Good evening ~ community.

I have traveled to this find country of Kenya and it's amazing the beauty of it's people and the land. We were fortunate enough to stay with a Kikuyu family in Lake Navisha for just under a week this past summer. We will return in time.

But, I would like to have an open dialogue with this community as to what propelled some of you to leave this land and travel far away from your family. Is it economics, education, or endangerment of life itself. Any comments would be appreciated - I hope I am not over stepping myself on this issue. Look forward to chatting with you here on the message board.

I have looked at many of the response and replies and find the interaction invigorating. I would love to speak a little of the language but to be able to write ~ I think is not a possiblity for myself.

I can be reached at Earhartna@aol.com for emails.

BEWARE PEOPLE.!!!!

What is it to you?Are you working for someone or trying to get some info and then twist it to sound the way you want it to?Who are you?What has my people got to do with you?Do you have issues with Africans coming here?Need I remind you that most of the black folks did not come here on their free will?Remember the ones who came chained like wild animals?Heck,they were stolen from their home and brought here and you dare ask how and why?

My why....I came looking for my lost cousins who were stolen and brought here to be slaves.Remember them?If not you can google slavery and you will get a plateful of how our cousins got here.Then you will understand when I tell you that when your family members go missing,you will look for them and when you find them,you will do whatever you can to help them.You know,like pray with them that God rescues them,try and vote if you can for their sake,have more kids so they multiply,lots,did I leave anything out?

This kind of help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY&mode=related&search

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20218937/site/newsweek/from/ET/

I think your timing was a little off won't you say?

This is history repeating itself.And you wonna know why Black folks come over here?Maybe you know them folks in Jena treating black kids like dirt.


A Town In Turmoil
As the new school year approaches, Jena, La., is struggling to move beyond the racial strife that ripped it apart and left the futures of six students in disarray.

By Gretel C. Kovach and Arian Campo-Flores
Newsweek
Aug. 20-27, 2007 issue - It began with a seemingly innocuous question. At an assembly during the first week of classes last fall at Jena High School in rural Louisiana, Kenneth Purvis, a junior, asked the vice principal if he could sit under the shady boughs of an oak tree in the campus courtyard. "You can sit anywhere you like," the vice principal replied. Soon thereafter, Purvis and several black friends ventured over to the tree to hang out with some white classmates. According to the school's unspoken racial codes, however, that area was reserved for white kids; Purvis is black. Some white students didn't look kindly on the encroachment: the next day, three nooses hung from the oak's branches.

That provocation, which conjured up the ugly history of lynch mobs and the Jim Crow South, unleashed a cycle of interracial strife that has roiled the tiny town of Jena. In the ensuing months, black and white students clashed violently, the school's academic wing was destroyed by arson and six black kids were charged with attempted murder for beating a white peer. (The "deadly weapon": tennis shoes they supposedly used to kick the white student knocked unconscious by the first punch.) One of those black students—Mychal Bell, the only one of the "Jena Six" to stand trial so far—was convicted by an all-white jury in June on lesser felony charges of aggravated second-degree battery and is awaiting sentencing. He could face 22 years in prison. In the wake of that judgment, a host of national figures—from the Rev. Al Sharpton to the Nation of Islam to the American Civil Liberties Union—have descended on the town to inveigh against racial injustice. Billy Fowler, a white school-board member, has pledged that when the new school year starts, "we're not going to see black and white anymore. It's going to be right or wrong." But, says the Rev. Raymond Brown of Christians United, which has been working with parents of the Jena Six, "Jena does not want to come up to the 21st century. They are living deep in the past."

Decades of suppressed racial hostility spilled forth at the appearance of those swaying nooses. Word spread quickly that day; before long, scores of black students congregated under the tree. "As black students, we didn't call it a protest," says Robert Bailey Jr., one of the Jena Six. "We just called it standing up for ourselves." School officials convened an assembly in early September, where local District Attorney Reed Walters appeared, flanked by police officers. "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy," he told students, warning them to settle down. "With a stroke of my pen, I can make your lives disappear." A visit to the school, along with the fact that the three white boys who admitted to hanging the nooses were only dealt a few days' suspension, further inflamed the African-American community. "It felt like they were saying, 'We can do what we want to those n-----s'," says Marcus Jones, Bell's father.

When you get mails like these from your friends and family,you become suspicious of anyone asking for details about your people.



Hi N,

I don't know if you heard the latest. I am going to say a prayer on the night of the 19th and wear black on the 20th. I hope you will do the same.

Please mark September 20th, 2007 on your calendar. This is the day that the Jena 6, young black teenagers in Louisiana, will be sentenced for participating in a fight with white students; these young men could go to prison for life because of a high school fight. This is a serious situation and could happen to any young black male, anywhere, at anytime.

If you are unable to personally be there to "speak out" against racism, Michael Baisden is asking that you wear Black that day to show unity with those who are onsite and supporting these young men. Also, please send a prayer, silent or otherwise, on behalf of those young men who are fighting racism on behalf of us all.

K.

Please pass this important news to everyone on your buddies' list .. Spread the word.



..........................................
God Bless those young men and their families.Please say a prayer for them.I am saying my prayer constantly asking God to be The Judge on 09-20-2007 in jena.And I believe He will.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nyina Wa Bakhita,

Nyina wa B,
I think Luckygirl is just a little bit curious and I do not see a problem in that. It is not good to discourage her like for wanting to know more. maybe she just began by asking the wrong question before we get a chance to know her. I think those who are comfortable sharing their info should go ahead and interract with her.

Luckygirl
I think the reasons you have stated above applied to immigrants into the US from all regions of the world. But to get to specifics, first get into the site. Let us know you, and as we get along we shall know how to trust you. And you will see we can be very generous in our information.

Oh my god...

Thank you for sharing the Jena 6 with me. Yes, the idea that in this day and age this still occurs amazes me. I have sent off a letter and signed the petiion for this after viewing the Youtube site. Again, I am sorry if you though my comments were inappropriate or insensitive in any form.

I would never ever think of any of those accusations about the Kikuyu people or black people in general. I'm interested in from the stand point of my friends from Kenya have a split family. The husband and son live in Kenya while the wife and three other children live here in the states. Their reason was they were afraid for their girls. They were being threatened in regards to female mutilation. But, it's hard for me to see them so far apart - we visited with the whole extended family while we were in the country and it was hardbreaking. Sorry, if I came off as insensitive and misinformed.

I did not mean to offend anyone in this communtity. Yes, I am more concern with acceptance or the integration of one culture into another.

Yes, I am pursuing a Master's degree and I want to know what can the Kikuyu people, culture and history teach the Americans. Why did I find them to be so warm and welcoming to a stranger in their country. Is it the same over here for first generation Kikuyu in the present day.

I visited the slave depots in Eastern Africa - It is part of history we should never forget and remind our self daily the tremendous atrocity that has occured to this continent of Africa.

Thank you for your time...
Nancy

tmperatures down!! we kairitu ka munyaka, wauga ati niurenda kumenya gikuyu? wakanyugi ni nda ku appoint utuike instructor, wa kihia examiner na nii principle wa thukuru iyo. ni nguthondeka mawatho makali sana.

lucky gal, you need to know, at times we are curious of what is happening out there...we do love our country so much, am in Thailand and nothing has ever matched Kenyans beauty..here there is alot of racism too. i work in a language institute and have some whites;, british, germans, french..and you can really see the difference. iam payed about 200 Thb less than the white man. i am more advanced in the english language than the french and germans yet their color qualifies them for much more. but i dont care, this doesnt really bother me, iam focussed..i love what i do and any racist has their share in judgement.

tongorio o tukigeria gukuruta gikuyu na njira cia ugikuyu one of them being ndumo..

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sajini:
Nyina wa B,
I think Luckygirl is just a little bit curious and I do not see a problem in that. It is not good to discourage her like for wanting to know more. maybe she just began by asking the wrong question before we get a chance to know her. I think those who are comfortable sharing their info should go ahead and interract with her.
----------Sajini, in my culture,the Kikuyu culture,you know what we say.Ati cia mucii ti como.It's against the rules to kuhe ageni uhoro wa mucii kana muhiriga.She sounded prejudiced already.She asked and I quote"or endagerment of life itself."What kind of endagerment I wondered.Is she out to get confirmation that we are an endagered species??

I know now where she was coming from.And yes we are generous with info when approached the right way.That is history now cause Nanc explained.

Nanc,I now understand why you needed the info.Like they say,better late than never.Thank you for signing the petition and may God Bless you.I am a Kikuyu married to an African American.The Jena case touched close to home cause I have children.That, God forbid could have been my son.I'm okay with racism cause it is the norm here.But when it comes to injustice because of my skin color,I will not take it sitting down.

Back to your question,I do not understand what you mean when you say they were threatened.By who?Female circumcision in the Kikuyu community is not common.It hasn't been in decades.I do not know if the govt made it illegal but unless one is associated with that sect that supports FGM,I do not know of any place in Kikuyuland that forces women to go thru it.The people back home would know more about this.
I did not mean to scare you off.I just did not understand why.Now I do and thank you for explaining.Sorry if I sounded harsh.

What's with this woman?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kariúki wa kíhia,

Aii Mama B- please tigaga kuhiukirwo githemba giki. Learn to control your temper...waigua niurahiukirwo...count one to a hundred before responding ...then u'll think rationally and u'll be able to put your point across without sounding hostile and offending others.

I think this diaspora place makes people loose it sometimes...always living your life while on the defence anything said is highly mispinterpreted I dont think I want to live such a life.
I have come to appreciate my country Kenya and I know many other kenyans feel the same here....we hade been brainwashed to beleive in the past that the diaspora is the land full of milk and honey but alas! People have realized otherwise. the same way we struggle here is the same way u'll struggle there only worse to be met by hurdles such as racism which interferes with your conception of things around...and the feeling of being homesick away from friends and family.

Lucky gal...my family is in the same position like the one you mentioned above; my mum like many other Kenyans relocated because of lack of employment back here....she doesnt like it one bit there and she plans to come back and resettle back here at home. East west home is best...however one man's meat is another mans' poison the're people who relocate and love it there. So really this is going to be quite a relative subject

Good people,

It is rather sad.Very sad indeed!We all joined this site first as strangers.The people whom we found welcomed us, trusted us even before we knew each other physically.We didnt know whether the people behind those fancy names and avaters are black, white,yellow or whatever.We were embraced without a doubt and encouraged to contribute.

Luckgal,to me; you are a human being first.I will not look at you as white,yellow or green.Afterall,racism whether perpetrated by a white or black remains as racism.My offer to help is not gender,race or tribe specific. It is a lot broader than that.We welcome you to this site and ask of you to contribute and ask any question you may wish to ask. It is your right!

Back to your question: A lot of people emigrate due to various reasons which include but not limited to the following:

1. Political persecution: A while back, we had an intolerable regime which sent a lot of progressive thinking kenyans into exile on fear of victimisation.

2. Search for greener pastures: I need not elaborate on the allure of the american dream.Kenyans are highly qualified and a good number of them have secured good jobs abroad some of which pay better than back home.The situation is however changing. A lot of Kenyan enterprises are now offering packages that make some of those offshore jobs pale in comparision.

3. Furtherance of one education.A lot of those people go to states as students.Some complete their studies and get jobs, while others drop out and take up menial jobs for survival.A good number of them remit a substantial amount of money back home.

In short, it is the nature of Kenyans. You will find them anywhere in the map of the world.Labour (human capital) just like any good or service can be exported.Kenyans are one globalised lot who have acumen in smelling opportunities and exploiting them to their advantage.I think this is a positive thing that need to be encouraged.

wa B ndoima na kauru, just that that issue has really affected many blacks in America. I talked to my sister this morning and she is too very bitter! hii forum ilikam time yenye issues are hot and its just normal for people to react.

we are ready to make friends with Lucky gal!!

quote:

wa B ndoima na kauru, just that that issue has really affected many blacks in America. I talked to my sister this morning and she is too very bitter! hii forum ilikam time yenye issues are hot and its just normal for people to react.

we are ready to make friends with Lucky gal!!

Ciugo ciake niciaregana na uguo we urauga.
Guku Nyumba tuhunjagia wendo.Ona njamba yari hau kabere yeitaga Rico niyaikirie Athuri ta Ngunjiri na Sajini ciugo nditú na tutigana kumiariria miario ta ino twona haha. ni kieha kinene.
no ona kuri o uguo.macio ni twanina.hakwa nindamwohera.

Lucky gal- wi mwega?

Mbaara hooroho nyumba. Angikorwo mundu no ende gutuika murata wa nyumba iitu-ri, then what's the issue here? Kama kawaida ni kumwira karibu sana!! A visitor is regarded a blessing in our community and I don't think the above is any diffent. Lucky gal feel at home and welcome. The world these days is a global village and no-one knows what tomorrow has in store for us!!!!!
Cugiai Mugeni.

Thank you all for welcoming in a round about fashion. It's hard to understand the impact an outsider can have on a forum. It least it got the blood flowing. I am frustrated with my studies because I think I have a valid topic in understanding the Kikuyu people. I think it is pretty phenomenal when just by visiting Kenya I had such a proud since of pride for the people. Color should not matter but here in the states it does.

Nyina Wa Bakhita, I appreciate your candor. Passion is a useable force that can do lots of good in the world. Passion is like a dream without what is life. Thank you for giving me a chance to connect with this wonderful group of people.

I am not to sure of the whole story about Mama Terri and the family that came from Kenya. But, it was a fear for her children that led her here. Back home she was a respected business woman in the community ~ here she can bearly get a job cleaning rooms. This is what I am passionite about. Here she is thousand of miles from home. Discriminated against as soon as she gets off the plane. Not understood ~ sometimes the accent gets in the way. I don't think I'll ever understand the concept of how people can judge another. I think I am rambling here.

I'll come back with more concrete dialogue. I want to send your Kikuyu comments off to my friend in Kenya and have her translate for me. She is just a wonderful woman. Her name is Katherine and her husband is Elijah. They reside in a suburb of Nairobi. I hope to return to Kenya within a year to visit them and there children.

Thank you once again ~ I look forward to viewing these postings on a regular basis.

Nancy