THE UNIQUE U.S HISTORY KENYA CAN DIGEST

One of the over 150 different U.S tribe was one called Navajo. The NAVAJO of the South Western United States are the largest federally recognized tribe of the United States of America with 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent government, which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the four corner areas of the United States. The Navajo language is spoken throughout the region with the most capable of speaking as well.

Now, during the World War II, the Navajo were used in every assault that the US made on the Pacific from 1942 – “45 and they served in all six Marine divisions, Marine Raider battalions and Marine parachute units, transmitting messages by telephone and radio. This was because the U.S used the Navajo language to convey high security messages during the war which was impossible for the Japanese who are highly skilled code breakers to break & decipher.

You see the Navajo language consisted of an unwritten language of extreme complexity. Its syntax and tonal qualities, not to mention dialects, make it unintelligible to anyone without extensive exposure and training. It has no alphabet or symbols, and is spoken only on the Navajo lands of the American Southwest. One estimate indicates that less than 30 non-Navajos, none of them Japanese, could understand the language at the outbreak of World War II.

The U.S used the uniqueness of the Navajo language to its advantage in World War II. Rather than encrypting radio messages, it proved simpler to use Navajos to speak to each other in their everyday language to convey high-security messages & it worked. And unlike with machine codes, the Japanese were never able to break the Navajo code. This skill, creativity and uniqueness helped to save both American lives and marine engagements. And remember that U.S was the one country that made a halt to the World War II after the atomic bomb was dropped in the Japanese Islands of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This partly led to it now becoming the World’s most powerful nation.

In Kenya we have more than 42 unique tribes. Each tribe in Kenya has their own distinctive social and economical cultural engagements that make them very distinct.

How do we take advantage of all these tribes to develop Kenya and make it a Social, Economical and Powerful power house in Africa instead of taking refuge in our ethnic & tribal cocoons by fighting each other and thinking that our tribes are superior to other People’s tribes?

Please decode that Question for yourself?

WHO IS VAL? :RE_INTRO

Everyone asks me the above the Question. And most of the times, I have realized that most of the answers that they get are presuppositions based on what they’ve been earlier told or an observation they’ve made probably on a onetime experience with me. It happens that Less than 10% of what they say about me is true or “near” truth. And this has led to misunderstandings & misapprehension of the Real Val. 

In view of this, I have decided to scribe a short write up that would seek to reveal to you an idea of who Val is; the creation of our Heavenly Father who carefully and perfectly knitted and wired every part of his body, mind and soul to become who he is now.

I am an ambitious and passion driven person who aggressively pushes himself to accomplish a given mission. Considering that I am task – oriented person, I do this with vigor, energy and aggression. When it comes to work, I usually dominate other people not for the wrong reasons but when I want it done and done on time. In that case I am straightforward, frank, self-sufficient, creative, critical, and no-nonsense individual with zeal and drive. When it comes to people, I am a relational person who gets social and familiar but still approaches with caution maintaining easiness. I approach links with honesty, straightforward and openness and that has sometimes gotten me in trouble with friends for being too bare with facts. To make it clear, I don’t relate to please other people. It’s either you like me or not, accept me or not.

I have been called a Proud Person, others have said that am Cocky, other have even said that am full of myself. I don’t think so, am just one person who believes in self –confidence and cultivation of a positive self – esteem culture in my life. I don’t shy away from displaying my successes and failures. You learn a lot from them. Am not a laid-back person; I see and take action immediately and that makes me a proactive character. (Go - Getter). Considering that I am on this earth for a season but for a reason, I usually give my all in everything that I do and for that matter, I don’t entertain excuses, laziness, time wastage and under-performers. My Motto is “Go hard or Go Home.”  If you don’t do it, I’ll do it myself.

All these make up part of my personality, something that I was born with and cannot change. As a result of that I remain mostly unapologetic about who Val is. 

Despite all that, am not faultless. I am an imperfect person created by a perfect Creator who is perfectly working in my Life to make me the best of what He wants me to be. I Leave God to define me and stamp His identity in me.

Who is Val? -----> A Nobody, Here to tell Everybody, About Somebody, Who can save anybody...#A Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ...#...!!!

(This is not an exhaustion of who Val is, as I said in the beginning, it’s just a of snippet who Val is. You can use this to help you create a snippet of who you are)

 

THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF AN INTERN AT THE UN -HABITAT (PART 1)

Having received a text message reading “Would you like to do an internship programme at the UN for data……” So unconcerned I was because I thought it was one of those SMS from people in our prisons. At that time there was a lot of news about how prisoners are able to sneak in Mobile phones handsets and laptops into the prisons and they were using them to commit fraud. Anyway the reason why I never thought of UN was because; UN for me was a “dream” working place later in my career. It was one of those places that you only dream especially when you’re walking along a road then you get to see those big  fuel guzzlers vehicles with red number plates and the only thing running into your mind is “$$$$$$” and a good life. I decided to contact the number and realized that it was my Lecture in college and she gave further directions after having decided on it. I sent the CV to the given address and after one week, I received a call from the Agency that I was to work for, informing me that I was to attend an interview the following week.

After that, I knew that things here were really getting serious. Why? Do you know I just received a call from UN...I mean United Nations. It doesn’t matter the content of the conversation as long as it was from UN. As usual, I did not want to tell everyone not even my mum yet because you still want to be sure it was not a hoax, (you don’t want to be laughing stock). Now I started mesmerizing about my future experiences at that place (mind you, I had not even attended the interview, leave alone passing it). I even started to wonder how that place is, not even the single of my thoughts could be able to conceive and clearly bring the depiction of the physical environment of that place. Three days before the due date, I decided to tell my mum and also those friends that I had not informed especially in my Bible study group in church (one needs the support of brethren in everything) to keep me in prayers as I go for the interview (Divine intervention).

But then one problem still kept on ringing in back and forth my mind; what was it? I had not invested on official clothes, I really had very few nice looking official clothes and the reason was because I had ignored them a lot for the fact that I just don’t like them (I have a history with them: not really good). Anyway, whatever the case I had to go to the interview.

The Interview 

I arrived at the UN complex main gate at around 8:15 .am smartly and sharply dressed looking as if I am going to one of those top board strategy meetings (don’t even ask where I got the clothes).

The only people I have seen carrying guns in this country are only Police officers and like minded organizations but not securities for companies and NGOs. In this case, I was so shocked to see nicely dressed gentlemen with pistols on their waists supported by holsters. So confused I was, that I didn’t know where to go seriously. Being diplomatic and cool as I am always, I decided to ask one of them who directed me to the point where I am supposed to submit my details (Funny thing is that they also speak fluent and eloquent English, not the ones that I am used to meet in Kenya). 
 

Now, this place has 3 security points, The first one is at the main gate where, I was asked for my papers to confirm that I was invited in that place plus identification documents, then the second one was where you are given a ground pass with your photo on it which will grants you access to in the main compound and then there is the third one which an officer manning there ready to confirm you details (ground pass) and then swipe a card to allow you to access through the gate. Do you know that process alone can take you around 45 minutes to even one hour? …. No You Don’t

Wow! I was in the main complex, I can’t believe, I am in the UN Gigiri main complex. On my view the place is wide and open. On my left is a line long path that was leading to the main Lobby and its sides are long flag posts each with a flag that represent every country that is a member of the UN. It really looked cool. On my right was a road leading to a parking with buses from a local transport company ( came to find out later that , those are the staff buses and they pay only Kshs 1500 per month for those services and it takes you to your doorstep; God, I cant believe this, I mean its very cheap). Anyway, I was directed to follow the flag posts to the main lobby and then ask another security person on where I wanted to go (Following the flag posts was the easiest way for visitors because with that you can’t get lost).On the way I met a lot of foreigners or otherwise as they are known locally as “Mzungus”, Now, these are not the typical ones that you find in the streets of Nairobi smiling at you always, they were really serious (Perhaps they were thinking of their families at home or maybe their boss had told them that they had to go to Somali for 3 good months. SOMALI! Guess you know how that place is from watching CNN). I was supposed to go to the “NOF BLOCK 4, LEVEL 2 SOUTHWING’, you know with such a description, I don’t have a clue what it means leave alone where it is. Having been directed, I passed through the first Block labeled “1” and I was to go till I reach where it has been labeled “4” then took a short flight of stairs to what is now called  LEVEL 2 then proceeded to the part that is now called South wing, mind you it has not been labeled. A narrow path leads to the main office of that part, Now not knowing definitely where I was going, again I had to ask a man in this late thirties (looking so) to direct me to the office of my future boss for the next 6 months (Initially it was 3 months). 
 

The directions led me to an office labeled the name of my supervisor *Wanda Seaford*). Reading the name instituted another mindboggling conversation within me as to whether that name belongs to a Kenyan or a foreigner. Anyway I decided to call her number and the response was like “We were supposed to meet at 9am, so please wait for me because it’s not yet….”.”Ok” was my response. So I seated their waiting patiently, expectantly and anxiously for the interview to start. I kept on reminding myself about what HABITAT is all about and also some of the Do’s and Don’ts during an interview. 

Suddenly a lady appeared on one of the doors walking hurriedly (Probably running, Later on I came to discover that the Lady is very strong despite her age at that time being 60) carrying “Ciondoo” and a “Kitenge skirt and a sleeveless top”. She came towards me and asked me if I was that name that she was to interview and I responded with a strong yes. She told me to give her a few minutes while opening the office. The time has come for the interview. She called me in, directed me to a chair and asked for my CV (thank God I had carried it).The first question was “Tell me something about yourself that is not written in the CV”; this is a question that one needs to prepare themselves on because every interviewer will ask you that. Trust me on that. 

The interview took around 30 minutes. It really moved from being an interview to a conversation and I liked that. The content was more of the current issues facing city in terms of planning and there possible remedies for all that. I must say that the future boss was really friendly and polite too. After that I was directed to one a young man possible in his mid twenties. He was supposed to direct me on how to fill a central online application site for all the interns coming to UN. I came later to know that his was also working in the same department and I will be working with him too. His name was *John*. He directed me with everything that I was supposed to do. I finished with that and I left the office trying to internalize everything that had just happen all that time. Figured out my way out of the complex and went home to relax myself. I filled the form for one and half weeks (It is a very long form) and waited for around one month before I was called to report to the place.

The Experience
Reporting day for the internship was on 30 ^th May 2011. Psyched up I was with very many expectations and intentions during my entire time at the UN. Reported to the internship office, took the document which I am supposed to get with the official ground pass. Once I got my official ground pass with my name on it and it also indicates the agency and what my title is e.g. “Intern”. Did I just tell you that we were also entitled to “Courtesy Bus” every evening to the city center? Yeah! It’s called a courtesy bus because it can only accommodate around 30 something people considering that this place has 100 and interns and it’s also on first come first serve basis. I can tell you for real that the bus left me on my first day. Sorry me! Anyway I had to wait after one week to take my orientation; which in sense was supposed to be done in the first day (I don’t know if it served its purpose because it’s like an introductory class session to familiarize oneself with UN. 

After week surely, one has already known the place at least). It was during the orientation that I came to know about that the UN also houses international interns. I met quite a number of them during the orientation form different countries. Awesome place it is. Proceeded to my office met my boss and I was re – introduced to *John who as I told you will be my direct work colleague. I went through a small job orientation based on what I was supposed to do.
My first week in UN – HABITAT was one of the worst week I had in my life. I think it was not just one of the, but the worst week I ever had in my life. How can one stay in an office with people and not talk. I stayed in the office and no one is greeting at all. You can’t even greet other people because the facial expression that they give you is just like “try and say hi and you will regret it the rest of your life” hahahaha (Vey funny, Just Kidding). I can tell truly that, that was the attitude exhibited by people. I am very social person and I can’t stay three hours non –stop without talking to someone. Unless you are with them in the same in the same unit or working together I can tell you that no verbal contact will be between the two of you. I spend like three weeks before having that verbal contact with some of them, not that I didn’t want but it was them who seemingly didn’t want.
 

I think God created us as social creatures who are supposed to be connecting in whatever ways. By the way the Unit that I was working in had people of different Nationalities, i.e. Kenyans, Ugandans, French, Mexicans, West Africans and also Europeans. Such diversity but no connection; with such a very weird working environment. On that point by the way, I had someone said when we were having lunch at the cafeteria that people are reluctant to share their research or discoveries because their superiors might either plagiarize them or even take credit on them (I don’t know how true it is)

     ....................................End of Part 1.............................................