SHABAA CENTRAL

Cycling Through East Africa- Promoting Peace And Unity Slideshow

2011-08-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

JAMES CHEGE SLIDESHOW

Cycling Through East Africa- Promoting Peace And Unity Slideshow: James’s trip from Nairobi, Kenya to 17 cities including Arusha, Kampala, Kigali, Entebbe, Naivasha, Kabale, Nakuru, Nyamata (near Butare, Rwanda), Mbarara and Lyantonde District (near Masaka, Uganda) was created by TripAdvisor. See another Kenya slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

2011-04-04T01:35:00.001-07:00

[Challenge:Future] Kushirikiana Kudumisha Maendeleo kwa Wasichana (Hands on Young Women in Development)

A LOOK AT EGYPT'S QUEST FOR LIBERATION

2011-02-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

A new generation of Egyptians has decided the time for change was now.
Breaking with the past, the Egyptian people stopped the slow march of time and reset history's clocks when the Egyptian Armed Forces issued Communique No. 1 declaring its support of the protesters, and then President Hosni Mubarak stepped down.
With this reset, there is a lot of trepidation about what is next. Some fear Islamic radicalism, instability and the abandonment of Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. But a look at who is behind the Egyptian uprising may give one confidence in the future of the state.
While it truly became a mass protest, the force behind the demonstrations were middle class, educated youth, many of whom work in civil society organizations. For years, they have been challenging restrictions imposed on Egyptian society and courageously protesting, organizing and changing public opinion.

They organized thousands of citizens to monitor national elections, even when the government banned their own judges from verifying the results.
They held national dialogues with a cross-section of society -- including old and young, religious and secular, ruling party and opposition -- to address the reforms needed to build a more democratic society.
They joined together to present evidence of human rights abuses before the United Nations.
Perhaps most important of all, they used new media -- blogging, Facebook, SMS, online radio -- out of the reach of censors, to expose cases of torture and, eventually, to mobilize a nation.
For all the diversity among the protesters, they share a common cause: a commitment to a free society, a free Egypt. And they stand as Egyptians -- not at the behest of any foreign powers. The peaceful protest and the tens of thousands who have been advocating for a more open society exemplify the best of democratic practice.
Mubarak imposed a State of Emergency on the first day he took office that is still in force today. With this and by other means, he prevented any legitimate opposition to emerge -- in 2005, imprisoning the only credible independent contender to stand against him for president, Ayman Nour. No independent political party or presidential candidate has been permitted to organize under Mubarak's rule. And legislation further restricts new candidates and parties from emerging.
As a result, the regime's suppression of political opposition has left the would-be participants in a new democracy weak and unorganized.
The demands of the demonstrators are clearly intended to level the playing field.
The military commanders, who now are running the affairs of state, have declared their intention to meet the demands of the protesters. Today, they dissolved Parliament and suspended the Constitution. Assuaging concerns about the peace treaty with Israel, they declared their intention to uphold regional and international obligations. Additionally, they committed to hold democratic elections within six months.
The Egyptian Army has so far demonstrated its collaboration with the protesters and their intent to safeguard a transition to democracy. The organizers of the demonstrations need to be vigilant to ensure that while the military maintains a safe and secure country, it also realizes the changes it just has declared.
Within this new framework, we will see very capable leaders emerge from this new generation of Egyptians and it will be clear that the Egyptian people are ready to embrace the democratic process, peacefully and responsibly.

DAVID NJIHIA Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502 Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: SHABAA CENTRAL: THE FUTURE OF YOUTH IN KENYA

2011-02-18T02:47:00.000-08:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: SHABAA CENTRAL: THE FUTURE OF YOUTH IN KENYA: "SHABAA CENTRAL: THE FUTURE OF YOUTH IN KENYA: " Youth as defined by our government constitut..."

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502
Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: THE FUTURE OF YOUTH IN KENYA

2011-02-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: THE FUTURE OF YOUTH IN KENYA: "

Youth as defined by our government constitute 32 % of Kenya’s 33 million people. They are t..."

DAVID NJIHIARegional Coordinator-Shabaa Centralemail: shabaacentral@yahoo.comP.O. Box 24250,00502Karen-Nairobi, KenyaPhone: +254723800526

THE FUTURE OF YOUTH IN KENYA

2011-02-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Youth as defined by our government constitute 32 % of Kenya’s 33 million people. They are therefore both a tremendous resource for national development and effective agents of sustainable social change. The population of Kenyan youth aged is expected to increase to 16 million by 2012. However almost 2 million youth are out of school, and the great majority of these have no regular work or income, making them particularly vulnerable to recruitment, for pay, into political campaigns and criminal gangs.

Kenyan youth face a complex reality: On one hand, they have a relatively high level of basic education, with a literacy rate at over 90%, and more than half of those who are out of school have completed some or all of secondary schooling. However, 75 % of the out-of-school youth do not have regular, full-time employment. As many as 40,000 of these youth are entering this labor force each year with tertiary education, and facing an employment market that has only created 150,000 new formal sector jobs in the past six years. This is reflected in increasing levels of youth who are on the street and highly vulnerable to recruitment to petty crime, gangs and prostitution.

Despite this gloomy picture, however, developments in more recent years have given grounds for optimism. These developments include the reinstatement of free primary education, and coming to effect of a new constitution.

It is acknowledged that the formal sector had limited capacity to generate enough jobs to absorb the existing labor force. Young people are therefore setting up informal micro-enterprises as an alternative to formal employment and as a way to achieve their financial independence. However, Young people who choose to go into self-employment have to face the problem of a lack of access to capital. Those who are able to start micro enterprises they lack neither the training nor the technical assistance that would increase the chances of their small businesses succeeding.

As we move to the future there is therefore a need to promote and advocate for access to information and economic empowerment of youth through entrepreneurship development. One way of doing this will be by organizing trainings on value based leadership and social accountability which will help raise the youth voice, civic engagement, peaceful coexistence and promote networking. There is also a need to advocate for more effective promotion of entrepreneurship among young women and men by the provision of better information on market opportunities, training in business skills, access to capital (credit and other financial services), mentoring by qualified persons, and other business support services.To achieve this there will be need to have empowered youth. Economic empowerment of young people will become an effective tool for organizing them. It will also be very crucial to coordinate activities through youth leaders and government Ministries aimed at equipping youth with skills and boosting self esteem through interactive programs.

A key role youth must play as active citizens is shaping public policy and the decisions that will affect them, their families and their communities. Acknowledging differences in political contexts, it will also very important to engage public officials to support youth and appreciate them as critical partners in development into the future.

With proper planning, the future of Kenyan youth is bright. We will have an empowered youth who take an active role in the enhancement of human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, human rights, and protection of the poor and disadvantaged groups in society, as indeed now enshrined in the new Constitution under Article 10 (b). This will lead to full realization of potential by the citizenry without hindrance on account of poverty, poor education, parental background and other environmental constraints

Final Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly WSF 2011, February 10th, Dakar (Senegal

2011-02-16T01:36:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended the world social forum in Dakar- Senegal. The forum brought together over 30,000 participants from all over the world.The key note speaker was Bolivian president Evo Morales.During a speech, he said neo-liberal policies oppress people and destroy natural resources.
“This struggle by the people is going to be unstoppable, even though the United States government provides millions and millions of dollars of financing to try and finish these social movements, but this is not going to stop, the solution is through social commitments and not repression”
Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva also attended. He urged African countries to invest in food sovereignty, the right of people to decide their own policies towards food production, and encouraged them to follow Brazil’s model of a “green revolution.” Following a week of meetings, forums, discussions and parades a final declaration was made on 10th February 2011. I invite you to read through and be a part of that declaration.

Final Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly WSF 2011, February 10th, Dakar (Senegal)

As the Social Movements Assembly of the World Social Forum of Dakar, 2011, we are gathered here to affirm the fundamental contribution of Africa and its peoples in the construction of human civilisation. Together, the peoples of all the continents are stru...ggling mightily to oppose the domination of capital, hidden behind illusory promises of economic progress and political stability. Complete decolonization for oppressed peoples remains for us, the social movements of the world, a challenge of the greatest importance.

We affirm our support for and our active solidarity with the people of Tunisia, Egypt and the Arab world who have risen up to demand a true democracy and build the people´s power. Their struggles are lighting the path to another world, free from oppression and exploitation.

We strongly affirm our support for the Ivory Coast, African and world peoples in their struggles for sovereign and participatory democracy. We defend the right to self-determination for all peoples.

Through the WSF process, the Social Movements Assembly is the place where we come together through our diversity, in order to forge common struggles and a collective agenda to fight against capitalism, patriarchy, racism and all forms of discrimination.

We are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Social Forum, which was first held in Porto Alegre in 2001. Since that time, we have built a common history of work which led to some progress, particularly in Latin America, where we have been able to intervene in neoliberal alliances and to create several alternatives for just development that truly honor nature.

In these ten years, we have also witnessed the eruption of a systemic crisis that has expanded into a food crisis, an environmental crisis, and financial and economic crises, and has led to an increase in migrations and forced displacement, exploitation, debt levels and social inequities.

We denounce the part played by the main actors in the system (banks, transnational companies, the mass media, international institutions, …) who, in their constant quest for maximum profits, continue with their interventionist politics of war, military occupation, so-called humanitarian missions, new military bases, plundering natural resources, exploitation of entire peoples, and ideological manipulation. We also denounce their attempts to co-opt our movements through their funding of social sectors that serve their interests, and we reject their methods of assistance which generate dependence.

Capitalism´s destructive force impacts every aspect of life itself, for all the peoples of the world. Yet each day we see new movements rise, struggling to reverse the ravages of colonialism and to achieve well-being and dignity for all. We declare that we, the people, will no longer bear the costs of their crisis and that, within capitalism, there is no escape from this crisis. This only reaffirms the need for us, as social movements, to come together to forge a common strategy to guide our struggles against capitalism.

We fight against transnational corporations because they support the capitalist system, privatize life, public services and common goods such as water, air, land, seeds and mineral resources. Transnational corporations promote wars through their contracts with private corporations and mercenaries ; their extractionist practices endanger life and nature, expropriating our land and developing genetically modified seeds and food, taking away the peoples’ right to food and destroying biodiversity.

We demand that all people should enjoy full soverignty in choosing their way of life. We demand the implementation of policies to protect local production, to give dignity to agricultural work and to protect the ancestral values of life. We denounce neoliberal free-trade treaties and demand freedom of movement for all the human beings.

We will continue to mobilize to ask for the unconditional abolition of public debt in all the countries in the South. We also denounce, in the countries of the North, the use of public debt to impose to unfair policies that degrade the social welfare state.

When the G8 and G20 hold their meetings, let us mobilize across the world to tell them, No ! We are not commodities! We will not be traded !

We fight for climate justice and food sovereignty. Global climate change is a product of the capitalist system of production, distribution and consumption. Transnational corporations, international financial institutions and governments serving them do not want to reduce greenhouse gases. We denounce ¨green capitalism ¨ and refuse false solutions to the climate crisis such as biofuels, genetically modified organisms and mechanisms of the carbon market like REDD, which ensnare impoverished peoples with false promises of progress while privatizing and commodifying the forests and territories where these peoples have been living for thousands of years.

We defend the food sovereignty and the agreement reached during the Peoples’ Summit against Climate Change, held in Cochabamba, where true alternatives to face the climate crisis were built with the social movements and organisations from worldwide.

Let’s mobilize, all of us, especially on the African continent, during the COP 17 in Durban in South Africa and in « Rio +20 » in 2012, to reassert the peoples’ and nature’s rights and block the illegitimate Cancun Agreement.

We support sustainable peasant agriculture ; it is the true solution to the food and climate crises and includes access to land for all who work on it. Because of this, we call for a mass mobilisation to stop the landgrab and support local peasants struggles.

We fight against violence against women, often conducted in militarily occupied territories, but also violence affecting women who are criminalized for taking part in social struggles.

We fight against domestic and sexual violence perpetrated on women because they are considered objects or goods, because the sovereignty of their bodies and minds is not acknowledged. We fight against the trade in women, girls and boys. We call on everyone to mobilize together, everywhere in the world, against violence against women. We defend sexual diversity, the right to gender self-determination and we oppose all homophobia and sexist violence.

We fight for peace and against war, colonialism, occupations and the militarization of our lands.

The imperialist powers use military bases to trigger conflicts, control and plunder natural resources, and support anti-democratic initiatives, as they did with the coup in Honduras and the military occupation of Haiti. They promote wars and conflicts as in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and many others.

We must intensify the fight against repression and the criminalisation of the people’s struggles and strengthen the solidarity and initiatives between peoples, such as the Global Boycott Disinvestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel. Our struggle also aims at NATO and to ban all nuclear weapons.

Each of these struggles implies a battle of ideas in which we cannot progress without democraticizing communication. We affirm that it is possible to build another kind of globalization, made from and by the people, and with the essential participation of the youth, the women, the peasants and indigenous peoples.

The Assembly of the Social Movements calls the forces and popular actors from all countries to develop two major mobilisations, coordinated on the international level, to participate in the emancipation and selfdetermination of the people and strengthen the struggle against capitalism.

Inspired by the struggles of the peoples of Tunisia and Egypt, we call for March 20th to be made a day of international solidarity with the uprisings of the Arab and African people, whose every advance supports the struggles of all peoples: the resistance of the Palestinian and Saharian peoples ; European, Asian and African mobilisations against debt and structural adjusment plans ; and all the processes of change underway in Latin America.

We also call for a Global Day of Action Against Capitalism on October 12th, when we express in myriad ways our rejection of a system that is destroying everything in its path.

Social movements of the world, let us advance towards a global unity to shatter the capitalist system !

We shall prevail!

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502 Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: TRIBUTE TO MAMA NDUTA KORE OUR UNSUNG HEROINE

2010-11-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: TRIBUTE TO MAMA NDUTA KORE OUR UNSUNG HEROINE: "A lot has been said about our unsung heroes and heroines. One of such is our departed heroine- Mama Nduta Kore who passed on last week on We..."

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: TRIBUTE TO MAMA NDUTA KORE OUR UNSUNG HEROINE

2010-11-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: TRIBUTE TO MAMA NDUTA KORE OUR UNSUNG HEROINE: "A lot has been said about our unsung heroes and heroines. One of such is our departed heroine- Mama Nduta Kore who passed on last week on We..."

DAVID NJIHIARegional Coordinator-Shabaa Centralemail: shabaacentral@yahoo.comP.O. Box 24250,00502Karen-Nairobi, KenyaPhone: +254723800526

TRIBUTE TO MAMA NDUTA KORE OUR UNSUNG HEROINE

2010-11-17T02:21:00.000-08:00

A lot has been said about our unsung heroes and heroines. One of such is our departed heroine- Mama Nduta Kore who passed on last week on Wednesday. While she may have not been feted during the Mashujaa Day, her contribution to the fight for independence is immense.
As she is laid to rest today at Banana-Kiambu her memories will forever be etched in the hearts of all who have received valuable lessons from her in her lifetime. She has been able to inspire many people and her legacy lives on. Having interacted with one of her grandsons: Njenga Kore, I believe that her quest for a just society will be a realized through this visionary young man and others who believe the value of equality. Kindly read a Tribute done by Larry Asego

UNSUNG HEROES OF THIS NATION

Asked who their hero is, a certain class 4 child said superman, another said Spiderman and yet another said ironman. Every day I meet people I consider heroes and yet nobody bothers to introduce these people to our kids. This country needs to shift focus on who we call heroes. We are in urgent need of heroes for our kids to emulate. The only issue is that the heroes are there, but we have refused to see.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting such heroes who were more of celebrating than mourning the life of one of the greatest women this country will ever have.

At the age of 92, Mama Esther Nduta Kore passed on and she is to lie to rest on this Wednesday morning at her home in banana. This might sound like just another name to most of us but it shouldn’t. She is one of the country’s unsung heroes of our time and it will take a long time before we find another as humble and as patriotic as her.

Mama Nduta, as she is so fondly referred to by those close to her, was among those who one night in 1952 said, “tomorrow we go to war against the mzungu.” Being part of the mau mau war council, she was in the storm centre of the revolution that ensured we got independence. She played a key role in the revolution. She played a central role in the acquisition of arms and dissemination of information as well as inducting followers to the course. She was involved in inducting the likes of Dedan Kimathi and Stanley Mathenge who both took the mau mau oath in her hut. Kimathi and Mathenge were also given their first pistols in that same hut. This is a woman who was involved in a high speed car chase after they successfully purchased arms near the current Jamhuri race course. How many of us knew that.

According to Gitu Wa Kahengeri, the chairman of the mau mau veterans association, “the role of women was equal to that of men. She and other women were right up there with us in the forest, fighting, cooking for men, carrying guns for us. So when people say women should get a third of the seats in power, they don’t know what they are talking about, women should get 50% of seats because they did half the work.”

Mama Nduta led from the front as a pioneer member of the Kikuyu Central Association and after this was banned by the colonialists, she later on, together with James Gichuru and others, set up KAU.

For her troubles Mama Nduta was arrested and detained together with her husband, who also deserves recognition for the work he did for this country. In fact so feared was Mr. Kore by the white man that he was detained in the then remote Manda Island with other top mau mau leaders. He unfortunately died soon after he was released – paying the ultimate price for our freedom.

Sharing a prison cell with Mama Ngina Kenyatta, she kept her spirits up and continued to fight for freedom. She was detained in Kamiti prison then later moved to Hola and was there during the infamous Hola massacre and was to later show Kenyatta where the victims were buried. She was condemned to hang but only survived after the UK ordered that women should not be executed. All this didn’t dampen her spirit and she continued fighting for this country. She went ahead to be elected KANU chairperson of Kiambu; the days when KANU was the party representing freedom from the white man. She was nominated councilor of Kiambaa County council and she served in this position for 10 years, always in the fore front of development projects; water, health, bursary funds, land settlement. Together with the likes of Jane Kiano, they set up the Maendeleo ya wanawake movement and represented Kenyan women in Beijing.

Cucu, as all the kids in her home area call her, was heavily involved in the demarcation of our country’s borders travelling to all corners of the country and earning the respect and recognition of both President Kenyatta and President Moi.

She loved kids; anybody at her door step was never turned away. Her humble home has hosted from the very poor and destitute to the high and mighty in society. She never demanded attention or gains for all she did for this country, but hers was a life of selflessness

“She’s a true Shujaa. It’s because of her that we are here” says the Chairperson of the Mau mau association Gitu Wa Kahengeri who is scheduled to present the mau mau case in the UK on the 10^th January 2011.

Gitu Wa kahengeri, speaking on behalf of all the veterans present, says that contrary to popular belief the mau mau was not just a Kikuyu movement. Every single Kenyan shared the same fate and grief and had their own “mau mau” movement where they were; Mekatilili, Koitalel just to mention a few. “Among the 11 who died in Hola, was a Turkana and maasai freedom fighter. “Mama Nduta didn’t fight for the Kikuyus, she fought for Kenya.”

Mr. Wamuti, who was also detained in Manda Island says that Mama Nduta has done so much that if we were to say it all it would take a week to recount, but all we ask as veterans is that the story be told for the benefit of our children and their children. What we enjoy today is greatly thanks to people like Mama Esther Nduta Kore and all the veterans who have been ignored for so long. Even if we don’t get the recognition, then let our kids hear the story so that they don’t forget where they have come from.

“If the likes of Mama Nduta hadn’t decided to go to war on that morning of 1952, then who knows, maybe the white man would still be walking on us like tarmac on the roads. From Namanga to Moyale, from Indian Ocean to Busia, we opted to die for you and it’s a pity that everybody is narrowing it down to a kikuyu outfit,” says Kahengeri.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mama Nduta a few months ago before she passed on and one thing that I remember to date is her saying, “we gave you this country in one piece, what will you do with it?” I’ve never before felt so challenged and without response like I felt that day.

During public celebrations you will spot the veterans wearing their medals given a back seat while politicians whose contribution to this nation is empty talk. Never once have I seen Mama Nduta been invited to the podium for Kenyans to celebrate her, but in her own words, “let our children not forget.”

So the next time you spot an old man bent over a cane, walking in the streets proudly displaying medals on his coat and eager to share his experiences, know that if it wasn’t for such people then it would have been up to us, and if you look around you, do you honestly believe that the person next to you would be up to the task?

This time around, I hope we will all start celebrating the great works our heroes have done. I would personally like to say “Thank you,” to Mama Esther Nduta Kore for what she has done for me, for this country and for Kenyans. I challenge you to do the same.

May the Almighty God rest her soul in peace.

Larry Asego

Rest in Peace Cucu

David Njihia Mwakodi

Fahamu Pan African Fellow
and
Shabaa Regional Coordinator
P.O. Box 24250, 00502
Karen- Nairobi

Pan African Fellowship Programme: Meet the Fellows

2010-11-11T01:19:00.000-08:00

DAVID NJIHIA Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: INVITATION TO KENYA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

2010-11-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: INVITATION TO KENYA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT: "Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is offering 4-6 months internships in the following sectors: Energy,finance,tourism,ICT, manufacturing..."

DAVID NJIHIARegional Coordinator-Shabaa Centralemail: shabaacentral@yahoo.comP.O. Box 24250,00502Karen-Nairobi, KenyaPhone: +254723800526

INVITATION TO KENYA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

2010-11-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is offering 4-6 months internships in the following sectors: Energy,finance,tourism,ICT, manufacturing and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) under Kenya Youth Empowerment project( KYEP).

Selected interns will receive a Ksh.6000 monthly stipend transport costs and meals. The youth who are chosen will participate in a two-week residential life-skills training module and will then attend an interview with employers for an internship

To be eligible, you must be:

a) Between 15 and 29 years of age;

b) Have a minimum of 8 years of schooling;

c) Have been out of the school environment for more than one year;

d) Are currently not working;

e) Live in Nairobi, and be of Kenyan nationality

If you are interested and meet the above requirements, please download an application form from the OPM/KEPSA/MOYAS websites, or collect one from your nearest district youth office;

The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Friday, 12 November 2010. Please note that only the successful applicants will be contacted.

INVITATION TO KENYA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

2010-11-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

Selected interns will receive a Ksh.6000 monthly stipend transport costs and meals. The youth who are chosen will participate in a two-week residential life-skills training module and will then attend an interview with employers for an internship

To be eligible, you must be:

a) Between 15 and 29 years of age;

b) Have a minimum of 8 years of schooling;

c) Have been out of the school environment for more than one year;

d) Are currently not working;

e) Live in Nairobi, and be of Kenyan nationality

If you are interested and meet the above requirements, please download an application form from the OPM/KEPSA/MOYAS websites, or collect one from your nearest district youth office; then email it to kyep-internship@kepsa.or.ke or post it to the following address, clearly marking the envelope Internship Application, for the attention of the Internship Officer

The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Friday, 12 November 2010. Please note that only the successful applicants will be contacted.

INVITATION TO KENYA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

2010-11-08T06:47:00.001-08:00

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502 Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

EVA'S HEART FOR THE NEEDY

2010-10-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Eva's friends sharing a meal with the orphans

How did you celebrate your last birthday? Did you have a big party with your friends at your favorite joint, made a nice meal at home or maybe had a drinking spree? It is true that our birthday is a very special day to most if not all of us which deserves a special celebration.I was particularly touched by what a young lady called Eva Njoroge did on her friend's birthday. She called her friends together and asked them to contribute towards a children’s home in a small village called Rwaka. Here is the message she sent her friends:

When my birthday came knocking a few weeks ago, I was moved by the gift of friendship, I go...t countless e-mails, text messages and phone calls from people I didn't even think they remember my birthday, I was overwhelmed by this love. Then a sudden thought hit me, who remembers the disadvantaged kids in our society, if any, it is very few of us. I felt the need to make the difference in these young lives, but I couldn't do it immediately and alone, wait for next year???? Hell no the urge to share cake with this angels couldn't wait. so I talked to a friend who would be having his birthday in August, and funny enough he had wild thoughts, have fun and make merry in a club off course but after suggesting this idea and getting support from several friends I came up with this; Celebrating birthdays with the less fortunate, to start me up I figured out a children’s home in Ruaka.

So precious people and all friends dear to me, Help put a lasting smile on this little angels’ faces, stand out from the rest and remember we are all doctors, God trained us from the start to look for special things, I found them, help me spread the love.

Eva her friends and the children

On July 31st 2010 this team of friends visited the children’s home and put a big smile on the needy children. What really moved me is the fact that most of these young friends are jobless and yet they saved the little they had to help these needy children. My big question is, how many of us can do that? How many of us have more than they need and yet the best they can do is throw away to the dogs or live lavishly as some children somewhere sleep hungry in a cold night after bearing a day of scotching sun?

I hereby convey my strong admiration and appreciation of the action these young people from Limuru took led by Eva. Thanks to you Eddy, Njenga, Francis, Muraya, Nimmo, Thuo, Gacheru, Vaite and Carol. You are an inspiration to other young people. This team of young phillanthropists is preparing to visit yet another home early next month and we can join them.

We can all help Eva spread the love! Let us do it! Let us all stand up and take action to help the needy children. If you would like to be a part of this team get in touch.

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret mead

To join Friend's of Seth Children's Home on facebook today click here http://www.facebook.com/friendsofsethchildrenshome

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502 Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

Inspirational Friendship Poems

2010-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Friendship Poems

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
email: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 24250,00502Karen-Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: 1billionhungry.org

2010-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: 1billionhungry.org: "1billionhungry.org Today over one billion people in the world will sleep hungry. We need to put pressure on politicians to end hunger. We c..."

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

1billionhungry.org

2010-10-04T02:06:00.000-07:00

1billionhungry.org

Today over one billion people in the world will sleep hungry. We need to put pressure on politicians to end hunger. We can all push for action by signing this petition. Let us make it happen.Please Sign this petition and invite your friends to do so too. I COUNT ON YOU!

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

FIVE IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

2010-09-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

In our last leadership training there was a heated debate by participants on whether leaders are born or made. While this discussion did not come to a conclusion we can all agree that a true leader ignores such arguments and instead concentrates on leadership qualities necessary for success. I will explore five qualities that people look for in a leader that will make it easier for them to want to follow you. With these qualities you will have more time and energy to concentrate on refining exactly where you want to go and how to get there. Your skill at exhibiting these five leadership qualities is strongly correlated with people’s desire to follow your lead. Exhibiting these traits will inspire confidence in your leadership.

HONESTY

People want to follow an honest leader. People will not assume you are honest simply because you have never been caught lying. One of the most frequent places where leaders miss an opportunity to display honesty is in handling mistakes. Much of a leader’s job is to try new things and refine the ideas that don’t work. However, many leaders want to avoid failure to the extent that they don’t admit when something did not work.

Opportunities to display honesty on a large scale may not happen every day. As a leader, showing people that you are honest even when it means admitting to a mistake, displays a key trait that people are looking for in their leaders. By demonstrating honesty with yourself, with your organization and with outside organizations, you will increase your leadership influence. People will trust someone who actively displays honesty–not just as an honest individual, but as someone who is worth following.

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

FORWARD-LOOKING

The whole point of leadership is figuring out where to go from where you are now. While you may know where you want to go, people won’t see that unless you actively communicate it with them. When people do not consider their leader forward-looking, that leader is usually suffering from one of two possible problems:

The leader doesn’t have a forward-looking vision.
The leader is unwilling or scared to share the vision with others.

When a leader doesn’t have a vision for the future, it usually because they are spending so much time on today, that they haven’t really thought about tomorrow. On a very simplistic level this can be solved simply by setting aside some time for planning, strategizing and thinking about the future.

Many times when a leader has no time to think and plan for the future, it is because they are doing a poor job of leading in the present. They have created an organization and systems that rely too much on the leader for input at every stage. Some leaders have a clear vision, but don’t wish to share it with others.

Most of the time they are concerned that they will lose credibility if they share a vision of the future that doesn’t come about. This is a legitimate concern. However, people need to know that a leader has a strong vision for the future and a strong plan for going forward. Leaders run into trouble sharing their vision of the future when they start making promises to individuals. Leaders can communicate their goals and vision for the future without making promises that they may not be able to keep. If a leader needs to make a promise to an individual, it should be tied to certain measurable objectives being met.

A great leader is the one who takes people, not necessarily where they want go but where they ought to be

COMPETENCY

People want to follow someone who is competent. This doesn’t mean a leader needs to be the foremost expert on every area of the entire organization, but they need to be able to demonstrate competency. When people under your leadership look at some action you have taken and think, “that just goes to show why he is the one in charge”, you are demonstrating competency. If these moments are infrequent, it is likely that some demonstrations of competency will help boost your leadership influence. However, you need to be careful not to draw so much attention to yourself in a way that makes a leader seem arrogant. You there need to strike that delicate balance.

As a leader, one of the safest ways to “toot you own horn without blowing it”, is to celebrate and bring attention to team achievements. In this way you indirectly point out your competency as a leader.

If a leader demonstrates competency, genuine concern for others, and admirable character, people will follow. ~ T. Richard Chase

ABILITY TO INSPIRE

People want to be inspired. In fact, there is a whole class of people who will follow an inspiring leader–even when the leader has no other qualities. Being inspiring means telling people how your organization or group is going to change the world. Being inspiring means showing people the big picture and helping them see beyond a narrow focus and understand how their part fits into the big picture. Learning to be inspiring is not easy–particularly for individuals lacking in charisma. It can be learned. Take note of people who inspire you and analyze the way they communicate. Look for ways to passionately express your vision. While there will always be room for improvement, a small investment in effort and awareness will give you a significant improvement in this leadership trait.

The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions ~ John Hancock.

INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence is something that can be difficult to develop. The road toward becoming more intelligent is difficult, long and can’t be completed without investing considerable time. Developing intelligence is a lifestyle choice. In fact, you graduation in college was a beginning of education not the end. To develop intelligence you need to commit to continual learning–both formally and informally. Informally, you can develop a great deal of intelligence in any field simply by investing a reasonable amount of time to reading on a daily basis. For the most part, people will notice if you are intelligent by observing your behavior and attitude. Trying to display your intelligence is likely to be counterproductive. One of the greatest signs of someone who is truly intelligent is humility. The greater your education, the greater your understanding of how little we really understand. You can demonstrate your intelligence by gently leading people toward understanding–even when you know the answer. Your focus needs to be on helping others learn–not demonstrating how smart you are. Arrogance will put you in a position where people are secretly hopeful that you’ll make a mistake and appear foolish.

Remember, your ability to demonstrate respect for the intellect of others will probably do more to influence the perception of your intellect than your actual intelligence.

We are what we eat and what we read

In conclusion, by consciously making an effort to exhibit these traits, people will be more likely to follow you. These are the most important traits that people look for in their leaders. By exhibiting them on a regular basis, you will be able to grow your influence to its potential as a leader.

The very essence of leadership is its purpose. And the purpose of leadership is to accomplish a task. That is what leadership does–and what it does is more important than what it is or how it works. ~ Colonel Dandridge M. Malone

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

Freedom to Create Grant (Ongoing)

2010-08-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Freedom to Create offers funding to projects that use the arts to create transformational change in the developing world. A wide range of art forms can be used and harnessed to educate, build, heal and inspire people - from educating communities on a particular issue, to inspiring people to change the status quo, to building capacity. Freedom to Create works across all countries in the developing world, and does not award grants to projects located in the developed world. Freedom to Create reviews applications on a continuous basis throughout the year. It takes between 2-3 months to evaluate a project, so you are strongly advised you to submit your application at least 3 months before the start of your project. The average grant size is about US $40,000.
Follow this link for application and more information http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103633771324&s=57596&e=001a7sj4g40N5nxg9tfJe3uc-5rq0BcrxqLDxQolNGgkchV87FCRPDdjAsuZ5MZXwD0xow1qdzTwZj_6_E5SR0_awG0dZftIwwcWlanLdIlD9u1ZW-bbFMHmegPnEjx15PHMdH9aoOfvIA%3D

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
E mail: shabaacentral@yahoo.com
Phone: 0723800526

Gender Forum

2010-08-26T12:35:00.001-07:00

In a under 14 hours Kenya will be reborn and we are all waiting with abaited breaths for this momerable moment.

As we do this, there is a need for us to embrace constitualism.

In this regard Heinrich Böll Stifftung foundation hosted a gender forum at Safari club today to help the public,civil society and the media get to understand how the new constitution has addressed gender equality. Kamotho Waiganjo-an Advocate and Njoki Ndung'u- former MP and Commissioner CoE made presentations pointing out how the new Constitution has protected and empowered men and women in terms of institutions as well as participation and social economic engagement.

It is upto us to embrace our new constitution and take an active role in the process of implementation.

GOD BLESS KENYA. GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE OF KENYA

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

2010-08-26T12:33:00.001-07:00

In a under 14 hours Kenya will be reborn and we are all waiting abaited breaths for this momerable moment.

As we do this, there's a need for us to embrace constitualism. In this regard Heinrich Böll Stifftung foundation hosted a gender forum at Safari club today to help the public,civil society and the media get to understand how the new constitution has addressed gender equality. Kamotho Waiganjo-an Advocate and Njoki Ndung'u- former MP and and Commissioner CoE made presentations pointing out How the new Constitution has protected and empowered men and women in terms of institutions as well as participation and social economic engagement. It is upto embrace our new constitution and take an active role in the process of implementation.

GOD BLESS KENYA. GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE OF KENYA

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

4th Slumfest on 14th Aug 2010 "Inspiring leadership to shape community intervention"

2010-08-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Taking charge of our destiny is deeply rooted upon grounds of our paradigms. Amongst many initiatives that help grassroot developments and provides a platform for exposure and growth is the Grand Slumfest a thematic annual event that targets low income communities.

The 4th Slumfest is happening on Saturday 14th August 2010 at Pumwani Secondary School opposite Pangani police station from 8am-5pm whose theme will be "inspiring leadership to shape community interventions"

Featured activities include showcasing of business models,innovative ideas,projects, products,services,programs developed by young people, business clinics, modeling, focus group sessions, interaction with Ministry officials on the National Youth Council and performances by talented artists.

Among organisations showcasing and offering services are Strathmore university, Liverpool VCT, I Choose Life Africa, St. John's Ambulance, KCB, IAT, Coca Cola among others.

Come and be a part of this great event.

DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: Micro-solar enterpreneurship opportunity

2010-08-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: Micro-solar enterpreneurship opportunity: "Dear friends, On 12th and 13th August Greens Teams Initiative will be holding a tour in and around Nyeri town with the aim of enrolling you..."

DAVID NJIHIARegional Coordinator-Shabaa CentralPhone: 0723800526

Micro-solar enterpreneurship opportunity

2010-08-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

On 12th and 13th August Greens Teams Initiative will be holding a tour in and around Nyeri town with the aim of enrolling young enterpreneurs into Micro-solar enterpreneurship opportunity.

If you or your organisation is interested kindly get in touch with Dennis on 0722619005.

Please Circulate this information widely.

Regards,

David Njihia
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central

Phone: 0723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: New dawn for Kenya

2010-08-09T03:54:00.000-07:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: New dawn for Kenya: "On 4th of August 2 010 Kenyans opened a new chapter in the future of this country by voting for the proposed constitution. The campaigns tha..."

DAVID NJIHIARegional Coordinator-Shabaa CentralPhone: 0723800526

New dawn for Kenya

2010-08-08T23:33:00.001-07:00

On 4th of August 2 010 Kenyans opened a new chapter in the future of this country by voting for the proposed constitution. The campaigns that had earlier been carried out prior to the voting by the Team opposing the constitution were filled with lies threatening the process.
But on this day, with a stroke of a pen, Kenyans demonstrated democratic maturity.
This has been a long journey which has seen lives lost, families destroyed and lives maimed. From the basement of Nyayo chambers to Uhuru park. Men and women of courage stood up for this noble course.
While this part of the journey has ended another have just begun.As we witness the dramatic and historic changes in governance our input have just widened.
It is time! It is time for young people to stand up and claim their place in the society. The way is clear now and the energy is renewed.

Let us stand and be not audiences of change but active actors.Above all, let us embrace value based leadership and peaceful co-existence.
As I have always insisted, what is most important is our moral fabric without which a constitution is reduced to just a book of instructions
DAVID NJIHIA
Regional Coordinator-Shabaa Central
Phone: 0723800526

SHABAA CENTRAL: Our Story

2010-07-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

SHABAA CENTRAL: Our Story: "Shabaa is a youth leadership program launched in November 2009 in Nakuru, Kenya during a National Youth leaders' Convention organised by Ken..."

DAVID NJIHIARegional Coordinator-Shabaa CentralPhone: 0723800526

LEADERSHIP AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING

2010-07-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Shabaa Central conducted a leadership and conflict resolution training on 17th to 22nd July 2010 at Mianzi Hotel Kiambu through the support of Kenya Community Development Foundation. In attendance were 57 young leaders drawn from all parts of central Province and parts of Nairobi.It was such a interactive and transformative training which also acted as forum for young people to interact and share experience. The main objective of the training was to equip young leaders with necessary skills for effective civic engagement and community mobilzation.

Listening to the hopes and aspirations of young people for our beloved country Kenya one could just but imagine how beautiful and bright the future will be. In the words of the participants:They want a peaceful Kenya where equity is observed and justice is our shield and defendor as is echoed in our National Anthem.Where Kenyans enjoy unity in diversity and where basic needs are accessible to everyone. This however is only possible if we all embrace value based leadership right from onset.
Many lessons were drawn from participants who brought with them rich experiences from their communities where most have started various initiatives.

The partcipants committed to uphold the seven core values of Shabaa and also to pass on the knowledge the had acquired to other young leaders in their communities.

We the Central Shabaa wish all these young leaders the best as they advance this noble course. We look forward to hearing from you