The Right to Write…

For a while I have been stuck wondering what to write, where to write, for whom to write. A block alright. Then I met a few who spoke so passionately about this right and realized that the only wrong I did was fail to write. “I have nothing to write about?” I cried. He promised to share his rights. So here I am and for the next coupla days, fighting for my rights, writing my self in, and sharing some of the stuff I wrote-off. Feel free to feedback 😉

Mteja…

Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Sikuoni mtaani, nakukosa hadharani
Hupiti tena njiani?
Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Nakutamani sana jamani…

Nimeuliza tena jirani
Suleimani na duka lake fulani
Mwisho kusikika sokoni
Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Pengine Ijumaa? Usichelewe jamaa…

Mashariki Afrika kusini
Magharibi mwa kaskazini
Nimerudi tena mpakani
Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Mengi masaa, Nasumbuka jamaa…

Nakaa hapa sebuleni
Biriani, majani, televisheni
Sipati tena afueni
Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Nakata tamaa, Nafadhaika jamaa…

Nimechoka kupiga foleni
Kutafuta yako anwani
Nasikitika ndani moyoni
Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Naona balaa, Silali jamaa…

Naelekea tena kanisani
Sala kuitia maanani
Kwani Mungu sio Athumani
Mteja mbona hupatikani?
Nakutamani sana jamani!

_________

12 Years…

12 years, I moved from physician to physician looking for a cure that would make me whole. Instead, I depleted my father’s inheritance spending all that was in his control. I hid from the day; the mockery was too much. I wept through the nights, the Lord had forgotten me.

But in the 12th year, I heard that He was in town. Yes the one who had given sight to the blind and restored the hearing of the deaf. The one who had given feet to the lame and brought back to life the dead. He was in my town!

Crowds thronged Him and for the first time in 12 years, no one cared that I, unclean, was by their side. I had battled with the life-giving red fluid that run through my body. But they too had a fight and meeting with the Lord was all that mattered.

And with all the strength left in my weakness, I got down on one knee and stretched out to touch the fringe of his garment. “Who touched me?” That moment has lasted a lifetime and because He lives, you too can face tomorrow!

~ Adapted from the Gospel of Matthew. Happy April! He has risen!

ANNA…

Once a week, Anna comes into my house and turns it from a parasite into a paradise. I mean she dusts, cleans, mops, arranges, re-arranges, polishes, shines, irons, folds, hangs, and before she calls it a day, a sumptuous meal she prepares.

I don’t know about you, but I have crazy days. My day starts at 6.00am with deadlines and to-do lists on my mind. Lunch hours are reserved for that pending school assignment. I try to leave the office at 5 o’clock to be in time for my classes. By the time I get home, all I can do is sleep.

I am very grateful for Anna. Her presence every Saturday not only brings me the much-needed hours of rest, but also a peace and order that transcends into every new week. For this reason, I see Anna like any other employee and a good one for that matter. One who is entitled to proper treatment* and a pay that is above the daily minimum wage. And whilst a good pay will secure me a place in Anna’s loyalty list, I also realise that I must teach Anna how to fish. Here’s a (true) story that really amazed me…

One evening Bella came home and found Anna unwell. She could tell that it was an Asthma attack but Anna repeatedly said that someone was out to get her; she was bewitched! This was not the first time that Anna had talked of the dark world and the many ‘African’ movies she subscribed to did not help dispel her fears. Tired of her deliriums, Bella called a cabbie and took Anna to Nairobi Hospital – no not a Nairobi Hospital but The Nairobi Hospital! This was the first time this 28 year old was stepping into a hospital and she was blown away! That night Anna not only received a cure for her body but also for her mind. Her perspective on life has changed and works excitedly in helping her kids ‘fish’ too.

Last Sunday our Pastor challenged us to liberating at least one Kenyan family out of poverty, if you don’t know where or how to start, think about your Anna.

Life after Debt. The ABCs…

Life after debt can be very messy particularly if the funds obtained went towards a deal that turned sour or simply didn’t bring in the expected return. Here are some tips that could help ease such a situation…

A – ASSESS your financial situation

What exactly do you need to pay off? Is it a bank loan? What’s the current balance and what’s the interest needed to be paid thereof? Is there anyone else you owe? Family? Friends? Write down all the amounts including obligations that you need to meet each month.

On a seperate sheet, write down your sources of income. This could be salary from your job, income from your business or assets from which you can make money. Note that an asset need not necessarily be property but also a skill or talent you could sell.

Such an assessment will give you a clear a picture of what you owe, your exact earnings and help you prioritize and / or reorganize your debt repayments.

B – BUDGET! BUDGET! BUDGET!

A budget is a TOOL that helps you plan your money. The idea is to live within your means i.e. ones income should never at any point exceed spending. Many articles on money recommend budgeting as an essential tool in managing finances. Consider the following excerpt from The Good Book:

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ Luke 14:28-30

I decided to give this tool a try after hearing repeatedly about it. I was pretty desperate at the time. It was a matter of life and debt;o) I adopted a 10-30-60 proposal which suggests 10% goes to giving, 30% to savings (an emergency fund, short/mid term investments and retirement), and the 60% remainder to meeting monthly expenses. My goal for the first year of budgeting was to get out of debt and therefore ‘spent’ more than I saved. Life has eased now but I still keep a 15-month MS Excel budget.

C – CHECK

For a budget to be effective, one needs to make a habit of going back every so often and checking it against actual spending. Checking helps you see where your money is going. By so doing, you will also be able to identify overruns and or, miraculously, areas of potential savings. These ‘miracle’ savings can be put towards paying ‘Paul’.

Keeping track of a budget may at times be discouraging particularly if you seem to be way off target. Remember nothing is cast on stone. The idea is to keep at it so that one day you can kiss debt goodbye. And as much as possible, keep your budget simple; details can be very onerous.

Finally, do check how ‘others’ manage their money. There’s lots of value in the experience of others and even more in letting them check on you. I hope to share my thoughts on accountability sometimes but for now, a zillion thanks for reading. Keep checking;o)

Drips & Drapes

It took me a good 3 days to hang my drapes. The first time I put them up, it was to let those who were looking for a house that this one was taken. I unhang them on the second day because they didn’t seem to gather well. On the final day, the sheers really tested my patience. I was almost done when I realized the curtain box (had double rails) did not have enough runners and so I had to unhang the sheers, redistribute the runners and hang them up again. I was pretty tired by evening but a most satisfied girl.

It’s interesting the way execute things. We either teach ourselves to do them but mostly are taught by others how to do them. I, for one, spent many hours with my dad learning how to write my ‘Ts’ straight, covering my school books and wrapping gifts. I didn’t know it at that time but he was teaching me the importance of measurement in quality. And so don’t be surprised when you visit and find a handy-bag on the top of my fridge with a measuring tape, marker pen, notebook, a pair of scissors and some adhesive tape.

But that’s not all! The week I moved, I borrowed my pops tools so that I could fix any drips that come with a ‘new’ house. Dad, on many weekends, sent me running to the tool-shed (that all and sundry room) to bring him some misumaris, tupa, randa, nyundo or spana. In fact, I once short-circuited (not sure if this is a good word) trying to fix a lose socket; Papa was watching some football match at the time. I can’t forget the startled look on his face. I know he wished more that he had allowed me to watch the game with him…

___

* It’s my parents anniversary today and I celebrate them… They brought me up well… I bless God for them…

Terms and Conditions apply…

I was, last week, twice a victim of ‘terms and conditions’ apply. “I’m sorry ma’am,” the lady told me. “That’s company policy and there’s nothing more we can do about it.” The second incident was a case of some guy imposing his terms and conditions to save his skin. I was pretty upset but that sometimes is the Nairobi ‘hustle’.

Talking about Nairobi, have you noticed the guy who’s decided to give the city a new look? Choosing blue, white and black as his primary colours, this fellow splatters his pieces across the gutters of Valley Road, on the walls of City Mortuary and most recently, along the foot tunnel that leads to the busy Grogan area. Graffiti* is what I am talking about! and though this kind of art is forbidden in many democracies (not sure what our bylaws say), the chap toils through the night to bring, by day, life to these obscure places.

Not only has he managed to give the town some new ‘swag’, but also seems to be on an ardent mission to pass a message and it is unmistakably in his conspicuous signature – BANK SLAVE! I think what happened to this 45 year old (I guess his age) was he one day walked into the bank (he’d been told he could make a fortune by selling his abstracts abroad) and when he walked out, life was never the same – terms and conditions applied!

www.businessdictionary.com defines terms and conditions as “general and special arrangements, provisions, requirements, rules, specifications, and standards that form an INTEGRAL part of an agreement or contract”. And just recently I truly sympathised with a friend who received a bank notification with his interest rate being revised to 32%. Yes 32%! The term / condition (in small print): All interest rates are pegged to the bank’s base lending rate currently at xx% p.a. and are variable. The bank reserves the right to revise interest rates from time to time depending on prevailing market conditions.

Life happens! And when it does, it can bring unprecedented stress. It is imperative, in such times, to fundamentally rethink and radically redesign (BPR definition) the way we use resources.

Rethink – take time off to come to terms with the situation. When ready, ask hard questions and gradually allow others to do same. Remember, those who laugh at your predicament bring the salinity necessary to heal wounds.
Redesign – our lifestyles are many times by design and when it becomes impossible to sustain it, we must urgently and radically redesign the way we live. (aibu kando)
Resource – ask people! You will be amazed to find people (though few) ready to help you in whatever way possible. But most importantly ask God. He provides grace, wisdom, and every single resource we need. Trust Him!

___

* In another life… I would have been an artist… #4real:o) Happy Valentines!

how much PLASTIC do you have?

Just moved house and my word! I could not believe how much plastic I had accumulated over the months. I had this bag where I stashed all sorts of plastic bags – black ones, supermarket ones, duty free ones – and would pull out one each time I was in ‘need’. And believe it or not, I found it difficult tossing many of them into the trash can. My case, however, would be different if I were living in Rwanda because non-biodegradable* bags are an absolute no-no. Travellers into the country are also not allowed to proceed from the airport with such bags and may exchange them for a $4 clothing bag.

The argument for non-biodegradable plastics is that they are recyclable. There is a kind, however, that cannot be recycled – plastic money that is! Commonly referred to as credit cards, these electronic swipes have become increasingly popular amongst the Kenyan professionals. Frequent international travels, technological advancements and progressive lifestyle changes have made these cards appealing. Banking personnel have also not failed in doing their job well.

But the truth is many people are paying for unnecessary costs due to poor credit management. The other day I was with my JVC (Jamaa Very Classy) pal and he was writing out a cheque in part payment of his credit card debt which was at KES 300,000, about KES 50,000 was his interest charge! He had spent a part of it on the Christmas festivities and the rest was a running balance from previous months. I thought he would be happy to consider the following in keeping his costs at a minimum and possibly zero…

Pay before time – Find out and take advantage of the grace period within which your financial institution charges zero interest for credit card purchases. It helps to work with a financial institution / bank that not only has systems in place to promptly process your payments but also has the capacity to offer you prompt assistance when you run into card trouble. If you are in a credit card debt situation, push yourself to pay off a certain amount each month and, believe you me, you will be ‘freed’ in no time. (I will talk about debt in one of my later posts)
Plan before emergencies set in – I once failed to sit for some exams because a bankers draft reached my examiners way past the due date. Having a credit card has sorted out this problem. Not only is it convenient (just a mouse click) but is also cheaper (excluding courier costs and exchange differences, the draft at that time cost me KES 2,500. For the card, the only real cost was in the exchange rates). This became one of my arguments for keeping the card. The other one was / is wondering what to do (without THE card) in case of say a hospital emergency. Bob Lotich of Christian Personal Finance (Christian PF on Facebook) gives one of the main reasons for using plastic money as not having an emergency fund. And given my JVC’s story, an entertainment fund too! I hear Bob’s point…
Put a limit to your spending – if the cap on your card is low (ridiculously low), you will find it very easy not only to pay it off but to manage it. It will be easy to track your expenditure, find errors and in no time you will find that you actually do not need THE card (which is the essence of this article). If you are entitled to a card at work, keep it strictly business! You will not like it when you get your pay slip and realize finance has deducted a hefty amount relating to the purchases you made 2 months earlier at some clothing store abroad!

___

* Now you know why Rwanda is against non-biodegradable bags – it’s not only harmful to the environment but can also cause chocking!

January!

January! and my haven’t I experienced it in all its brokenness. Over the years, though, I have come to enjoy such seasons because of the beauty it brings…

Broke-ness brings clarity – I am able to clearly separate my needs from wants, see exactly what I would do if I laid my hands on a handsome fortune, and have no doubts at all of what my priorities for the future are!
Broke-ness also reminds me of a much needed discipline – budgeting! I am not a stickler for budgets but in the periods I have been diligent, I have experienced such abundant peace than when opted to ‘survive’. And I want to get back there… where I am not only attending to my needs but for a greater* good.
Broke-ness helps me see God for who He is – end December / hello January, I was running some projects concurrently and I grossly understated how much I needed. The much I had saved up would grossly compromise the quality I desired and my out-of-box solutions weren’t coming through. Lets just say I saw God big time!

And so as I (and possibly you?) eagerly await paycheck #1 of 2012, I rest easy knowing that God will not only sort my money issues but my ‘maisha’ issues too. An awesome year to y’all!

___

* I dream of wazozuri… yes one day it shall serve a great good!

R & R

A while back, I was admitted and spent a couple of days in the infirmary. Every morning while taking my vitals [temperature, pressure, and heart rate], the nurse would ask these questions:

Did you sleep well? “Yes.” I’d nod even if my night was not so good. We are somewhat conditioned to give a positive response to the how-are-you or similarly equivalent question, I think. And depending on whether we like, trust or respect the person, we disclose the details. Mine was a do or die situation and withholding any information was simply detrimental.
What about your bowels? And as the days went by I got worried if I had nothing positive to report on my peristaltic movement. It was not only important for my body to get rid of the toxins but if it didn’t happen, there was a high risk of complicating my situation further. I now take my veges very seriously 🙂
“Is she walking?” The in-charge would ask the nurse assigned to me. Medication I could handle but walking was the most difficult part of the treatment. I remember one night falling off my bed as I tried to grab something. I laughed! I thought it made a very funny sight. Walking is the most effective way of getting rid of gas ‘pains’; a painful after–effect of being under anaesthesia*. It also prevents the formation of blood clots in the feet.

It’s still challenging to walk but each day I give it my best. On some days, I just watch movies; it eases the recuperation. I am truly grateful, however, for having a time to reflect on my walk [pun intended] and the footprints I want to leave behind.

___

*Anaesthesia – Was just surfing through the net and thought these stages were interesting:

Stage 1: Induction – patient loses consciousness and can carry on conversation!
Stage 2: Excitement – marked by excited and delirious activity.
Stage 3: Surgical Anaesthesia – skeletal muscles relax and THE work can begin.
Stage 4: Overdose – lethal! Can lead to brain damage or death.

tesha mongi

whatsoever's beautiful

Author: wazozuri