G10- Kenyan Women Caucus calls for 1 Week Sex Boycott

The Kenyan women caucus for various women organisations dubbed G-10 caucus has called on all Kenyan women to boycott sex relations with their men for one week to compel the Country's leadership to solve their constant bickering's and dispute! The group announced this yesterday at a Nairobi hotel and it has become the hot topic on every Kenyans mouth.(you should listen to the hot discussion at the office this morning...quite some varied opinion,some are calling into question the marital status of the said women ! )

The caucus brings together among other women groups the following Organisations: Maendeleo ya Wanawake, National Council of Women of Kenya, Coalition on Violence Against Women ,Women Political Leadership, Centre for Rights Education and Awareness, Tomorrow’s Child Initiative, Women in Law and Development, African Women and Child and Development through Media ,Young Women Leadership Institute and the Federation of Women Lawyers - Kenya (Fida).

The questions that remain to be asked is such a strategy viable in a Country where Gender Violence,discrimination, inequality, marital rape, abuse etc are rife? Will not this call endanger the lives of many women in abusive marital relationships ?Is it perhaps an elitist feminist agenda ment to gain popularity for a few and that will eventually receive little or no support from the grassroots?Futhermore such a move pushes to the fore 'the sex agenda" whereby women are viewed as only good for sex and as using sex to gain favors from men? Would such a view be advantageous to the Kenyan women?

I'm sure my worthy female readers will trump this post as a chauvinist sentiment but truth be told is that the current social scenario and environment may not favour such move in fact the negative consequences will be tenfold. Perhaps that's why the boycott is only seven days, at the same time there is threat of increased infidelity and a prostitution boom during such a period!

On the other hand a question rouses itself to the 'proffesed' christian wife whether she will obey the unconditional biblical appeal for her to continue subject to his husband just as the congregation was to Christ, is the call biblically/ religiously wise? While the organisers have a noble aim to compel the leaders to pursue peace and prosperity for the Country, but is this the only option in terms of lobbying the political leadership to pursue change? Kenyan public i provoke your comments in this article....your take?

The Albino Massacre's in Tanzania(looking Back)

Some time last year Kenyans were shocked in the ongoings in our neighbouring Country Tanzania with regards to the killing and maiming of albinos by certain groups of people(especially in the Mwanza region of Tanzania) all in the name of obtaining body parts for witchcraft purposes! The grim stories of Tanzania Albino massacres caught the international conscious of many nations. A year later i wonder what is being done to stem the practice and or educate the masses against erroneous beliefs or customs that are of such barbaric nature !

It was indeed sad to see the killings were being done under mistaken advice by witchdoctors that magic portions made from skins of persons impaired by albinism could make one rich.The clamour to get rich fueled the trade and even persons impaired by Albinism in Kenya(see this past CCI ARTICLE), Rwanda and Burundi even came under threat from the "lucrative" trade!

I stumbled upon a website that is insightful about an international NGO that has taken upon itself this worthy task .The site is calledUnderthesamesun. founded by Peter Ash a Canadian living with albinism in vancouver.His organization "exists to promote the wellbeing of persons often disadvantaged by disability and/or poverty. The organization wishes to provide a variety of supports and resources to those most often marginalized and misunderstood".

While it is true that the killings and murders have abbated and that the Tanzanian Government was firm and took stern actions against suspected perpetrators(see this insightful NEWYORK TIMES article and BBC NEWS ARTICLE on the Tanzanian Government firm response) the truth is that the issue is a social problem that affects many Countries within the East African region. It is sad that in so many ways persons with certain disabilities continued to be discriminated against or even ignored by the Governments.

As we look back at those spte of killings it is imperative to ask what can be done to ensure that a repeat attack or an underground trade in human body parts of albino impaired persons does not flourish?You and i have a part to play no matter where we live or originate from!

My call hereby is that we all take a part in informing our friends, relatives associates to treat all humans equally and equitably no matter what the impairment or disability.We are all equal and have equal value before our creator.We have more things in common with anyone impaired than thoe that differentiate us, we have more that unite us than those that differentiate us! and we all under close scrtiny are impaired in one way or the other and ought not to distinguish as against another.Killing others based on ethnicity, riches, creed, colour , impairment is crass wickedness, demonic and outright immoral even for persons without or proffesing no belief in God !

Latest News on Swine Flu-New Zealand

The Swine flu epidemic has now reached New Zealand with atleast two reported cases! After the Bird flu phenomena the various world health authorities are now taking no chances!(it's almost poetic... from bird(bad flu)to swine flu)The recent upsurge of the deadly swine flu was first reported in Mexico with a few cases being reported in the United States.The fact that cases of new infections have sprung up in New Zealand(see NZ Herald article) indicate a death dealing disease on the loose that needs to be contained!

But agian what is swine flu? what are its symptoms and what does one need to do if infected with the virus? are important questions that each one of us needs to consider!Simply put swine flu is influenza that ordinarily affects swine(my layman definition) Wikipedia puts it as:

"influenza caused by any virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae, that is endemic to pig (swine) populations. Strains endemic in swine are called swine influenza virus (SIV), and all known strains of SIV are classified as Influenzavirus A (common) or Influenzavirus C (rare).^[1] Influenzavirus B has not been reported in swine".

The symptoms of the disease are similar just as for usual flu i.e headaches, sore throat, body aches,fever cough ,vomiting etc.How would one know if one has been infected.....a lab test is necessary , so if you catch up a flu round this time and have travelled to any of the areas where the disease has been sighted it would be advisable to seek medical advice by visiting a qualified medical practitioner.

The good news is that swine flu is treatable with certain recommended antiviral drugs especially if detected early! The treatment however must be administered under the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner! Seeing that its raining heavily in some parts of Africa right now, please dont panic if you catch a flu but make sure to consult a doctor!

by the way you can follow the Atlanta(USA) based Center for Disease Control on twitter for latest updates : twitter.com/cdcemergency

To help all of us stay healthy EACH ONE OF US can do the following general rules of ettiquette as suggested by the CDC:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.