2012 has been a year of many blessings but it did not lack its ups and downs. I sincerely thank all my friends and supporters, from many different countries, different races and different cultured-who believed in me and helped me achieve so much. I also sincerely thank all the team at Sustainable Development For All (www.sdfa-kenya.org) for their dedication and hard work.
Here are some of my personal achievements in 2012, all thanks to friends and supporters.
1. Travelled to Malawi on several occasions to launch @sdfakenya partnership with Jacaranda Foundation to train orphans in making solar lamps.
2. Received the SEED award by UNEP/UNDP in Pretoria, South Africa on behalf of @sdfakenya.
3. Was among the 6 finalists for the inaugural Innovation Prize for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
4. Featured in China Central TV (CCTV) documentary, Faces of Africa.
5. Was a mentor at ChangePilotz program for young change-makers in Canada and spoke at Capilano University in Vancouver.
6. Spoke at TEDxCibeles event in Madrid, Spain.
7. Received the Africa International Achievers award.
8. Was among 3 finalists for the global Humanitarian Hero award.
9. Attended the Africa Development Forum by UNECA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
10. Attended the World Innovation Summit on Education in Doha, Qatar.
11. Presented at the 2nd meeting of entrepreneurs at The Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Bucaramanga Colombia.
12. Attended my 2nd CNN Heroes all star tribute event in Los Angeles, US.
12. Spoke at screenings of documentary about @sdfakenya's work in several states in USA.
13. Spoke at various schools and colleges in Kenya, Other countries in Africa, and USA.
14. And more importantly-carried the Olympic Torch for the London 2012 olympics in UK!
In 2013, i look forward to meeting new people, new challenges, and engaging a higher gear forward.
Thank you and a happy and prosperous New Year!
Lastly, finish of the year by supporting us to educate bright shepherd children in rural Kenya- http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/education-for-50-shepherd-girls/
Evans Wadongo
Twitter@evanswadongo
www.facebook.com/evanswadongo
Skype:evans.wadongo
Monday, November 5, 2012
On a not so serious note: A letter from the Queen to US citizens
A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictio
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictio
nary.)
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
-----------------------
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
------------------------
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
-------------------
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
-----------------
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
----------------------
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
----------------------
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
--------------------
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
-------------------
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
-------------------
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
---------------------
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
---------------------
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
---------------------
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
--------------------
13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
-----------------
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
---------------
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
-----------------------
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
------------------------
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
-------------------
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
-----------------
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
----------------------
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
----------------------
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
--------------------
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
-------------------
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
-------------------
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
---------------------
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
---------------------
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
---------------------
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
--------------------
13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
-----------------
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
---------------
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!
(adapted from Michael Yon facebook page)
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
'Conferences and Social Media' Women Activists promoting bad gender equality debate.
" As much as I want to earn my own money, I also want to have a happy family so that I can spend the money to educate my children and treat my husband well" . Quote from a woman Leader in Eastern Kenya.
I am one of the greatest supporters of empowering women and girls and I have been implementing projects that are improving livelihoods for them. I do firmly believe that for the rural communities, women play a vital role in feeding their families etc. I do however feel that wrong attention is being given to the girl child. Even in projects that entirely involve women as primary beneficiaries, we work with men all along to ensure greater harmony and success that often leaves happy families. Its important that both men and women appreciate that they were created differently and can never replace each other.
Men are wrongly blamed for the woes that face women and yet on the contrary, its men who are aiding women to rise up economically, socially and politically.
From my interaction with both women and men, it is common knowledge that most women are more jealous of their fellow women than men. In most corporate companies,female bosses would rather promote men than women and are more than happy to be the only ones in an environment surrounded by men. Female bosses are known to treat female employees badly. In politics, it is widely known that women prefer voting for men than women.
I have seen some organizations trying to use the issue of women empowerment to promote the idea that girls are denied a chance to study sciences which I totally disagree with. Sometime last year, I gave a talk at a girls high school and I asked why there ain't many girls studying Engineering. The girls simply answered that they think Engineering is hard and involves more masculine duties. On the contrary, many of the girls wanted to study medicine. Would you blame men for having less women Engineers?
Some women activists have argued that its lack of education that is causing sexual exploitation in women. I have always insisted that its not about education but rather values and poverty in some cases. Most of the female prostitutes in cities are educated. Most have at least high school education and some are college students and even working women. Its women allowing themselves to be portrayed as 'sex objects' and hence we cannot blame men for this. Do you blame men for women exposing their bodies in order to sell music? Do you blame men when most women will jump at every rich man around?
Most of the women activists talking about women empowerment are alienating girls by pitting them against men. Some activists set a bad precedent and often want to use young girls as a tool to revenge against their own relationship problems with men. When girls get pregnant when they are still in school, is it because they are not educated?
Many women activists are only seen in conferences, on social media and in cities and towns. Having grown up in the village, and now working in many villages in Africa, I have seen few women in the communities being involved in the debate about women empowerment. Many of the women in the villages have no idea about the issues that are often propagated by a few women activists. Why do most women both educated and uneducated not agreeing with the message being propagated by most of the women activists? Majority of own female friends, who are well educated and have good careers and are even helping their own communities totally disagree with most of the messages often said by women activists in the media, in conferences and on social media. Why is it that we have very few women, educated in Africa, working in Africa and raising stable families, who are actively involved in some of the issues being talked about by the women activists?
From my experience working in pastoral communities, women empowerment means different things for different communities depending on the culture and way of life. If you tell most women in pastoral community about equality it may just seem like playing a Michael Jackson song to a donkey. If the men stay awake at night to protect the families, and are required to protect the community during conflict, are their women ready to do that?
Neglecting the boy child isn't going to make girls to be empowered. Will the girls live in a vacuum without men? Check out the following article in the Daily Nation: http://bit.ly/PFNwM4
If indeed all the efforts and money being pumped into women empowerment in Africa was working well, we shall be having many women speaking loudly about women issues. The fact that in Africa, most of the women activists are either foreign nationals, or Africans schooled abroad or women with unstable families; is totally worrying and will not serve to ensure more women and even men join the crusade on gender equality.
In conclusion, I believe a more radical shift needs to be taken to ensure equality in our society. Both men and women should be given equal rights and I believe instilling right values both at the family level and as a society is what will ultimately help in ensuring everyone prospers happily. Most men have continued to support women for so many decades and it will be wrong to totally ignore them. We should also ensure both men and women at grass-root level understand the issues we talk about or else we shall just continue 'making noise'.
visit our website to learn more about our work: www.sdfa-kenya.org
I am one of the greatest supporters of empowering women and girls and I have been implementing projects that are improving livelihoods for them. I do firmly believe that for the rural communities, women play a vital role in feeding their families etc. I do however feel that wrong attention is being given to the girl child. Even in projects that entirely involve women as primary beneficiaries, we work with men all along to ensure greater harmony and success that often leaves happy families. Its important that both men and women appreciate that they were created differently and can never replace each other.
Men are wrongly blamed for the woes that face women and yet on the contrary, its men who are aiding women to rise up economically, socially and politically.
From my interaction with both women and men, it is common knowledge that most women are more jealous of their fellow women than men. In most corporate companies,female bosses would rather promote men than women and are more than happy to be the only ones in an environment surrounded by men. Female bosses are known to treat female employees badly. In politics, it is widely known that women prefer voting for men than women.
I have seen some organizations trying to use the issue of women empowerment to promote the idea that girls are denied a chance to study sciences which I totally disagree with. Sometime last year, I gave a talk at a girls high school and I asked why there ain't many girls studying Engineering. The girls simply answered that they think Engineering is hard and involves more masculine duties. On the contrary, many of the girls wanted to study medicine. Would you blame men for having less women Engineers?
Some women activists have argued that its lack of education that is causing sexual exploitation in women. I have always insisted that its not about education but rather values and poverty in some cases. Most of the female prostitutes in cities are educated. Most have at least high school education and some are college students and even working women. Its women allowing themselves to be portrayed as 'sex objects' and hence we cannot blame men for this. Do you blame men for women exposing their bodies in order to sell music? Do you blame men when most women will jump at every rich man around?
Most of the women activists talking about women empowerment are alienating girls by pitting them against men. Some activists set a bad precedent and often want to use young girls as a tool to revenge against their own relationship problems with men. When girls get pregnant when they are still in school, is it because they are not educated?
Many women activists are only seen in conferences, on social media and in cities and towns. Having grown up in the village, and now working in many villages in Africa, I have seen few women in the communities being involved in the debate about women empowerment. Many of the women in the villages have no idea about the issues that are often propagated by a few women activists. Why do most women both educated and uneducated not agreeing with the message being propagated by most of the women activists? Majority of own female friends, who are well educated and have good careers and are even helping their own communities totally disagree with most of the messages often said by women activists in the media, in conferences and on social media. Why is it that we have very few women, educated in Africa, working in Africa and raising stable families, who are actively involved in some of the issues being talked about by the women activists?
From my experience working in pastoral communities, women empowerment means different things for different communities depending on the culture and way of life. If you tell most women in pastoral community about equality it may just seem like playing a Michael Jackson song to a donkey. If the men stay awake at night to protect the families, and are required to protect the community during conflict, are their women ready to do that?
Neglecting the boy child isn't going to make girls to be empowered. Will the girls live in a vacuum without men? Check out the following article in the Daily Nation: http://bit.ly/PFNwM4
If indeed all the efforts and money being pumped into women empowerment in Africa was working well, we shall be having many women speaking loudly about women issues. The fact that in Africa, most of the women activists are either foreign nationals, or Africans schooled abroad or women with unstable families; is totally worrying and will not serve to ensure more women and even men join the crusade on gender equality.
In conclusion, I believe a more radical shift needs to be taken to ensure equality in our society. Both men and women should be given equal rights and I believe instilling right values both at the family level and as a society is what will ultimately help in ensuring everyone prospers happily. Most men have continued to support women for so many decades and it will be wrong to totally ignore them. We should also ensure both men and women at grass-root level understand the issues we talk about or else we shall just continue 'making noise'.
visit our website to learn more about our work: www.sdfa-kenya.org
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Lessons to consider for all 'heroes' in our society
Conjestina Achieng's sad story (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-RN2LDIBCs) is a true refection of how Kenya and many other African countries, treat their heroes, who often help build Africa's image. Its so sad considering that few positive stories about Africa, are highlighted in the world.
Governments, corporates and many people will promise you heaven when you are doing good and deliver nothing. The media will adore you, people will admire you but few will stand by you when you start falling down.
Drawing from my own experience both in Kenya and on my travels around the world, here are a few lessons to consider:
Governments, corporates and many people will promise you heaven when you are doing good and deliver nothing. The media will adore you, people will admire you but few will stand by you when you start falling down.
Drawing from my own experience both in Kenya and on my travels around the world, here are a few lessons to consider:
- Build your dreams based on goals and vision, but not on people. Beleive that you can make it without having some form of 'connection' with the right people. More often the 'right' people are selfish and are looking for every opportunity to enrich themselves at your expense.
- Make most of your partnerships with institutions, not people.
- Surround yourself with people who value you as a person, not by what you do; irrespective of how much money or connections or power or influence they have. People who will stand by you irrespective of your status
- Be professional and know your value.
- Don't be intimidated and stand firm on your values irrespective on how lucrative everything looks.
- Be patient and but steadfast.
- Don't compete or try to impress the society or your friends and family.
- Believe in what is right and don't listen to detractors, and don't hesitate to stand by your belief.
- Always evaluate your strategy and know when you need to make changes to your goals and the people around you.
- Remain humble irrespective of how much success comes your way.
- Listen to all views, but follow your heart in making decisions.
- Don't seek publicity or seek attention but rather concentrate on what you do.If you can, avoid unnecessary publicity.
- Allow criticism and learn from mistakes.
- Believe in yourself and in your potential.
- Always follow your dream, not by what is expected by the society, but by what your goals are.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Why do we do this?
JOIN ME IN COMPILING A LIST OF ALL MAJOR EVILS COMMITTED BY MANKIND TOWARDS OTHERS. THESE ARE QUESTIONS WE SHOULD ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF AND OUR LEADERS
- Why are we fighting over resources?
- Why do we allow children to die from preventable diseases such as diarrhea in this 21st century?
- Why do we recruit children as soldiers?
- Why do we elect corrupt leaders?
- Why do we allow human trafficking in this century?
- Why do we allow people to die of hunger?
- Why do we have people that lack basic education?
- Why do we fight over religion?
- Why do we rape other people?
Friday, July 13, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Kenya's invasion of Somalia; the making of a new Afghanistan.
I was among the few Kenyans who openly opposed Kenya's military invasion in Somalia. I have repeatedly said you cannot fight with an enemy you can't see! Al shabab is an enemy that is everywhere and not necessarily in Somalia. Invading Somalia will have deer consequences on Kenya- including lose of lives due to frequent attacks, decline in tourism and reduction in foreign investment. all this will fuel further the grave situation of poverty and unemployment.
There is no clear indication of the number of Al Shabab fighters killed. This is largely due to the fact that Al Shabab is a militia, they not necessarily wear uniforms or live a distinct lifestyle. How do you differentiate Al Shabab from any other innocent Somali citizen?
There has been no clear outcome of the invasion so far:
I therefore think Kenya should have learned from America's invasion in Afghanistan and approached the issue in a sober way that will solve the core issues.
Having a stable government in Somalia that is created and backed by the Somali people themselves is one of the main key things to bring stability.
Kenya should also focus more on securing its borders from within, and increasing its intelligence network so as to prevent internal attacks. Most of the attacks witnessed in Kenya over the last several months have been conducted by Kenyan citizens.
There is no clear indication of the number of Al Shabab fighters killed. This is largely due to the fact that Al Shabab is a militia, they not necessarily wear uniforms or live a distinct lifestyle. How do you differentiate Al Shabab from any other innocent Somali citizen?
There has been no clear outcome of the invasion so far:
- First, the invasion was largely driven by the kidnappings of foreign tourists. So many Kenyans had died at the hands of Al Shabab linked attacks in northern Kenya but little or no action was being taken. Kenya Defense Forces primary objective of taking Afmadow and Kismayu has fallen by the wayside after several months of invasion.
- The number of Al Shabab fighters killed is so small compared to the overall cost of the invasion and the many lives that have been lost in Kenya. There have been numerous grenade attacks by Al Shabab linked groups in Kenya since invasion that has killed and wounded hundreds of innocent people. Several soldiers have also died from this war.
- Kenya was spending nearly Kshs. 200 Million monthly on the war despite having a budget deficit of over Kshs. 236 billion. The cost has since fallen after Kenya officially joined AMISOM but Kenya's tax payers are still footing part of the cost of the invasion.
- The number of refugees from Somalia has grown significantly over the last couple of months.
- The war has resulted in Kenya being less secure as more and more extremest sympathizers emerge. We are making Somalia to be the next Afghanistan! Extremism is driven by ideology and hence the more Kenya is seen to be attacking that ideology the more it increases the risk of being attacked.
I therefore think Kenya should have learned from America's invasion in Afghanistan and approached the issue in a sober way that will solve the core issues.
Having a stable government in Somalia that is created and backed by the Somali people themselves is one of the main key things to bring stability.
Kenya should also focus more on securing its borders from within, and increasing its intelligence network so as to prevent internal attacks. Most of the attacks witnessed in Kenya over the last several months have been conducted by Kenyan citizens.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Welcome to my Blog!!
Join me here to start conversations on arrange of issues affecting our planet- be it leadership, economic development, climate change etc.
I have always worked hard to uplift the lives of fellow Africans and citizens of the world. There are a lot of problems affecting the people at the bottom of the pyramid but with collaboration, we can solve them.
I have always worked hard to uplift the lives of fellow Africans and citizens of the world. There are a lot of problems affecting the people at the bottom of the pyramid but with collaboration, we can solve them.
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