IN A MEMORY

AFRICA LETS RISE

CHAPTER 8
AFRICA, LETS RISE
Africa is beautiful, Africa should be protected. When you look around all you see is destruction, hate, and ignorance. Why do we choose to do this to ourselves many years after we gained the freedom to make our own choices? We so much envy other developed continents that are so much ahead of us. I also see people who gain power and opportunity to make the African continent great leave to develop and don’t care about them instead of loving their continent enough to care and do whatever they can to protect it. It is so sad for someone to work so hard in life and decide that they do not care enough for their dignity. They go to so many lengths to leave Africa just to go to a country they are not wanted and respected. I do not understand how their minds work and why they dishonor themselves so much to go looking for insults themselves when they already have a home where they are loved and respected. They leave their homes because it is not classy enough, or not developed enough. The question that always bothers me is, if they have a chance to make Africa what they dream to be but choose not to? Who do they expect to make the dream for them? They are so ready to forget where they come from and embrace other people’s life. I am not trying to judge and I am not saying that those who move to better their lives are wrong. Those who I do not understand are those that leave and do their best to forget their origin. They do not even want to be associated with Africa. A man or woman who forgets their roots is like a tree that has been uprooted from the ground. They just wither.
It is true you will leave today since you can, but when things go wrong the only place you will be able to turn to is your home. The problem will be you will have already wasted a chance of making an impact in the lives of those you care for. Why waste a lot of time chasing something when you can bring it to yourself? I hereof racial discrimination every time and people complaining about it. I am not implying that what they do is right but people believe what they believe you can never be able to change everyone’s mindset. Africa is beautiful you just need to find the beauty for yourself.
It is true there is so much misery and struggles in Africa. I see it every day. Sometimes it makes my heart ache when I see the misery in people’s faces and the pain they have to endure every day. I worked as an enumerator during Kenya’s 2019 census in a small village in my hometown known as Itangi. The people who live in the life in the area were settlers. One day during my work, I met this woman who lived in a small wooden room that she had rented. While asking her the questions I was supposed to, she decided to open up to me about her struggles and those of her neighbors. The only source of income was a small ‘kibanda’. During the sunny seasons, there is so much hunger as there is no way of earning for those who do not have any kind of jobs or business like she did. She explained that sometimes her neighbor’s children go all day without food and she has to give them the little she got. She also does not have much but she would share what she has instead of observing while they starved. The thing is, it is not like they do not have lands that they do not own lands to plow but the only source of water they are deep on is rain which does not pour regularly. They can even go for a whole year without receiving rain. They came from worse situations than they live in before the government decided to give them the lands. However, the lands are not helping them to eradicate poverty as they can do nothing with them unless it rains. 
At the time, they were being allocated the lands the rich and powerful ensured they kept lands the rich and powerful kept lands near water bodies for themselves. Ten kilometers from the woman’s home there is a dam owned by the deputy governor while the citizens who do not even have much buy water for domestic use. It is not like the leaders do not know their situation, they just do not care enough to help them. To make things worse there is a large river that can be used to top water for there to use. She told me all this with hopes that I can help them but I couldn’t and that devastated me more. 
When you have a chance to help why do we run and forget the misery of the people? Some of the rich and powerful were products of such kinds of places but as soon as they make it, they leave and forget where they come from. The thing is this continent s our home. Africa is our homeland and nobody can make it great for us if we choose not to do it ourselves. The developed countries grew by building a brick at a time. some of these countries are two hundred years elder in civilization. To be great as they are it took each generation to do their part and unite with one vision of leaving the next generation a place better than they had found.
The main issue with Africa is we fight each other because of the differences we fail to recognize the similarities. We were divided by colonizers many years ago and even after they left and the keys to the future of our continent were given to us. We keep looking at the past like even though the colonizers left they left our minds chained. In school we were taught about the migration of the people in Africa, people were so together that they would trade with each other. Why do not we try to restore the unity and acceptance of the difference and appreciate our similarities? The origin of man has been traced back to Africa, yet we look at the others and think there is where everything good comes from. It is shameful to look at a black person born on another continent who hates themselves due to the color of their skin and origin. We should be proud of ourselves and who are because we are unique instead we would do anything to be like other people. If you do not accept and love yourself then do you expect to do it for you? When someone tries to insult us and degrade us we should stand up and say,” I do not care what you think about me, as for me I am proud of who I am.” 
Our history may not be recorded in books but it is still important and it is there. I do not say we live in the past or resist change, that is the worst thing we would do to ourselves. What I mean is that the reason we are who we are is because of the people who came before us. We also need to give the next generations a reason to celebrate our existence. The most crucial gift we could give to the future is bringing unity and togetherness again like it was before we were colonized and divided. Let us bring, accept and fight for the spirit of Pan-Africanism that our forefathers started. If Kwame Nkrumah would rise today, he would be disappointed with the people we have become even though we have a chance to be great. It is shameful to hear that Africans are fighting each other because they are not from our community or nation’. Let us not concentrate so much on which country one comes from but on the similarities and the African continent. If we fight each other while others are fighting us, how will we survive? Let us become African people instead of being each country individually. How don’t we recognize the power we could have if we decide to be one people, one Africa?
Africa’s politicians are the biggest disgrace of all. They all are given a chance to take us to a brighter future and leave a mark on the continent and our hearts but instead, they are individualistic it is disgusting. This issue is not a Kenya problem Zimbabwe problem or Egypt problem but an African problem. We give them so much power without any way to protect ourselves leaving ourselves vulnerable until the next elections when we give them the powers again. It is like we never learn or are we so trusting that we are not able to differentiate the wolves from sheep? They are willing to destroy as and the continent to achieve their agendas. Instead of them being our greatest strength they become our worst enemy and weakness against outside enemies. We have to find a way to protect our continents, hopes, and future against malicious individuals who do not know what we need as Africa. They are the first to divide us and cause us pain.
Africa Union should be our shield as Africans against those who come smiling at us but in their hearts, they do not care about us. We should give Africa Union power above the politicians. It should be the body that ensures our interests are protected. However, if the same politicians are the ones to occupy the seats in Africa Union then we will achieve nothing. we need to be ones like the African people who will choose who to be or general in the fight against the corrupt, arrogant, rich, and powerful politicians. For one to hold any seat in the Africa Union then, they would have to talk to and convince every African in all the corners of the continent why they are suitable for the job. Then democracy will take its course through elections. All the Africans would be given a chance to give a say. African powers over all the leaders in each country on the continent.
Creating a powerful Africa Union will not only protect us but also unite us. We will have a symbol of our togetherness. The union will serve as the glue that will change the narrative of one country to one continent.
AFRICA, OOH AFRICA
politicians the glorious dream,
we choose to believe,
over our intuition,
we rise early in the morning,
cocks crowing and birds chirping,
to go fight our neighbors,
whom one-day salt to us they gave,
for people in their castles of gold,
yet our homes are built of mad,
lifeless oceans we live in,
but if a politician asks,
'hey, kill what remains’
On our heels we are,
So suffering never stops,
And the social classes far apart they grow,
Never learning,
The false hopes we still choose,
Disappointments follow,
And pleading we do,
Never learning from our mistakes,
Africa, the origin of all beauty,
Yet we choose not to see that,
Blindly we follow,
Unlike the Vikings,
Torches we leave behind,
I choose to believe in a great Africa,
Every day I sleep disappointed,
When I see one punished for their beliefs,
Rather than wrongdoings,
Who cares though?
Not the politicians, not really,
Because at the end of the day,
They still have millions,
On their side,
It is not wrong to be rich,
Human life, its price unmentioned,
The money we seem to worship,
Is actually from our pockets,
Africa, ooh Africa one we are,
And great we can be,
If we choose to believe,
What matters,