Ok KSB if someone has ”pure flour in the bag” why shouldn’t they leave their REAL names?? hallo pls wake up! if i have lost a father or a mother, the its of everyone interest to know its real me who a loved one? why fake it….this is pathetic. if some wants to go home for holidays, then it’s better to let us know the truth, otherwise just contact Swedish banks for loans,.. don’t come thru blog to cone people who are as poor as yourself. Ok Where are those billions sent by Kenyans living abroad? People are more desperate than ever in Kenya ..maybe u haven’t been there for a while? We never learn.. that’s why we remain poor for ever It’s a human right to be independent not dependent….
Butamanya
You are dead right Butamanya and I am not holding brief for anyone here. The billions sent by Kenyans abroad are consumed by the recipient families in Kenya. The point is that these billions (50 to be exact) enter and circulate in the economy after being pumped in by Kenyans abroad. If you are asking where the billions are, then it means that you do not understand the economics of Kenya Diaspora remittances in relation to domestic cash-flows and how this process boosts Kenya’s economic growth.
On your second point, fund raising messages are always aimed at friends and contacts who are able to understand the situation. If you have never been away from Kenya, you will never understand the isolation that accompanies it and in times of tragedy, your friends are the only people who can fill in as your relatives to console you.
Kenyans in Diaspora (in this case Sweden) are very hard working and contrary to expressed opinion, very few have no jobs. However, if you have never been a worker in Europe, you will never understand why during an emergency, you might need a boost from close friends who might understand the situation. If someone calls a fund raising in Sweden asking for food, clothing or shelter, no one might show up if the person has been residing here because unlike in Kenya, everyone ought to be able to feed themselves and if they cannot, the State must intervene and try to get the needy to be self-reliant through State programs. In attacking those appealing to friends for help in times of death of relatives back home, you are challenging the right of people to solidarity from friends.
You can continue to shout about the need for people to secure bank loans to finance their personal or private obligations such as purchasing tickets to funerals back in Africa. What might be lurking on the sidelines is the fact that the victim may already have scooped a huge bank loan to educate close relatives in Kenya, sort out a huge hospital bill of a terminally sick parent/relative or purchased a piece of land to bring that thing called “development”.
Billions of Kenyan shillings destined for free primary education have been stolen by Professor Sam Ongeri, the Minister for Education who has since refused to step aside as the scandal unfolded. As a consequence, pupils have no text books, exercise books, pencils and rubbers while teachers have no chalk so they cannot even use the blackboard. The desks are broken and in rural areas, children are learning under trees because the government introduced free primary education without a “transition plan” that could have enabled basic infrastructure to be put in place. The West has been intervening with aid money to rescue the situation but the Minister and his corrupt allies have been stealing the money. As a result, the children have been unable to get an education. What does this mean to the hard-working Kenyan in Diaspora?
When you get to a local store in Stockholm to purchase a Lycka calling card (one of the cheapest in the market in Sweden) to touch base with relatives back home, you learn about the problem of lack of text books and other basic amenities. Your little bro cannot go to school because the books are missing while your sister, who has been in secondary school, has no school fees. You know this because you have been sending school fees every term, complete with pocket money. After all, you live abroad and you should have the money to help your relatives back home because in Europe, money grows on trees. Anyone who lands at Arlanda International airport from Kenya is welcomed with a well-paying job and an apartment flat so why can’t you pay?
“Open House”
As you dig into your saving to finance your relatives’ education, you learn that your big bro has been admitted to some back-street clinic in critical condition. He is suffering from some serious disease and he urgently needs to undergo an X-Ray examination because doctor’s suspect lung problems. You are told that he also needs a brain scan. Because the health care system has collapsed, you need to finance the syringes, the needles, the disposable gloves and even buy paper where his details will be entered. That is before a list of drugs he needs is supplied (plus costs) via sms. Don’t mention the daily hospital charges because they will come at the end of the game. It is possible that your big bro might die due to lack of medical services and once again, you are looked upon as the savior. You live abroad and if you cannot help, no one will. What do you do?
You fetch your credit card (your real savings are already depleted) and walk to a near-by ATM before cleaning the account of the residues you left after fixing that leaking roof of your aging grand-mother. You then stride to a near-by Western Union outlet or some alternative and send the much needed cash to help save the life of a blood brother. You pray that he doesn’t die because such a development would plunge you into crisis. You do your best to help the situation quietly and without making noise about it. One week later, you receive the bad news – that your brother passed away in the night after losing the battle to some disease. You enter into mourning, broke, dejected and confused.
You call a friend to break the news and soon, more friends join you in your flat. You tell them your story and after every detail is examined, a Committee is set up to help you cope with the situation. A funds drive is called and a Prayer meeting set for Saturday. An “Open House” is set up at your apartment daily until you travel. Friends, sympathizers and well-wishers are invited to the Prayer meeting cum fund raising.
True to character, all turn up with their little contributions so that you can at least be there when your brother, sister, mother or father whose life you so much tried to save, is being buried. You are moved with the solidarity because even Kenyans whom you thought were your enemies turned up to console you at a time of tragedy. The emotional support boosts your morale when you could have been mourning alone. Eventually, you travel home to bury your brother. You thank all your friends for the support. Meanwhile at KSB, someone is asking why you cannot save money for emergencies. You don’t even respond because you think that such a response is a waste of time.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
I sympathize with people who help their relatives with health problems, educational needs but let’s be honest, some relatives in Africa are ungrateful, undeserving leeches and they really do think that money in The West grows on trees.
My spouse is the one person his family counts on For EVERYTHING even their self-inflicted foolish NEVER ENDING problems.