Towards a Virtuous Circle



I have tried to remember the day I first joined Worldpulse wire but I cannot quite point to the exact event that guided my fingers to surf to the world pulse.com website. May be this is because, I spend so many hours everyday doing my research on the web and communicating with friends and partners across the globe. But one thing I remember is the long journey that I have come this far. That I can be able to share my humble beginnings of learning to use virtual technology from a humble city back ground of Nairobi, Kenya and using the same to promote gender equality and empowerment of women both in rural Africa and world over.



I was born and grew up in Kenya ( My first journal holds part of my story). My life After high school was torn between pursuing my career goal of being a broadcaster and public speaker, my obligation and responsibility to care for my siblings after my parents demise and my passion to work with marginalised rural women and girls who I identified with in my lonely tearful nights that followed daylight bravery that hid the pain I was going through.



In the course of pursuing this threefold vision, I desired to know what the world outside Kenya is like. Partly because sometimes we think that if only we could be in a new environment the hardships we face in our prime abode will cease to be. Again in this pursuit, was a feeling that I can be all I want to be and where I want to be if I choose to. That led me to intensively teach myself basic computer skills as I tirelessly tried to send proposals to donor agencies abroad seeking financial help for my vision for the women and girls. For sure, though I spent so much resources and time writing proposals at cyber cafes in Nairobi an exercise that was very expensive ten years ago, all proposals never bore any fruit in cash to support the vision that I held so dearly. My joy was revamped whenever I would go to the villages to break news to the women in my network that nothing had come forth yet. A few would break down and leave in disappointment wondering what kind of an NGO will come to a community to advocate for empowerment without money while others would hold on and encourage me that someday the vision will speak and though it tarries it shall come to pass.



Then a door opened for me to travel to Europe, and surely as I hugged the women goodbye, in the back of my mind was the thought "if there are computers in Europe as I hear, I will work so hard to find help for the women in Africa". Little did I know that in Europe life is a struggle just as it is in Africa and that unless one is persistent and focused to doing the right thing, one can waste many years being in Europe and return home having done nothing. I feared for this fate being my identity because all along I never wanted to be called a failure because I am not one. I am a learner: And even when things don’t go right as I planned, to me those mistakes made where platforms for me to learn and opportunities to make it work as it should.



Still carrying the burden of my life goals, that of my siblings and that of the women and girls of rural Africa with me . I compared myself a woman pregnant with triplets that I must bring forth with life. I told myself that none of my vision will abort. Today I am pursuing my higher education and adding skill and knowledge to my profession, I have a family, and my brothers who were left under my care are at a tender age are now through with their education and even employed. and for the women and children of Africa I have Project Africa , an Non profit established with an aim to promote gender equality, equity and empowerment of women and girls in rural Africa. www.projectforafrica.org



As I review all these, I believe that what pulled me to world pulse wire was the attraction of women who like myself had drawn so much strength from their life experiences and were using these experiences to bring forth positive change in the society. So though, I may not quite remember the event that led me to worldpulse.com I remember reading through the index page and saying to myself this is a place for me to be. And as I joined the network, every profile of every woman that I read on the first day until now has been a source of encouragement that I resonate with.



Then I thought about the women and girls in rural Africa. They are a part of me how can they benefit from this wonderful network? How can they regardless of their remote locations interact with women world wide like I am doing and gain power for knowing that their are any out there who struggle like they do but move own? How could I be an ambassodor for the women and girls in Project Africa network and reveal to the world their beauty, creativity, talents and wisdom. I thought about Project Africa’s Rafiki program which I started with an aim to involve women worldwide to participate in educating, mentoring and empowering women and girls at a personal level. And Bang! The idea came to start The Rafiki Club in this network world pulse wire that unlike other networks that fear of being overshadowed, was open to let every woman and women organization arise and shine.



Today, I consider my finding world pulse wire a miracle in deed. Because through the network I have been encouraged with notes of women who recognise the contributions that I make to see my mothers and sisters in Africa are empowered. Through worldpulse wire Project Africa’s Rafiki Program has taken a new lifting now involving more than 100 women in just one month and the numbers are increasing as much as is the enthusiasm. Through world pulse I now know that it is possible to make communication go through a complete virtuous circle reaching even the marginalised in Africa. The Steps are registered on The Rafiki Club Journal titled “Rafiki Joins two Parts of the world, with one cord love” (http://www.worldpulse.com/node/8575#comment-5066) cannot be over emphasized.



Women in three worlds are joined together by both old and new media. This shows that our diversity is our strength and our desire for change can be passed on one woman to another regardless of where we are. Those in doubt on just how much women can do to take back their freedoms and rights must check out the voices of reason that these media represent. We are moving towards a virtuous circle where women take control of every decision and platform that talks about women issues and social change.



Therefore, world pulse wire is making a vision come to pass, that of me being an ambassodor for the women and girls in rural Africa. This is for me and for Mama Africa.

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