Someone said that
when the big things are sorted, the rest fall into place. While there are a lot of young people in
Kenya that have been finding a footing in their unconventional ventures, there
remains a huge lot shelving off their dreams because they have been unable to
find a place to even put their foot. I watched the gymnastics at the Rio
Olympics, and I couldn’t help but think of the significance of gymnastics in
some countries. Gymnastics have a national place in these nations, and this
sport is such a recognized activity that it was a part of the Olympics. For
the most part in Kenya, these gymnasts, commonly known as acrobats perform in
the down- town streets for passersby. They are struggling artists who get
peanuts for their art.
When we have an
infrastructure, everything else falls into place. It’s like having a small
drawer that serves the purpose of de-cluttering a room because it holds together all the
small things that had previously been scattered in the house.
While many self-help
initiatives are happening in our communities, a lot of young people’s pursuits
are without an infrastructure, and they often take a rough and bumpy road when
they take off. Many are scarred along the way because of the treacherous road.
Some have actually bailed out and tried other ways of earning a living. Those
who did not want to be employed in an 8-5 job find that their only hope of
surviving is by seeking employment. Sometimes it kills their ambitions. Only
the strong willed survive.
I have lived in a
place that has had a terrible road network. Vehicles got stuck in the mud when
it rained and during the sunny days, dust was all over the place, giving
everyone brown eyelashes. The women covered their heads with headscarves to
keep their hair clean. It was really agonizing. Recently, this road was
tarmacked, and the results are unbelievable. The area has opened up: the cost
of land has gone up and a lot of businesses have sprung up. The place has
become a big shopping center with a lot of people moving in because it is now
accessible. It was so amazing to experience first- hand what I had only read in
textbooks about an economy thriving because of a good road network. What has
happened since is a testament to what a good infrastructure can do. When a country is doing well, so will
everyone else get a piece of this profit because the benefits trickle down.
When we build bridges
that enable others to pass, we all benefit. The investors in The Shark realized
this. When they invest in someone/ business, they help the person grow and at
the same time they share in the profits. When people invest in people, they too become beneficiaries. For example, many shopping malls have opened up in
Nairobi and its environs. These businesses are not flowers to be admired, but
these entrepreneurs need people to buy their products. The food that one finds at a food court in a
shopping mall is not a primary need; one can as well cook and eat from her
house. The clothes that one buys from the mall are not a necessity; mtumba is
an option. So, for one to visit a mall, to eat from the food court, one needs
to be fulfilling other wants other than basic necessities. In Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs, these individuals are above the basic needs concern. More
people need to enter this category to make the country more developed. When
many people can afford to pay for the goods and services you're selling, you also thrive. So when we
invest in people, it is actually a plus for us. This country needs more
individuals who have cash to use, not just money to get by. Actually, when people
have more to spare or use, the more business opportunities there will be
because every other problem is an occasion to offer solutions that pay.
The traffic jam
situation on our roads reveals so much of our selfish nature. We have become so
swamped in a ritual of me, myself and I that when there is any small traffic
delay, overlapping is the next course of action. Drivers overlapping on both
sides block the road and what started as a small hold up becomes a huge road
jam. When everyone only wants to cut their share and forget the other person,
everyone gets stuck. Until you let the other vehicle pass, you are both held in
a deadlock. Such selfishness is not
sustainable, and it is eating into the future of the coming generations.
When you feel
inclined to build a conduit, just do it. Some
people have talents, but they do not know where to start, they don’t know where
they will apply them. To survive, people with great ideas and ambition abandon
their passions and adapt to what the society has to offer, which could be a
mediocre job, but since it provides food on the table, they stay on, forgetting
the great dreams they once had. You might be the solution that someone is
looking for. When this individual starts to earn, he will dine at your
restaurant, or he will buy the designer clothes in your store.
When we seek the good
of the land, the people who benefit are us.
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