reason. Secondly, the community (African) is so secretive that anyone wanting to “Go public” with “Internal” issues facing a particular family, they get literally crucified and/or rejected by the entire community, with no one asking any questions and/or wanting to know more about the situation. Hence the reluctance to come forward and seek help when it is needed most, because most victims are afraid to be abandoned and their lives being rendered miserable. They are afraid about the “Outcast” status, especially when they rely so much on the community for support. What’s even surprising is the fact that when an abuse has taken place and a woman (Mostly) threatens to leave, other women in the community who should support her, almost always turn their backs on her. And usually, she is labeled a “Living infection” that no one should approach. Using such a label forces her to stay and gives the abuser reasons to abuse even more, as she is turned from a subject into an object. But what’s worse is the fact that even if she chooses to stay, she still is viewed as a “Bad influence” to other women. And to make sure such “Influences” don’t happen, she is isolated more from a community created to supposedly support her in times of needs. 

However, having said so, it saddens me hearing comments from people responding to the incident with racially charged sarcastic tone. While KATU News, as well as News Channel 8 decided to delete some negative racial comments, which I concluded may have been in the same lines as this one: “Hey, that guy looks like the GEICO Caveman. Whacking somebody with a hammer, so easy a caveman can do it.” I still feel that there should be some responsibility on the part of the media to make sure people’s privacies are respected. Some of these people have gone through a lot and the last thing they need is a bunch of negative comments at a time of such sadness. Not surprising enough, a letter of response I sent to them was not published.

Refugees pursue university education at camp in northern Kenya

A university education is not what you expect to get at a refugee camp in Africa. But it, indeed, is possible at a camp in northern Kenya. Under such harsh conditions, obtaining a university degree seems like an impossible dream. But refugee students can get a degree at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya. The University of South Africa and the Jesuit Refugee Service have teamed up to offer bachelor degrees at the Kakuma Distance Learning Center.


Daniel Macharia, a tutor from Kenya, said, "They are given very good materials whenever the materials come, although the materials sometimes are late. When I compare the materials they are getting to the ones I used when I was in campus, theirs are very good materials. They are very explanatory and are easy to understand."

The curriculum is the same as at other distance learning centers, but these students face special circumstances. Homes in Kenyan refugee camps have no electricity or running water. Even food is in short supply. Computers are powered by generator or solar power available only during certain hours of the day. The heat also can be unbearable, and fighting occasionally breaks out in the camp or surrounding areas.

Macharia says students commonly do their homework in the center until about 8 p.m., then study in their makeshift homes with a paraffin lamp.

Reverend Chris Jenkins is education coordinator for the Jesuit Refugee Service's Kakuma Camp education program. He noted, "They can come virtually any time and study here. We provide the library, we provide some tutoring, and as best we can, we help with the Internet. Now as you can imagine, problems with power and Internet connection here are very great and so we are flexible with that, too."

Ababe Gelaw Mengistu graduated from Kakuma Distance Learning Center with a bachelor's degree in economics and sociology. He is now an administrative assistant at the center. "As a child I had a dream to be somebody, and my dream was cut short, which was not my choice. I felt like a shepherd who lost his sheep and I was totally empty. So when I got the paper, I feel as if I am just somebody," said Mengistu.

Current student Gessesse Temesgen said he is happy to resume his education. "I am specializing in development in politics and taking economics courses. These things can help me to have better opportunities. I am thinking (about) a job." Twenty-one people have graduated from the Kakuma Distance Learning Center since its inception 11 years ago.

Reverend Jenkins says many of the graduates returned to southern Sudan following the signing of the north-south peace deal and have taken up high-level jobs in the southern Sudanese government.

VOA News

There is more to the House

Although history tends to highlight individuals as causes or reasons for something great, or something worse that might have taken place, the truth is; it takes more than a single leader or person in order to affect change. The emancipation proclamation might be credited to President Abraham Lincoln, but when one digs deep and discovers the many realities as well as reasons behind that particular decision, that is when one starts realizing it was not just him, but a whole lot of events and brains behind them. He might have signed it, authored it, but there sure were many brains’ additions behind it.

The same thing can be said about what is going on with the healthcare debate today. This debate did not start yesterday; it is something that’s been brought up over and over again, yet for some reasons, it has failed all these years. The point is not to focus on its failures though; my point is to show just how many times it’s been brought up, by not one, not two, but several presidents who have tried so hard and failed. Just imagine how many administrations, senators, House of Representatives, advisors and the list goes on, who have changed, mixed, played around with the healthcare issue! Yet, if this thing passes today, it will be credited to President Barack Obama right? Why credited to him? Because he will be the current President under whose administration the bill would have passed.

The greatest country in the world (The United States of America) has had more than forty Presidents and counting! Forty plus Presidents in order to get to where it is today! Each one of them had his own people; there were different Senators, House of Representatives, advisers, secretaries, ambassadors and so on and so forth. All those brains together, designed an economy so humungous, the entire planet depends on it today. You don’t believe me? Try to search and find out what happened the last time we had the housing bubble; the world economy went into crisis! That’s both amazing and unbelievably genius. Kudos to these guys.

So where am I going with this? Well I am trying to show that it takes not one, not two, not ten, not even a thousand brains, but more to make change for the better. To Africa’s current leaders, as well as those who aspire to be leaders, you cannot do it alone. Mobutu tried, but all he left was a country in misery and one of the poorest in the world. The former Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo is a country which by its natural resources should be the most industrialized and advanced in all of Africa, if not the world. Mugabe tried and the only thing he’s been left with is a political as well as an economic disaster. But even worse, he’s turned a once known as an “African food basket” into the hungriest nation in the world, where people eat rats to survive! And then there are people dying of hunger, abuses, intimidation, oppression, slavery and so on, for the sake of some wanting to hold onto power eternally. It does not work! Remember all those dictators who either ended up in failure and disgrace, or killed?

I am not going to go through a list of these fools who thought they were gods, or geniuses when all they were, was a bunch of useless, power hungry idiots who cared less about the masses, and more about their own pockets and families. Unfortunately, there are some among those who have seen the mess these miserable souls have created and left behind, who still choose to follow the same path that leads to destruction and disaster. It is time for change to take place! It is time for real change to take place in African politics, economics and mindsets.

Nigeria eyes greater share of rising oil investment

Nigeria is committed to boosting the role of indigenous firms in its oil industry so as to derive greater benefit from anticipated investment of $150 billion in the sector over the next five years, a senior official said.
President Goodluck Jonathan in April signed into law a local content bill aimed at boosting the involvement of local firms in its mainstay industry and creating jobs in Nigeria, most of whose 140 million citizens have seen little tangible benefit from crude oil in the five decades since it was first pumped.
Ernest Nwapa, executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), set up to oversee the implementation of the bill, said less than 20 percent of an average annual industry spend of $18 billion was retained in the OPEC member nation, a situation which had to change... Reuters