I have received successive harassments from an organizer, Master of ceremony and equally other personalities who think they belong, basically about revealing the truth on the eve of South Sudan independence celebrations, Eldoret. In the ceremony, I was an eye witness who was curious to advice and read poetry on the same day among others denied due to ignorance. My presentations reached the office of Humanitarian Association for South Sudan Youth (HASSY) which organized the ceremony before any other, disclosed by HASSY chairman on receiving my presentations.

Since ignorance is alive and will never die they could not be seen and through sending of them back to request during celebrities, ‘wait’ was the response so I waited till the end of the ceremony, waiting for nothing. It wasn’t said there is no space, you better know and if that was the first, then nothing can occupy space because it reached the office first. It’s because of this that I personally deprived you readers with what I posted because it was threatening every day. In spite the fact that I forgave them they still harass me on the way and to let you proof what I did right, I was an eye witness. Secondly, people left annoyed pointing hands at the happening. These included artistes and audiences.

Yesterday, one of the masters of ceremony approached me showing me my photo he unlawfully downloaded on the blog, ‘Art Lab,’ that he is going to use it in whichever way so I allowed him to do what he likes. He threatened with his mate.

“You did that for advertisement,” said the man.

He claims I gave presentations for pride and that’s what I told you, ‘ignorance.’ No media house will publish what they have not understood thus must contact me before using that photo lest they publish gossips. Am not teaching you Journalism but our people need to hear with eyes not ears, there they are. I am a poet, a Journalist and a writer thus cannot publish what is not truthful and credible. The major issue these people tell me is that I should have kept quiet because they want nothing to go beyond confines of their living place, “Kapsoya.” Or I should have reported what I got to their office which is not there, office by name.

Not giving response and ignoring of presentations means saying, “Who are you to do it?” They were asking me who I am in reality and this is a truthful opinion. Judge where am wrong and tell me and if wrongs are to be kept low, when will people change their deeds?  Many people think I gave presentations to win ladies including this person who harassed me. “Advertisement” he said means this. You know me am not for it. Patriotism took me with my presentations to advice and entertain, but if this is the thing then we crack our minds fighting for change. One goes wrong needing not to be told he is wrong. I don’t lack where to share my poetry and music, you better know…….judge yourself before judging others.

Find it all:

www.artlab-arts.blogspot.com

Read more: www.artlab-arts.blogspot.com

The blog named above has had a changed address.
This is because it doesn’t have to carry my name: Sabbath.
That was for time being.
It’s for whoever needs to share artistic works. You would not mind clicking on:

www.artlab-arts.blogspot.com

Sorry for incovenience.

Contents:

* Causes of insecurity in Kakuma
* Drop out girls in the camp and reasons for this
* widening of roads camp wide declared by the camp manager
* Introduaction of solar panels in refugee schools by EDP
* Goals of EDP and its work with partner organizations
* Improvement in girls enrolment
* Individual refugee houses will have a switch
* Police and GSU to have access to refugee comunities

To read more log on to: www.artlab-sabbath.blogspot.com
 

Despite mentality that keyboarding has experts, not an individual can take expertise. For long typing, fingers pain and keyboarders error on documents. Secondly, if you think of somebody or something you love so; a girlfriend, wife, husband, boyfriend or favorite food, you end up typing it. After meeting Muthoni, I ended up typing Muthoni which was not the name I wanted. Jerome Sebwadaga of Digital computer training college, Kakuma and the executive director of Kanere told me he had once typed ant instead of weigh which the computer didn’t highlight.

They say keyboard enters errors but without a person it can’t. This shows that carelessness of a keyboarder is all it is. Rushing to send or post an article or a report onto the web or print out an office document make people find errors on the web and regret later when they read it unpolished standing as shame to them and chases some readers who think they can’t enter errors yet they do. Speed is valued more than accuracy by many keyboarders as well. It has no faith in it. Polishing before sending any issue or attaching any document is the treatment. Prevention works best. It stops spoiled printout of an office work too. To others who fear running time and later costs of internet, they can’t help it.

In areas like Kakuma where Cyber Cafe is only one with no printer, or use of Microsoft word to create documents, life is hard. Not going through the document that is polishing, is inevitable. Internet causes replication and words not correctly used by the writer or keyboarder are unlikely to be found. Running time threatens-a race. Incorrect grammar and sentences highlighted by the machine in most cases at some places are not.

Keenness, accuracy and speed need uniformity. NGOs in Kakuma and I believe elsewhere employ clerks based on these factors. Those who type without looking onto the keyboard but onto the monitor are the experts, leave alone how many errors they make. Once in this institutions, one is eager to work free from threats; for machines belong to the organization, thus ample time to do office work as you please.
Acceptable words in English intended not to be used still sneak into documents. Polishing is needed as well-a key to successful delivery of information.

Errors belittle writers and entirely keyboarders. Keyboarding is taught in various institutions as a programme opened on the computer. It’s called Mavis tutor/beacon. This directs learners on what and how to type. It gives exams, awards marks and sometimes print out certificates for the learners. Readers who need polished work too mistake. It’s a two-way critique.
What matters is:

Is the intended message delivered?

An anonymous lad has detested referendum to reserve a position in the heavenly kingdom. Inflated with fear he based his argument on two scriptures; Jeremiah 10:23 and Daniel 2:44 in the Bible.
“In Jeremiah, it’s stated that man has no right to direct his steps,” he explained. “Divine leadership’ll crash an earthly one.”
In addition, Daniel has written God’d set a kingdom which will overshadow the existing kingdom which he thought’d be Southern Sudanese’s in near future. For this he could not lose eternal life with this misconception.

He said he will not take side even after referendum. “Because of atrocities which perpetuate, why can’t they (Southern Sudanese) be a government?” he gave his opinion. His imagery’s that North and South are like water and oil which can’t mix freely. Not only him refused registration but also Anyuak and Nuer from Ethiopia.

In contact with Sudanese chairmen, Equatoria chairman interrogated. “Why do you investigate me like that?” he muffled on phone. “Come to my home, we talk it over secretly. Keep it in pocket brother,” he repeated severally. Minority like Anyuak has a single choice. “My people’re registered all because they need freedom,” boasted Ogwang, Anyuak’s chairman in Kakuma.

As viewed, repatriation’s likely to be declared if referendum favours Southern Sudanese in any way. Exhibition day’s scheduled for sixth January, 2011 and referendum a week and a day away. Here the dilemma is whether the vote of a person who dies before January ninth will be cast or not!
Lam of South Sudan Referendum Commission(SSRC) in Nairobi came with a round off answer. “Of course the name,” he answered to, if they can identify the card of a deceased.

For sure, is Southern Sudan good to support weak people supported by UNHCR?

Awan who’s a Dinka chairman who recently came from Sudan said no!
“In Sudan many people passed away due to lack of medical facilities as well as lack of knowledge to care for the aged,” he evidenced. “Children who were schooling in Kakuma after repatriation died, others became conductors to call passengers into vehicles all below eighteen years.” This leader, advanced that Southern Sudanese anticipated government’s support, they didn’t get back home. Once these people’re taken back suffering reiterates.

These’ve orphans, widows and widowers too who are savages. Their last job of cultivation’s neither commercial nor subsistence nowadays. In Southern Sudan currently one can’t harvest three sacks of their land’s bearings unlike previous years when they filled granaries. Surety’s their constant infiltration into refugee camps in spite of any outcome of referendum. A friend in Southern Sudan told me on the facebook chatting,”Life’s half good here. It’s just how the day presents itself.”
This may perpetuate no wonder what a long wait! Even God created the world in days not a day-with time, it gets fine.

Nhial-Nuer’s chairman too assured me that they will manage to let the ongoing ration cards verification continue as not affected by referendum. The like of some Southern Sudanese is that it’s better others have refused registration in lieu of casting votes of greed to overshadow theirs. Nhial and Awan’ll be available in referendum centers instructing people to vote not for a specific choice.

The security outside UNHCR’s compound-2 joked that they wanted an email from me to contact Dr. Qassim. “Do you know Dr. Qassim’s the head of sub-office? It takes steps to get him,” joked a guard. “Better you’re big, but a small person like you?”
“An ordinary person like me,” said another from the General Service Unit(GSU). Unfortunately the phone call was unanswered so I took back a message that all had gone on holidays and never returned yet.

Frankly I can’t tell the number of voters in Kakuma Refugee Camp.
We should keep on asking:
Will Southern Sudanese without bias engulf their dream?

Last night at one o’clock were gun shots in group eleven, zone six in Kakuma refugee camp.
This was an attempt to vandalise a single shop located alongside the road opposite, Jebel Marra Primary School and the booth which provides water to zone six. This is an area occupied by somali new arrivals from Daadab.

These criminals came and broke the gate. Meanwhile the shop was fenced out. They were unable to break the next gate to get people to ask for money as their normal routine. In a while came an ambulence heading for the hospital which they targeted with bullets to return to town where it came. The thieves shot four bullets, luckily nobody was harmed as Shemal, a neighbour said. While they had not got anyone to threaten or shoot dead they made their way to their dwelling shooting two bullets again.

The nearest police didn’t go to rescue, located at Rajaf Primary School. The rest of the people were praying specially the sudanese churches till the gun shot was over. “Police from Kakuma 4 came,” said Shemal. “This police here is not police.” These Somali men claimed that these people had been buying and inspecting the shop. Only shops located in Oromo community and Ethiopian community in zone five are safer. These shops were fenced at the time when shooting at night was on daily basis. Besides, they are populated thus the few bullets believed to be in their guns (criminals) eventually gets finished and they are caught. None of them was identified.

Refugee communities always device a mechanism of defense by throwing stones or holding spears or swords. Whoever comes to your home shooting is a murderer. Before you are killed you have to protect yourself. These somali told me that they protected themselves and that’s why the thieves were unable to take anything. Whichever means they used, they didn’t tell.

Kakuma in history had had these night attacks on Christmas day which led to lost of many lives. Three quarters of the graves you will find at the cemetry are from these attacks. Only a few can survive their bullets. In 2004, was a moment of dislocation of Sudanese by the nationals who claimed their wife and man were killed in Kakuma two phase two. These were said to have been thrown into the pit. Actually, it was believed that they were caught at night trying to vandalise a certain home.

In 2008, when Sudanese were repatriated, the crime rate was high. Fences were made to prevent them. They came up with camels skin. The skin helped them pass over the mbegu thorns(fence) to kidnap whatever they needed. The defense mechanism was also there using spears which scared them. Each an every community in the camp planned to buy whistles agreed by community and group leaders. When they attacked a family, they had to blow whistle to let the rest know. That made it easier to get the communities protected and security too was tight. Only a few communities still have this defense mechanism.

The current Somali who were relocated to Kakuma from Daadab are these suffering these hardship they claimed to be the reason for their relocation. These attacks did and most of them still occur in December though the rest of the months can have. 

This morning, this Somali family had began to close the gate enclosing the shop.
This issue in spite of security persist. I never know when it ends.

The conference hosted by Kwani trust which began last Sunday, the twelfth of December at Kifaru garden ended yesterday, the Seventeen of December, in Nairobi, Kenya. Kwani trust got the prince Claus award for their work of bringing up teenagers who spearhead writing as their profession. Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o got homage too with celebrity.

From the conference the following deductions are evident:

“Publishing house is not Magical. Anybody who needs assistance as a writer can deliver their manuscript despite their social backgrounds,” a publisher encouraged writers.

“Funding is the major setback to publishing of new books,” deduced from speeches delivered by various writers at the conference.

“Writers give their manuscripts and need to get it published tomorrow. It’s a process, they should wait,” partly quoted as a complaint from a publisher.

“There’s no school of writing, is it there?” withdrawn from an answer to the question of qualification in writing by a famous female writer.

“Writers begin writing if something burns from within them and need to express it,” taken from various speeches given by successful writers.

“Curiosity makes good writers,” shone in the words of successful writers and the olden ones.

“Current Kenya is better then the olden Kenya of neocolonialism and Mau Mau,” evidenced in the stories of struggle by writers. “If these refugees are here, then Kenya is now Kenya,” said a female writer in her speech on the first day of the conference.

“I came to learn my father being a writer after reading ‘The grain of wheat.’ I got used to how to write. “When I read ‘The River between’ I became an expert,” said an essayist, a journalist and an author.

I call it grace if the successful can look back to training teenagers who need writing. Kwani trust continues with its work. Wish this becomes the tradition of all journals and publishers world wide. It makes it easier for the young writers to learn and succeed in the battle.
Kwani trust holds an open Mic where they welcome poets and word spoken artists every Tuesday each month in Nairobi at club soundd on Kaunda street from 7-9 pm. The rest of the evening becomes open to anyone. Sign ups happen from5-7 pm.
There is a great welcome, yonder.