Simply Nirvana

Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:46:58 +0300
From: “aristarchus munish”
To: Nirvana Cable
Subject: Just a few Thoughts

Hallo,

Hope you (and Sussie) had a restful weekend. Mine was restful but rather thoughtful.

I have had an opportunity to reflect on our 3 week or so time together. And it has been fascinating.

When you jetted into Kenya 3 weeks or so ago one thing was clear to you: that though your other visits to Kenya you have always been clear of what you wanted to do, this time round you were not clear! This indeed surprised me. For the period I have known you, I have known you for your clarity in whatever you want to do. Amidst that uncertainty, you began to engage us in conversations which has seen us land into many opportunities. Whenever I pose to reflect on all these, I can’t help but deduce that your lack of clarity of what you wanted to do meant you were open to any (new) possibilities, and so it has turned, this far! Day after day, many and great gates have opened before us - UNIDO, Department of Culture, Ass. Minister (National Heritage), MP’s, Executive Director - NGO Coordination Board, etc. All had positive responses. What a high level of deals!

So now, is transformation possible? Or simply put, is poverty eradication possible? I have asked and answered this question many a times. All my answers have been on the affirmative. But is poverty eradication really possible? I have had my doubts. But I am now very confident that this goal is achievable. I say Yes with confidence. What I have witnessed in the past few weeks has cast away any shadow of doubt. First,our meetings with high-profile people has cleared any “ifs” from me, for if we manged to attract the most unexpected within such a short time, then poverty can also be made history within an equally short time. Secondly, your constant and confident reminder to us to think and act as though we have everything we need (dreaming into existence) has made me see a new Kenya within reach, sooner.

Third, our trip to Budalangi was rich in lessons. In a number of ways it reminded me of where I was a year ago. The first time I heard you say you are heeding God’s call to end poverty, I sat, at the room, awash with doubts on the feasibility of a “poverty-free” Kenya.This same feeling was portrayed in all the trainings we conducted. One very clear example is during our second training (On Saturday at 2pm) at Bunyala East.The poverty mindset was so manifest and entrenched into the minds of the people to an epic and disturbing degree. I felt terrified. Repeatedly, they refused to entertain a mere imagination of being rich! Oh no, not at their present times.I remember the incidence of the lady you called in front and took her through the “turn-around” questions. She [severely] resisted the imagination of how life would be to her when she is rich. It sounded as though in her life she has never met someone who would have such a conversation with her. And definitely she represented many similar and stubborn mindsets in the room (and perhaps in Kenya).

Another superb example was a man who constantly shook his head and softly kept saying “it can’t happen” whenever you asked “imagine how life would be like when you have all you need.” And surprisingly, when you told them if there was any who believed there is no poverty to follow you outside, they did so, including the man who perhaps to him it dawned that it possible to be rich. I was particularly impressed by how the “pastor” grasped the lesson especially during the turn-around questions. Truly, it was a training which introduced them into an entire new world.

Fourth, whenever poverty is mentioned, just no other answer is acceptable or tolerable. Any doubts, and those of Kenyan people too, can be put to rest by careful evaluation of the mindset training. The same Budalangi team responded quite differently in our third training (Monday, 10am), with them embracing the concept and putting it into practice. And what a timely moment it was to introduce the Truth and Reconciliation training! This reminds me of Winston Churchill’s words:

To look is one thing, to see what you look is another. To understand what you see is another. To learn from what you understand is something else. But to ACT on what you learn is all that matters.

All what they wanted is someone to encourage them; all they wanted is somebody to say, “yes, you can”. And we gave them the “yes, you can” spirit. Again, just no other answer is acceptable or tolerable.

Exciting, informative, directional, and extremely helpful are just some of the words to describe my experience for the past few weeks. You are truly one of the most effective and compassionate “social architect merchants” of the 21st century. You train from a considerable intellect but, more importantly, you train from your heart. You give considerable hope for the future which obviously give people a great deal of power in the present. This enables us to be more effective today, which means our tomorrows have to be better.

It’s good - very good.

Love,

Munish.