Skip to main content

Should we despair amidst the changing tides? 

By paul bundi karau



Should we despair amidst the changing tides? For a long time, education has been the surest escape from mental and physical impecunity. Many families were pulled out of the fangs of poverty and despair after one or two of their kin went to school. Until now. We've seen a decline in the value of education. Instead, patronage and politics seems to have replaced education as the key to prosperity. I always feel this when I speak to students about education. Should they soldier on, or should they rest easy and wait for fate? Is there any hope that a poor kid from Kitheo, who works hard in school, will meritoriously get an opportunity? My answer would be; there is no better alternative yet. The only option for a poor kid in Turkana is to go to school, and work smart. Sure, he will face challenges, but these challenges will be at another level. He might tarmac for 5 years, but he will nevertheless survive. Suffering, nay, want, begets creativity. And creativity begets opportunity. So, to our students: work smart. DON'T GIVE UP

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Take care of yourself__"The first wealth is health".

By Strive Masiyiwa  A few weeks ago I went to the doctor. I will tell you what he said about my health at the end, but first read this: Twenty years ago, I arranged to meet a well-known British international businessman who invested a lot in Africa at the time. We agreed to meet for dinner at a leading hotel in London.  After a good meeting, we started to walk out of the restaurant when he suddenly collapsed in the lobby. There was total pandemonium as they rushed to get medical assistance. Being London, an ambulance arrived in minutes. I jumped in the back with him as paramedics wrestled to keep him alive. He had had a heart attack and had to have triple bypass heart surgery. Sadly he died a few weeks later. He hadn't been sick and his sudden death surprised everyone. And yet as I reflected on it, and later discussed it with a doctor friend who knew him, I realized he was very laid back about his health despite having a hectic business life. Even during our dinner...

Freedom: The One Thing Gaddafi Could Not Give — And the One Thing No Government Can Take Away

For years, the collapse of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi puzzled many observers across Africa and the world. How could a country with high living standards, generous state programs, and a strong economy turn so swiftly against a leader who appeared to have delivered materially for his people? This question is not just about Libya. It speaks to a deeper truth about governance, legitimacy, and the limits of developmental authoritarianism. It speaks to Africa’s political future. And it speaks directly to the crossroads at which Kenya now finds itself. --- The Libyan Paradox: Prosperity Without Liberty Before the 2011 uprising, Libya’s economic and social indicators were strikingly strong for the region. Gaddafi’s Libya boasted: Free education Free healthcare Subsidized housing Cheap fuel High employment An extensive welfare system These were not myths. The United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) of 2010 ranked Libya 53rd in the world and first in Africa. Even today, that ranking stands...