THE UNSUNG HEROES!

THE UNSUNG HEROES!

Are you guys heroes?

I hear you ask

Unsung heroes

We answer

Our lives is one big disaster

An endless tragedy

Or in another term-fate

In another time

And in another country

We’d be sir Francis Drake, Cortes or sir walter Raleigh

We’d have made empires

And carned national honours

But here in Africa,

Heroism is not our star

We are millipedes

Crawling on the floor of a dark, wet forest

And so we will die unsung!

Posts for Blog, Site, Email | Institute For Humane Studies

Posts for Blog, Site, Email | Institute For Humane Studies

for africa by africa: African trends: ZUMBA CRAZE SWEEPS AFRICA:

for africa by africa: African trends: ZUMBA CRAZE SWEEPS AFRICA:http://zumbanajossy.com/about.html

African trends: ZUMBA CRAZE SWEEPS AFRICA:

African trends: ZUMBA CRAZE SWEEPS AFRICA:

Since Zumba’s introduction to Kenya in 2009, the trend has grown tremendously and has become widely accepted as a genuine fitness programme continentally.

But in 2010, shakira’s “waka waka” for Africa tune took the Zumba madness to a whole new level. Imagine a fitness regime that has got tongues wagging and a body shaking in the keep-fit community, the trend has now moved its popularity amongst men.

Considered earlier as a women’s thing, a walk around Nairobi’s street’s stalls proves otherwise. Men are giving women a run for their money, purchasing the zumba DVDS and practicing it out at the comfort of their living rooms.

Zumba couples a warm- up session, high and low intensity dance routines followed by a cool-down. It also incorporates a series of traditional strengthening exercises, including lunges and squats, so as to complete a full body work out.

Unlike aerobics, Zumba does not involve body movements or terminology that might deter newcomers. Music is the central guiding element in Zumba that guides a person’s body movement.

 Apart from physical fitness, Zumba offers a medley of dance moves that lead to an invigorating workout as you learn the basics of other popular Latin American dance styles such as the Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa and Samba.

Zumba owes its origin to the Colombian aerobics instructor Alberto Perez. It is derived from a Colombian word that means to move fast and have fun.

The fitness programme was accidentally developed by Alberto after he had left his aerobics music tapes behind while hurrying to the gym to teach an aerobics class. Alberto decided to get creative and came up with innovative dance moves that were much appreciated by his class.

Zumba, however, did not gain ground until 1999 when, thanks to globalization, Alberto exported it to Miami, Florida in the USA. There, he teamed up with two other Colombians to form Zumba Fitness LLC. They trademarked the word zumba and began a mission to spread it across the world.

Whether in Nairobi, Lagos, Cape Town or Cairo, fitness-conscious people have taken to Zumba with near- fanatical zeal and following. Today, almost every gymnasium and health club worth its name is offering Zumba sessions.

Zumba is not only enjoyed by young people but it also appeals equally to older people who are less supple and find it hard to cope with the rigors of aerobics. Beginners can learn quickly and while at it, its benefits range from weight loss as well as improved muscle tone. But the greatest appeal of Zumba lies in the fact that it’s fun.

The only drawback now is the lack of proper Zumba instructors.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

Zumba is offered at; Jacaranda Gym & Spa P.o Box 14827-00800 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254-2-4448713/4/5/6/7 Fax: 254-2-44446159/4448977 Email: jacarandahotel@africaonline.co.ke.

A MAN ON A MISSION:

A MAN ON A MISSION:

Born Zackary Kimotho in kigumo division Muranga county back in 1968, zack attended Karinga primary school and from onset he was poised for academic achievement, coming top of his class during exams.

He went for his ordinary level education at Nyeri High school. His star was shining from the onset and in 1988, after his 0-levels, he was accepted in Nakuru High School for his A- levels (advanced level). As mandatory, Zack joined the National Youth service in 1988 to give back to the society in service.

Then January 4th 1994 and zack graduated from the University of Nairobi attaining a Bachelor of veterinary medicine.

The year 2000 saw him marry the love of life-Doris wawira, with whom a year later God opened her womb and they were blessed with a bouncing bay boy Daniel.

The same year 2003, zack lost his wife and his job too. And in 2004, while in the nairobi-nakuru highway junction, an armed man approached Zack's car and rudely in Swahili piped,"Kwani huoni ni nini nimebeba?" (Can’t you see what I am carrying?)

The man had a gun and at close range opened fire calling zack "stupid”. 

Now zack is on a mission only he himself can accomplish. Zack is heading to South Africa on a wheelchair because that's where the nearest spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre is located. even as many hope that Kenyans will unite in their donations and quest to raise Ksh 250 million  to build a facility here and hence bring Zack home.

The journey to South Africa on a wheelchair is tiresome. We need to bring Zack home before he gets to South Africa on a wheelchair. That's the appeal.

For more info- http://www.bringzackbackhome.com/

HONOURING OUR FATHERS:

HONOURING OUR FATHERS:

So, yesterday was Father’s Day. Happy belated Father’s Day guys! I thought to myself what I’d write concerning this particular day. As I took time alone, I felt God urging me to strive, not merely by my words but also by my action, to live each day as though it was a Father’s Day.

I came across a special archived message from a Saturday Magazine pullout of the Daily Nation from way back in 2010. I’d like to share this African woman and a columnist’s story, which she titled; “honoring our fathers.”

June 21^st is a day that gets scant attention this side of the planet. It is a day set aside to celebrate the fatherly figures in our lives- Father’s Day in short!

Ruth E. Renkel, a writer, once said that, “sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.”

The world can be unfair. How better can we demonstrate this unfairness than from the way we rave about our mothers’ goodness more than we do our fathers’?

We are usually reminded with prompt and pomp that Mother’s Day is round the corner way in advance, but what happens on Father’s Day?

It often goes by without mention. True, fathers might not always be there for us, and so we grow closer to our mothers as we grow up.

But is he not the one who toiled to ensure our needs were met? Thank goodness there are still some of us who are thoughtful enough to acknowledge the role our dad’s played in our lives.

How many of us smile when we think of our own papa as well as all other men who have played the role of a father in our lives?

Do you remember when some of us looked forward to our dads visiting us in high school, always coming along with a bag full of goodies? While our peers dreaded their fathers’ visits, since they only carried a newspaper with them, we always looked forward to our dads visiting us.

My father has been a friend and above all a source of encouragement throughout my entire life. I know I can talk to him at any time. I say “thank you”, I say “gracias” to him for guiding us in the issues of spirituality.

Everyday, regardless of what I am going through, I am at peace because I know I can call on him and ask that he say a prayer for me.

He sacrificed a lot to ensure we get the best education, and has been selfless in ensuring that we lack nothing basic as we grow up.

You have taught us the greatest value in life, integrity. You also taught us to save for a rainy day.

Thank you for taking time to talk to my brothers and sisters to help them become better fathers and mothers in future.

Thank you for being free to discuss with us even about girls, AIDS and sexuality- you have made us realize that love is real.

Looking at you and seeing how you have treated our mama for over 30 years, and the kind of support you have given her, makes me smile boldly.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being so open and welcoming to all the different types of friends we bring home. I know I have never been at ease saying this, but thank you also for being a great disciplinarian, who wanted nothing short of raising responsible children.

I can only pray sincerely that God gives you many days ahead to see us pass on good things to our children as well. May God continually give you good health?

I have made it my agenda to visit my parents and mentors in appreciation of the role they have played in our lives. This year’s theme is;” to honor our fathers,” and whatever goodies we carry with us, are presented to the father- it is up to him to share his gifts as he so wishes.

We decided this when we realize that we had somehow sidelined our dads. Many a times we’ve appreciated our mothers more than we have appreciated our fathers.

Don’t get me wrong. It is not wrong to appreciate our mothers, but I believe our fathers too have played a key role in our lives.

I have come to realize that, no matter what some people say, or may say, taking care of a father means the entire family stays happy too. Honor your daddy today-won’t you?

WORLD WAR 2 REVENGE:

WORLD WAR 2 REVENGE:

During the world cup in South Africa, fate brought two super-powers in an encounting battle of titans and the day went to the Germans’ glory when they hammered England 4-1, in an encounter many termed as the repeat of World War 2. Let me take you back to a bit of history journey and fill you in…

See, Bloemfontein is a city which honors South Africa’s difficult history with pride. The Free State, of which it is the capital, is the heartland of the Afrikaners- better known for their passion for rugby- and was the main battleground of the 19^th century wars between the Boers and British.

bloemfontein city

In 1912, the African National Congress-ANC was founded in Batho, Bloemfontein and it led Mandela to the 1994 election victory. Infact, Bloemfontein is often referred to as: “the city of roses.”

Bloemfontein city- known in the Sotho language as: “the place of cheetahs”, was the convenient place that fate chose to unite rugby fans and the 2010 world cup football fans.

the battle ground

The old racial divide between rugby and football has been changing as white fans, who would never normally dare venture in Soweto, were welcomed hands wide by residents during a rugby cup final in the township prior to the commencing of the world cup.

Add caption

the soweto township

Even the war museum of the Boer Republics, a splendid collection of artifacts on the Boers’ struggles against the British, was one stop visitors for the world cup were treated to a special display. A display that detailed some of the history of football in the region, with an account of Scottish soldiers taking a team of Boer prisoners and other regimental matches between battles.

It also highlights other nationalities involved in the war, among them, world cup participants: the French, Italians and Germans, on the Boer side against the Australians, New Zealanders and Portuguese.

“A lot of foreigners fought on the Boer side,” museum director John Zyl said in an earlier interview.

“Europe was envious of the British Empire and was very interested in seeing small republics give the British Lion, a punch on the nose.”

And those words, England did bear in mind, when fate, as always this thing called fate, brought them to Bloemfontein in the second round and they faced the Hitlers’ alias the Germans’ humiliation.

the reaction

the fans