tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50059236336971083492024-03-05T08:05:26.490-08:00Bernard Muhia's BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-85092211830517061442013-07-10T03:49:00.001-07:002013-07-10T03:51:49.328-07:00As my life takes on a new turn, I am moving to a new blog that better reflects my journey.
My new blog is on at http://poet2farmer.blogspot.com <a href="http://poet2farmer.blogspot.com"></a>
Let's connect there. Thanks.
CheersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-8637447614392704362012-08-09T02:44:00.000-07:002012-08-09T02:44:00.381-07:00The river driedThe river dried,
Leaving us thirsty and dehydrated,
We searched everywhere,
Just for a drop of water,
But the elusive fluid,
Was like Gold mines, deep in the earth,
And we had no strength to dig,
So we sat, wondering,
What had become of us?
To live like savages,
To struggle for a meager drop of water,
Then it hit us, like a thunderbolt,
Maybe we weren’t thirsty at all,
Maybe the illusion of thirst,
Had been created by a world obsessed with water,
And we had bought in to the hype,
Believing that we couldn’t survive without it,
Sure enough we owed debts that needed to be paid,
For we had previously drunk from the stream on credit,
And now the river master stood at our door every day,
Reminding us that we owed him,
For bending our knees to drink from his stream
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuKiAmq7ayEVOoDP_74MEyl1O_iitM1l5K5lOAm7vH7RiF8qYXVjXVVmQgXm87foDYZPt5pO02lqLVCMUGwW9oaaTdVejz3KatgRon166f0WRD5w6shgeoNnyQ-Y1hjOe9MIbdPHoVco/s1600/Dry+River+Bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="192" width="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuKiAmq7ayEVOoDP_74MEyl1O_iitM1l5K5lOAm7vH7RiF8qYXVjXVVmQgXm87foDYZPt5pO02lqLVCMUGwW9oaaTdVejz3KatgRon166f0WRD5w6shgeoNnyQ-Y1hjOe9MIbdPHoVco/s400/Dry+River+Bed.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-13753952640106140842012-07-30T12:11:00.000-07:002012-07-30T12:16:10.529-07:00Born of a shooting starBorn of a shooting star
The world thirsts for your brilliance,
it hungers for your magnificence,
you are this planet's most magical jewel,
and your presence here,
has turned these into Holy Grounds
you are a potent addition to,
the creative advancement of this planet
I marvel at your radiance,
for future generations will sing praises to your eminence,
and build statues to your exuberance
I see the gods in you, bubbling, wanting to rise up from within you,
and be expressed forth into the consciousness of,
the amazement that is all around you
you hold the secrets of the universe deep within you,
and the key to your own elevation to stardom is,
yourself in full glamour
Call forth the energy that created you,
and ask for its guidance
call forth the giants that,
lay in deep slumber within your being
and watch them raise the consciousness of,
the Holiness that abounds around you
Make a date with your own transformative splendour,
and get to know the potential to,
create entire planets that exists within you undisturbed
Arise now a King,
and glide through like a Queen,
for these you are my fellow mortal being
and if I could tell you the truth about yourself,
I would tell you this:
there exists nothing else,
in the known and unkown worlds,
that even begins to embody awesomeness,
like you doAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-44959687840473799262012-05-15T00:21:00.002-07:002012-05-15T00:21:30.926-07:00Fern Poetry is an arts organization that uses poetry to create awareness on human trafficking among other social ills amongst students in primary and secondary schools. In partnership with The Kenya Blue Heart Grassroots Initiative, Sanaelimu Art Ensemble, Consolation East Africa and KARDS, we have visited Braeburn Schools, Top Mark High School, St Hannah’s Girls School, Precious Blood Primary School (Amani) among many other schools as well as performed at the Kenya National Theatre.
We also use motivational poetry to empower students to believe in themselves, in their abilities and to reach for and fulfill their dreams and heart’s desires. It is in this light that we want to engage your students and teachers in motivational sessions. The sessions are facilitated by Poet Viona Wamuyu as well as myself along with a guest motivational speaker.
Each session will last an hour and will include poetry performances by Viona Wamuyu and a motivational talk by the guest speaker. For each session, we are asking the school to invest Ksh. 15,000 in the welfare of its students. When students are motivated, they easily pass their exams and parents want to take their children to a school where students pass their exams. Give us a date with your students and see them soar higher and higher.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-57515215050983835962012-03-15T20:09:00.000-07:002012-03-15T20:09:56.013-07:00A Blue Heart; Joy’s storyA Blue Heart; Joy’s story<br />
Fern Poetry and the Africa Sanaelimu art Ensemble in collaboration with Consolation East Africa have come together under the Kenya Blue Heart Grassroots Initiative (KBHGI) and developed a play titled ‘A Blue Heart; Joy’s story, to create awareness on human trafficking. The play is about Joy, a young girl who goes to live with her aunt after her parent’s unfortunate demise, giving birth to a gripping saga. A Blue Heart; Joy’s story brings together narration, poetry, music and dance. Bernard Muhia from Fern Poetry has written the poems in the play while Mike Kasongo from Africa Sanaelimu Art Ensemble has choreographed the dances and the music. The music is from traditional African drums beaten to a perfect rhythm to reflect the various moods of the play.<br />
<br />
This play has already been featured on the United Nations (UN) website <a href="http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/stories/february2012/blue-heart-campaign-inspiring-artists-in-kenya.html.">http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/stories/february2012/blue-heart-campaign-inspiring-artists-in-kenya.html.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEior7wNLFy_tIv3KxQJPwLj6GHuAPMepZVWezYbWPoGOC-zs961U4cH67gLipffh-pjN6akF3KBbGyDUgNePplN7SNCSGYn8c_CQ1q7TLoGHd9F9qmWTUG1qpf-qgaFx05uJdDYEYOMONs/s1600/Poster+Blue+Heart+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEior7wNLFy_tIv3KxQJPwLj6GHuAPMepZVWezYbWPoGOC-zs961U4cH67gLipffh-pjN6akF3KBbGyDUgNePplN7SNCSGYn8c_CQ1q7TLoGHd9F9qmWTUG1qpf-qgaFx05uJdDYEYOMONs/s400/Poster+Blue+Heart+jpeg.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</a> The title is inspired by the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which is mandated to create awareness on human trafficking. UNODC is also working to make the ‘blue heart’ an international symbol for human trafficking. The United Nations defines human trafficking as “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation". <br />
This play has been created following research done by KARDS (Koinonia Advisory Research and Development Services) in 2009 on the proliferation of human trafficking in East Africa. KARDS is also collaborating in the production process. We are searching for other partners to join us in this noble effort. Written by Luiz Nzomo, a locally based playwright, A Blue Heart; Joy’s story is going to be performed at the Kenya National Theater on 24th March and as well as in high schools and social/community halls. <br />
<br />
Charges are Kshs. 200 for high school students with a school ID and Kshs. 500 for adults. For tickets kindly call Noella on 0751198280 or Akil on 0700393931. Advance tickets are also available at the Kenya National Theatre’s booking office at only Kshs. 400. 5% of proceeds from this play will go to the Kenya Red Cross and another 5% will go towards creating more awareness in informal schools. Our Facebook Event Page is https://www.facebook.com/events/330143027022068/ and our Twitter handle is http://www.twitter.com/ABlueHeart_Joy and the Twitter tagline is #BlueHeartKe. For more info, kindly go to http://www.bernardmuhia.com and http://sanalimu.orgAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-74263697048709046992012-01-26T18:35:00.001-08:002012-01-26T18:35:55.921-08:00Of evil corporations and sweet girls<b>Of evil corporations and sweet girls<br />
</b>This is the story of two girls<br />
One was sweet and had healing powers,<br />
The second one was straight forward and asked me out.<br />
<br />
See, I was walking down the street,<br />
When an evil organization abducted me,<br />
And used mind-control over me,<br />
Giving me an assignment to assassinate.<br />
<br />
So there I was walking down the street,<br />
In a trance, on my way to kill someone,<br />
When I came across these two chics<br />
The first one was sweet and had healing powers<br />
I was attracted to her and hugged her,<br />
And right there and then, she healed me<br />
I was no longer under the evil mind-control spell<br />
But the second girl asked me out on a date,<br />
And I felt good about it and said yes<br />
But now I feel like I owe the first chic<br />
Coz her hug healed me from the evil spell<br />
and the doppelganger is, they are both friends!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-53107959855268112122012-01-13T00:14:00.000-08:002012-01-13T00:14:58.278-08:00A Blue Heart; Joy’s storyA Blue Heart; Joy’s story<br />
<br />
Fern Poetry and the Africa Sanaelimu art Ensemble have come together to develop a play titled ‘A Blue Heart; Joy’s story, to create awareness on human trafficking. The play is about Joy, a young girl who goes to live with her aunt after her parent’s unfortunate demise, giving birth to a gripping saga. A Blue Heart; Joy’s story brings together narration, poetry, music and dance. Bernard Muhia from Fern Poetry has written the poems in the play while Mike Kasongo from Africa Sanaelimu Art Ensemble has choreographed the dances and the music. The music is from traditional African drums beaten to a perfect rhythm to reflect the various moods of the play. <br />
<br />
The title is inspired by the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which is mandated to create awareness on human trafficking. UNODC is also working to make the ‘blue heart’ an international symbol for human trafficking. The United Nations defines human trafficking as “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation". <br />
<br />
This play has been created following research done by KARDS (Koinonia Advisory Research and Development Services) in 2009 on the proliferation of human trafficking in East Africa. KARDS is also collaborating in the production process. We are searching for other partners to join us in this noble effort. Written by Luiz Nzomo, a locally based playwright, A Blue Heart; Joy’s story is going to be performed as a joint project between Fern and Sanaelimu in high schools, social/community halls and at Alliance Française, the Braeburn Theater as well as the Kenya National Theater. Check posters for more details or go to http://www.bernardmuhia.com and http://sanalimu.org<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHhHAodjMX4zLpjUfUd3Ee5KgCZlvo3gcQssPeyYxDSaAbkWyM94EpFSOS_NgdToaiSaVrEUvX6TtrjrY7WQDE2D-EZLRlML-lqxnuwkGwLIbSNMMtw0PvoHtGKXn_mys5yCPAcfXKw8/s1600/blue+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="170" width="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHhHAodjMX4zLpjUfUd3Ee5KgCZlvo3gcQssPeyYxDSaAbkWyM94EpFSOS_NgdToaiSaVrEUvX6TtrjrY7WQDE2D-EZLRlML-lqxnuwkGwLIbSNMMtw0PvoHtGKXn_mys5yCPAcfXKw8/s400/blue+heart.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-40273736858000830782011-12-15T21:52:00.000-08:002011-12-15T21:54:02.110-08:00How much we sacrifice for youdo you know how much we sacrifice for you?<br />
what child hasn't heard those words,<br />
from rich kids to poor kids,<br />
from early on to later on,<br />
they tell us how much they have sacrificed for us,<br />
denying themselves so we can have a better life,<br />
better than they did,<br />
but do they ever stop to think,<br />
we never signed up for this,<br />
we never were consulted before being brought here,<br />
but here we are anyway, <br />
so why is it that we are to blame,<br />
that we are reason you deny yourselves,<br />
and yet its not our fault that we are here,<br />
what is this conspiracy against us,<br />
makes me want to go back,<br />
right before conception and say,<br />
hold up, If Im going to be the reason you sacrifice your dreams, <br />
sacrifice your time and your resources,<br />
then I'd rather we not go down this road,<br />
I'd rather not carry the burden of inconveniencing your life,<br />
I'd rather not bear the guilt of you denying yourself things for my sake,<br />
I'd simply rather not.<br />
Now, I'm not saying that we don't appreciate,<br />
everything you have done for us,<br />
but don't blame us for it,<br />
you knew what you were signing up for, <br />
unless you didn't know,<br />
and in which case the fault still lies not with us,<br />
<br />
This is the reason why I don't want to have kids,<br />
coz I don't want to sacrifice for nobody,<br />
yeah I'm selfish like that,<br />
but at least I wont be talking about how hard it is raising kids,<br />
like I didn't see everyone around me struggle,<br />
I'd rather not be responsible for another Godforsaken kid,<br />
there's enough kids in the world without bringing in new ones,<br />
plus, having been a kid once I know,<br />
life fucks you up anyway,<br />
whether you're born rich or born poor matters little,<br />
you're still messed up anyway,<br />
so why would I want to be the one responsible for that,<br />
bringing another kid into this world,<br />
thanks, but no thanks,<br />
I'm fine just the way I amAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-23262586382341672152011-11-26T01:54:00.000-08:002011-11-26T01:54:00.323-08:00The role of the performing arts in advocacyThe role of the performing arts in advocacy <br />
<br />
The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr. Antonio Maria Costa says that art is one of the most powerful advocacy tools to raise awareness and move people to take action. Whereas lectures and books are good in their respect, they are no match for the power of music, drama or poetry in disseminating crucial messages on human trafficking. The fact that art is often entertaining at its very core means that there is an extended attention span associated with it and an improved capacity to remember the message contained therein. <br />
<br />
This brings me to my second point. Performance arts are most effective when the audience participates in the dissemination of the message. This is the reason why there are practicals in schools so that the students can learn by doing. This drastically increases their chances of deeply understanding and remembering what they have learnt. Therefore, art can be used as a means of providing a cultural and social voice where engagement by participants promotes their role as active and creative citizens.<br />
<br />
This aspect of audience participation is a method we as Fern Poetry have used in our advocacy campaigns against human trafficking. Using poetry as our medium, we have been able to reach High School students who are in the most vulnerable age bracket for human trafficking. We have achieved this by reciting/reading poems for the students. The poems not only break down this issue into an understandable concept but they also use heavy imagery and empathy to appeal to the minds and hearts of the students thereby ensuring that the message truly gets home. <br />
In an effort to ensure their participation in the process, we then ask the students to also write their own poems and essays on the topic of human trafficking as they understand it. I have some of these submissions with me and I hope to indulge you in sampling what the students have to say during the course of this symposium. As the students write their poems and essays, they sharpen their knowledge on the subject which further engraves the message in their minds and impresses upon them the need to also engage in creating further awareness on human trafficking to their peers and other networks.<br />
<br />
In order to make the performance arts more effective in creating public awareness, always ensure that:<br />
<br />
1. The performance arts campaign has a broad support system. Ideally, the more people working on the awareness campaign, the greater the likelihood that it will be successful. In our case, involving the students by asking them to create their own poems about human trafficking means that there is an actual two-way exchange and that the students themselves also become agents of awareness creation.<br />
<br />
2. Secondly, ensure that there is room for all forms of art. Do not limit the performance to one form of art, say poetry, because you will have locked out other writers and singers as well as painters and sculptors. Even though the awareness campaign may have started with one form of art, make sure that it is open to all other forms of art.<br />
<br />
3. Thirdly, always make sure that there is a concise and consistent message throughout the campaign. Cross-check your facts and where possible, give the audience reference materials that they can use as they co-create artwork meant to promote awareness on human trafficking. The last thing we need is misinformation.<br />
<br />
Among the various forms of art that organizations can use in their counter human trafficking programs include music concerts, exhibitions of photos, paintings, drawings and carvings, plays and dramas, poetry recitals and readings as well as holding competitions on these art forms.<br />
In addition to all these, performance arts can also be used as a healing tool to rehabilitate survivors of human trafficking and especially child victims. Art helps them to express things that they may not be able to articulate or are too embarrassed or afraid to talk about. Art can thus be a therapeutic medium in the recovery of survivors.<br />
<br />
Media<br />
With regard to media relations, performance arts are a unique proposition to present to the media. Advocacy is typically about seminars and community workshops and these are effective in their own right, but that’s how everybody does their advocacy. So as an organization, you need a unique angle that sets you apart from other advocacy campaigns. Performance arts can provide that ‘wow effect’ that the media looks for. Performance arts are not only entertaining but they are also educative. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.<br />
<br />
Speaking from my experience as a journalist, art is always a softer alternative to hard-hitting news. My poem on human trafficking was featured on CNN because of that very aspect. After covering all the major conferences and seminars on human trafficking, CNN wanted to highlight other unique strategies that stakeholders in counter human trafficking were using to make a difference. Poetry was my unique thing and it got me noticed. It was a fresh and new approach to the advocacy campaign. Art has a way of humanizing or emotionalizing a problem. Art is about exploring not just the facts about the problem but also the feelings and emotions of that problem as felt by those who face it. Art doesn’t just give you the statistics but it also gives you the emotionality of the victims. And finally, art doesn’t just appeal to your mind and intellect, it also moves your heart and soul.<br />
<br />
When pitching your performance arts campaign to the media, always ensure that you use what I call the ‘laser approach’. Identify a specific programme, presenter and/or journalist that will identify with the subject you aim to create awareness on. For example, in my case with CNN, I specifically targeted a programme called ‘The Freedom Project’. The freedom project is a year-long series that CNN launched to address the issue of human trafficking. That’s what I mean by being specific.<br />
<br />
Secondly, always find ways to insert your message in any context when talking to the media. Here’s an example, my colleague was invited to NTV for an interview about a poetry event we were organizing that wasn’t in any way related to the human trafficking project. The presenter asked him if we had thought about taking poetry to schools and he took that opportunity to explain our human trafficking project in detail. It may not have been the reason why he went there but he used the opportunity to highlight our project. <br />
<br />
Thirdly, when sending information to the media about your project, make sure that it is short and to the point. Just a few lines to a paragraph are enough to get the journalist interested in your story. Then the next thing the journalist will do is follow-up. So if you have a website or blog put the link there or your phone contacts so that they are able to get in touch with you. <br />
Also, don’t just try to be covered in the news, think also of being featured in the non-news programs. These non-news programs include talk shows, art programs, health programs, human rights programs and even business programs. These programs provide you with media exposure and it is usually targeted exposure because the people watching or listening to that program have an interest in the subject matter. Likewise, the journalists or presenters of these programs are also looking for organizations like yours and so it’s a win-win situation.<br />
<br />
Lastly, don’t shy away from calling-in live or sending text messages to a radio show or T.V. program. The host or presenter might sample your text message as part of the audience response and read it on air or they might receive your call and thus you get an opportunity to speak about your organization and your performance arts program. By so doing, you have just earned your organization and your arts campaign some impromptu media exposure. <br />
<br />
In conclusion, the role of performing arts cannot be understated. It is organizations that are especially in the advocacy business that need to appreciate that there is always room for the arts in any awareness campaign. Art brings people together in a relaxed environment where they are able to more easily absorb the message when it is delivered in a light-hearted manner.<br />
The youth are also very appreciative of the arts, and the fact that they are the most vulnerable population to human trafficking, means that art is then the most appropriate medium to use when creating awareness among them. <br />
<br />
Long live the arts!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-21544320300386293592011-09-16T05:22:00.001-07:002011-09-16T05:22:24.133-07:00Spoken Word coalition, the dare gameIts finally here, Spoken Word coalition, the dare game at Strathmore University Auditorium tomorrow 17th, Sept. Come for a charity poetry event through which we are collecting old newspapers for sale to raise funds for Kenya Redcross. Bring some old newspapers. The event starts at 2pm. Damage is 200/- and this too goes to the Kenya Redcross. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=248319928521344&ref=tsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-66825807705427972442011-09-06T22:05:00.000-07:002011-09-06T22:05:36.141-07:00Heartbreak KidHeartbreak Kid<br />
Poetry, if I be the death of you,forgive me,<br />
for I courted you for all the wrong reasons,<br />
needed acceptance and you gave me that,<br />
needed prestige and you gave me that,<br />
even needed money and like an ATM, you dispensed<br />
but now we must face the facts,<br />
we dont feel the same about each other anymore,<br />
I've gotten cocky, and you have other loves,<br />
I've lost interest, and you get more and more complicated,<br />
so poetry, If I be the death of you, <br />
please forgive me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-90043570853461020152011-09-06T07:25:00.000-07:002011-09-06T07:25:56.344-07:00Dirty DianaDirty Diana<br />
Your eyes tell me things<br />
a diva's aura is around you,<br />
but I see you with many men,<br />
everytime I see you.<br />
And all I do is stare,<br />
as you try to talk to me,<br />
but I just happen not to be listening,<br />
because Im concerned,<br />
many men be by your side,<br />
and you look like a girl who can get any man she wants,<br />
so tell me, why do you want me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-7665119134904959682011-06-16T01:19:00.000-07:002011-06-16T01:19:37.099-07:00Through Fern Poetry, I am about to embark on a poetry project along with two fellow poets, El Poet and Jaju and entertainer Martin "Daddie Marto" Githinji, which will take us to five schools around the Nairobi Area to present poems on human trafficking for purposes of creating awareness on the vice. We will be doing this through a project funded by Koinonia Advisory Research and Development Service (KARDS). Fern Poetry is the business-side of my poetic journey. The project targets students in high school. <br />
<br />
This project has been featured on <a href="http://on.cnn.com/iM6S4O">CNN International</a> and the <a href="http://nairobinow.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/newspoetry-fern-poetry-high-school-tour/">Nairobi Now Arts Blog</a>.<br />
<br />
The objectives of the project are;<br />
<br />
Popularizing anti-Trafficking in Persons through poems that are recited in front of the students.<br />
Encouraging the submission of artistic expressions in the form of essays and poems from students on the theme of trafficking with the aim of exhibiting them.<br />
Holding a competition on poetry and story writing on the theme of human trafficking amongst students in high schools with a prize of Kshs. 1,000 for the winner and Kshs 500 and 300 for the first and second runners up respectively .<br />
I am doing my part to create awareness among students who are also at times victims of human trafficking owing to the high levels of poverty in the country. Here is the poem I will be using throughout the project. It's titled 'Kaa Chonjo' which means be alert in Swahili.<br />
<br />
Kaa chonjo (human trafficking)<br />
Lost and helpless,<br />
Her passport taken away<br />
Her ID taken away<br />
In search of a better way<br />
Paid them to chase the dream life<br />
But ended up paying with her freedom<br />
Lost without friends in a foreign land<br />
Her dreams lost to slave masters<br />
Beaten and abused,<br />
Raped and they were amused.<br />
Left his home country,<br />
Only to be forced into labour<br />
Paid with lashes,<br />
His dreams, burnt down to ashes<br />
His whole life flashes,<br />
Because he would rather die<br />
Than be forced to live a lie,<br />
Open your eyes,<br />
<br />
Feel the cries;<br />
Of Kenyans in the Middle East<br />
Trafficked like worthless beasts<br />
<br />
Feel the cries;<br />
Of young girls in our streets,<br />
Enticing you to the sheets,<br />
Only to give that money to pimps<br />
<br />
Feel the cries;<br />
Of child beggars,<br />
On their feet, jiggers<br />
On their hands, blisters<br />
On their feet, barely slippers<br />
Of their clothes, tatters<br />
If only for their masters,<br />
To elicit your unknowing pity<br />
And in their bowls throw in that fifty<br />
Kaa chonjo, ndio uwe sauti yao<br />
<br />
It all started in the name of poverty,<br />
Parents selling off some of their children,<br />
If only to be able to take care of the rest<br />
It all started in the name of culture,<br />
Women and animals being offered,<br />
To appease rival tribes as peace offerings<br />
It all started with colonization,<br />
Paramount chiefs exchanging their subjects,<br />
For pieces of silver, mirrors and bottles<br />
It all started with urbanization,<br />
Smugglers promising desperate young people,<br />
With jobs and a better life in the city,<br />
Only for them to be forced into prostitution,<br />
Only for them to be forced into drug peddling<br />
It all started with ignorance<br />
You and me in the dark<br />
Not knowing that slavery exists, today!<br />
Not knowing that we could fall prey, today!<br />
Kaa chonjo, ndio uwe sauti yao<br />
<br />
Entire communities engage in this<br />
From Indians to Africans<br />
Arranged marriages, the village match-maker<br />
A Young girl abducted by the riverside,<br />
Taken home by the men and defiled<br />
Only for the community to sing praises<br />
Telling her that she is most fortunate<br />
A husband she doesn't choose,<br />
A man she doesn't love<br />
Every night she cries in her sleep<br />
Kaa chonjo, ndio uwe sauti yao.<br />
<br />
(Kaa chonjo, ndio uwe sauti yao is Swahili for "be alert so that you can speak up for the voiceless". The phrase is borrowed from the Anti-human trafficking campaigns by the International Organization for Migration)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-28797171641244169512011-05-09T06:31:00.000-07:002011-08-02T12:16:27.971-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MWycOzuyDirijBg-8ALLlbUW36UjZQl5bbxEcWFi0tXZmxfLXiJjPuiX0K9X4E34uBtl7JR9LwIdoveymNGX1pm7t4DjipLZftgEePQqQ0iH87qxCFtIcN5lne6wSjYJeJUVOYbV7yw/s1600/fern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="400" width="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MWycOzuyDirijBg-8ALLlbUW36UjZQl5bbxEcWFi0tXZmxfLXiJjPuiX0K9X4E34uBtl7JR9LwIdoveymNGX1pm7t4DjipLZftgEePQqQ0iH87qxCFtIcN5lne6wSjYJeJUVOYbV7yw/s400/fern.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-36770805933998984672011-02-14T03:29:00.000-08:002011-02-14T03:29:09.638-08:00Winner of Love Edition of Fern Poetry Prize Ksh. 3,000Hi poets and enthusiasts alike,<br />
<br />
I would like send a big shout out to the first two winners of the Fern Poetry Prize, <br />
Jennifer Noxolo Musangi and Redscar McOdindo K?Oyuga. I would also like to thank and <br />
appreciate every poet who has ever sent in their poem for consideration. We are <br />
celebrating a different type of love this Valentines. They say that birds of a feather <br />
flock together, but what if birds of a delicate feather desire to flock together? That?s <br />
what this month?s poem is about. We live in a fast changing society and can?t afford to <br />
bury our heads in the sand. It?s a love poem with a difference, don?t let the title fool <br />
you. It is my voluminous pleasure to announce the winner of the Third Edition, which is <br />
also the Love Edition of the Fern Poetry Prize worth Kshs. 3,000. And the winner is? Lee <br />
La Poeta ?with her poem titled ?Forgive me mother?. The poem speaks of a new type of <br />
love, and no it?s not about mothers, but something perhaps new to our culture but <br />
nonetheless existent.<br />
<br />
I?m also happy to announce that we are extending the coverage of the Fern Poetry Prize to <br />
include schools through a project funded by Koinonia Advisory Research and Development <br />
Service (KARDS). This will be a new segment of the poetry prize targeting students in <br />
high school with a theme on anti-human trafficking. The project is slated to start in <br />
March with the pilot phase targeting five schools. It will involve poetry recitals on <br />
human trafficking and a poetry competition where the students have a chance to win Kshs <br />
1,000, Kshs 500 and Kshs 300 for the winner and runners up respectively. I sincerely <br />
thank KARDS and Consolation East Africa for sponsoring this project and for appreciating <br />
the role played by poetry as an impetus for change in society.<br />
<br />
Here is the winning poem by Lee La Poeta titled ?Forgive me mother? <br />
http://www.bernardmuhia.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-89440929871315670012011-01-20T03:48:00.001-08:002011-01-20T03:48:58.414-08:00Winner of Ksh. 2,000 Fern Poetry PrizeThe deadline for the submission of poems to the Second Edition of the Fern Poetry prize worth 2,000 Kshs. was on 15th January 2011. I would like to appreciate every poet who submitted poems for consideration and it’s my pleasure to announce the winner of the second Fern Poetry Prize. And the winner is... Redscar McOdindo K’Oyuga...with his poem titled ‘Please come home daddy’. This poem not only appeals to all audiences but also speaks to a cause. You can feel the immense desire for proximity attachment expressed by the observer who is also deeply emotionally invested. Read the winning poem here http://www.bernardmuhia.com<br />
<br />
P.S. The Third Edition of the Fern Poetry Prize will be in February and is themed the ‘Love Edition’. The prize for the third edition will be increased to 3,000 Kshs. Submission of poems starts on 27th January 2011 and closes on 11th February 2011. The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day, 14th February 2011. Submit only love poems to poetry@bernardmuhia.com. To read this edition's winning poem by Redscar McOdindo K’Oyuga titled ‘Please come home daddy’ click here http://www.bernardmuhia.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-84848616208793064602010-12-06T01:29:00.001-08:002010-12-06T01:29:12.785-08:00Happy new website www.bernardmuhia.comTo celebrate the launch of my website www.bernardmuhia.com, Poets have another chance to win a thousand Kenya shillings.<br />
<br />
After a successful first round, here comes the sequel in what will be a long series of the Fern Poetry Prize. I would like to big up our first winner Jennifer Noxolo Musangi and her poem titled ‘This poem I refuse to write’. <br />
<br />
To enter the competition follow the guidelines on http://www.bernardmuhia.com/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-29444941264789068482010-11-15T10:45:00.000-08:002010-11-15T10:45:47.156-08:00And the winner is...Hi Everyone. <br />
<br />
After weeks of waiting and tons of poems submitted for the poem of the week competition, it is my pleasure to announce the winner of the poem of the week prize of Ksh. 1,000. And the winner is Jennifer Noxolo Musangi! Her poem titled 'This poem I refuse to write' is a provocative sex-themed poem that explores the female body and procreation.<br />
<br />
Few poets are daring enough to be provocative when it comes to matters of sex and procreation but Jennifer has dipped into the belly of the beast with this poem.<br />
<br />
Here it is...<br />
<br />
THIS POEM I REFUSE TO WRITE<br />
By Jennifer-noxolo Musangi<br />
<br />
This poem I refuse to write<br />
this poem that refuses to be silent<br />
no, this poem, I shall not write<br />
<br />
if I write this poem, they shall say I’m gross<br />
if I write this poem, it will be called graphic<br />
if I write this poem, a woman's poem it will become<br />
<br />
but I want to write this gross poem<br />
I want to leave out no details this time<br />
I want to describe this rhythm in rhyme<br />
<br />
the rhythm of blood and fluids<br />
the blood and fluids of childbirth<br />
but no, that is just taboo.<br />
<br />
I shall not write about blood<br />
for blood is better spoken of in war<br />
and vaginal blood disgusts you<br />
<br />
but I want to speak of the cut flesh<br />
the flesh of my vagina cut into my ass<br />
but this maternity talk irritates the male ear<br />
<br />
and I refuse to write this poem <br />
because to you that is trivial<br />
and not good enough for a poetry anthology<br />
<br />
this poem I refuse to write<br />
because it's time women writers got serious<br />
and wrote about things that matter<br />
<br />
this poem I shall not write<br />
for men need protection, protection from such ugly flesh<br />
the flesh they want fit for the next f...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-18963255381865369032010-10-29T08:45:00.000-07:002010-10-29T08:45:40.557-07:00So you hideBy <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/redscar-mcodindo-koyuga/forever-a-poet/461675065368#!/notes/benson-kabugi-wamwea/so-you-hide/454422936865">Benson Kabugi Wamwea</a><br />
<br />
He called you fat<br />
After he met a skinny girl<br />
And forgot about your curves<br />
The very curves that drew him to you<br />
So you hide<br />
You hide under baggy jumpers<br />
Hoping to conceal the imaginary folds<br />
Yet you hide your figure<br />
The frame of your beauty<br />
<br />
He called you black<br />
After he had seen a bleached face<br />
And forgotten about the suppleness of your skin<br />
The very skin he so loved to touch<br />
So you hide<br />
You hide behind layers of make up<br />
Hoping to conceal the imaginary pimples<br />
Yet you mask the nature of your visage<br />
The pride of your glamour<br />
<br />
He called you controlling<br />
After he met a reckless broad<br />
And forgot about your nurturing care<br />
The care that reminded him so much of his precious mother<br />
So you hide<br />
You hide behind a stern face<br />
Hoping to hide the imaginary naivety<br />
Yet you conceal your loving nature<br />
The warmth of your persona<br />
<br />
He called you weird<br />
He called you old fashioned<br />
He called you outdated<br />
He called you an idealist<br />
He called you a hopeless romantic<br />
And you ran.<br />
And you wept.<br />
And you hid.<br />
<br />
Now another has appeared<br />
But he looks like him<br />
So you hide<br />
He reminds you of him<br />
So you hide<br />
He voice is just like his<br />
So you hide<br />
<br />
You hide behind the plastic smile<br />
While you cower inside<br />
You hide behind the busy day<br />
While you are lonely inside<br />
You hide behind the brave words<br />
While you are scared inside<br />
You are afraid he will lie like the last did<br />
So you hide<br />
You are afraid you will cry like you last did<br />
So you hide<br />
You are afraid to run like you last did<br />
So you hide<br />
<br />
The closer he moves, the farther you run<br />
The nearer he draws, the deeper you hide<br />
The more he calls, the tighter you curl<br />
He must wait longer<br />
Because you hide<br />
He must call louder<br />
because you hide<br />
He must smile broader<br />
Because you hide<br />
He must try harder<br />
because you hide<br />
He must pay for the other's sins<br />
So you hide.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-56986766469040653712010-10-25T23:44:00.001-07:002010-10-25T23:44:58.069-07:00My BelovedBy Kiarii Wainaina <br />
<br />
My beloved you are mine and I, yours,<br />
Hold my gaze with your mysterious blackness <br />
Enchant me with the mystery of your darkness<br />
For the shine of your face is like polished ebony<br />
Like an African night in a moonless sky.<br />
<br />
Bewitch me with the mischief of your wink, <br />
And the flutter of your lovely lashes,<br />
While your eyes twinkle like stars of my black skies.<br />
Bind me with the beauty of your look,<br />
And the love so intent in the look of your eyes.<br />
<br />
Undo me with magic of your tongue,<br />
In a sweet love ballad, a lazy whisper,<br />
And the curl of your lips as you pout,<br />
In a mock sulk, like the baby you are-<br />
A young heart in a woman’s dress.<br />
<br />
Blind me with the shine of your smile,<br />
And the glint of your teeth in a merry grin,<br />
In mischievous sneer or unbridled happiness,<br />
Bright as a milky way in a moonless night,<br />
Lighting my night when the moon won’t shine.<br />
<br />
Mesmerize me with the dance in your step,<br />
And the sway of your hips in measured walk,<br />
The heave of your bosom in unbridled laughter,<br />
The angelic crane of your neck, like a painter’s model <br />
And I’ll paint you on the tablet of my heart.<br />
<br />
I am amazed by the humility in your heart. <br />
And the genius of your sober mind.<br />
Though fairer than most, even all,<br />
Like a bridled horse you rein your pride,<br />
In measured words and careful steps.<br />
<br />
My beloved I am yours and you, mine<br />
A willing captive of your endless charm,<br />
I’ll ever explore the mystery you are.<br />
My beloved I am yours and you, mine,<br />
To ever love, to ever cherish and forever hold.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-53094719985127866922010-10-21T21:51:00.000-07:002010-11-05T05:19:30.254-07:00Poets, win Kshs. 1,000Poets, win Kshs. 1,000 when your poem is selected as the poem of the week!<br />
As promised, the poetry competition is on and popping. Poets now have a chance to win a thousand Kenya shillings in appreciation of their creative works. To enter the competition, send your poem to poetry@bernardmuhia.com <br />
Only poems sent to this email address will be considered. The winning poem will make its debut along with my new website on the 15th of November 2010 <a href="http://www.bernardmuhia.com/" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "11e9d", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span>http://www.bernardmuhia.co</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>m/</a> -Grotesque!<br />
<br />
Submission guidelines:<br />
<br />
1. Include the title of the poem in the subject of the email as well as in the body of the email.<br />
2.Include your names, as you want them to appear in the credits.<br />
3.Only one poem per email.<br />
4. All forms of poetry are acceptable.<br />
<br />
The deadline for submissions is midnight November 5th 2010. May the freshest poem win.<br />
<br />
After the November 15th launch, this poetry competition will be a weekly feature of the website, so keep participating to continue winning.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-13135352269627244822010-10-18T22:50:00.000-07:002010-10-18T22:50:28.205-07:00ALLEGIANCE SHIFT<div class="uiHeader uiHeaderBottomBorder mbm"><div class="clearfix uiHeaderTop"><div class="uiHeaderActions rfloat"><form action="/editnote.php?new&id=1213699701" method="post"><input autocomplete="off" name="post_form_id" type="hidden" value="f31a36e127ccf30ac9708b3884811c30" /><input autocomplete="off" name="fb_dtsg" type="hidden" value="SOHkc" /></form></div><div><h2 class="uiHeaderTitle"><br />
</h2></div></div><div class="clearfix"><div class="mbs uiHeaderSubTitle lfloat fsm fwn fcg">By <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_289615681"><strong>Redscar McOdindo K’Oyuga</strong></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=458071785368&ref=notif&notif_t=note_tag#%21/profile.php?id=1775875867"> </a></div></div></div><div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix"><div><br />
The love you professed was<br />
A seething stockfish studded<br />
Pot of soup whose aroma<br />
Could be smelled from afar<br />
But the latest oozes a sell out stench<br />
That of a saboteur's territory overrun<br />
With ease by an army of occupation<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.jinni.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/mr-and-mrs-smithjepg1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://blog.jinni.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/mr-and-mrs-smithjepg1.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>A tactical change of guard effected<br />
A swift and stunning operation<br />
Rules, regulations and laws overturned<br />
With cowing decrees flashing red<br />
In one eagle-like fell swoop<br />
<br />
Your heart now on parade<br />
Is but a decoy<br />
The device of an Intelligence Chief<br />
Your allegiance of yore having been moved<br />
To dwell with a strange private<br />
Your secret made naked by your coldness<br />
And the void in your nude eyes<br />
The mirror that exposes the devious<br />
Designs and devices of your heart<br />
Sold cheaply to a stranger on rampage<br />
<br />
An open classified information<br />
It is that that half of you<br />
That was me is in protracted coma<br />
Being strangled by your indifference.<br />
</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-15246482505245199872010-10-18T08:17:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:17:42.504-07:00The Other Side of Darkness<div class="clearfix"><div class="mbs uiHeaderSubTitle lfloat fsm fwn fcg">By <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/lexus.shark">Trish Kerry on Facebook</a> </div><div class="mbs uiHeaderSubTitle lfloat fsm fwn fcg"> </div></div>The last shreds of my restraints<br />
slip away at the mere sight of you<br />
They constantly warn me against you<br />
But they don't know or understand<br />
Its that darkness in you am attracted to<br />
Its that dismal deviousness am drawn to<br />
<br />
The halo on my head tips<br />
every time I am close to you<br />
Cos of the thoughts<br />
that take refuge in me<br />
The wings on my back withdraw<br />
and in their place, two horns grow<br />
<br />
I swear its the way you look at me<br />
Awakening the redundant shame in me<br />
Its like you've taken me<br />
in every way and every form<br />
Like my dark desires<br />
are open bare to you<br />
<br />
I try to stay away<br />
but you always find me<br />
And when you do,<br />
you strip me off my guard<br />
leaving me defenceless to your charm<br />
Creating in me a thirst<br />
only you know how to quench<br />
<br />
We're two opposing forces<br />
We're naturally made<br />
to work against each other<br />
Where you hurt, I heal<br />
What you break, I make<br />
And where you are, I am<br />
<br />
Each time you leave my embrace<br />
A little darkness is left in me<br />
Slowly by slowly<br />
you turn me against my course<br />
And I can see myself<br />
doing the same to you<br />
<br />
We question our masters<br />
We dare think of betrayal<br />
Knowing treachery<br />
is punishable only by death<br />
<br />
Yet questions stare naked at us<br />
How much longer<br />
can the other side of a star stay blue?<br />
How much longer<br />
can the dark side of the moon stay concealed?<br />
How much longer<br />
must daylight follow night time?<br />
<br />
More benign,<br />
How intimately<br />
does one need to know another<br />
before the intimacy consumes them?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-91468409168318786982010-10-13T14:32:00.000-07:002010-10-13T14:32:00.298-07:00You inspired meBy <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1775875867">Redscar McOdindo K'Oyuga</a> <br />
<br />
you focused on my strengths, always<br />
accepting me for who I am, and<br />
respecting the choices I've made.<br />
<br />
you reached deep inside my heart<br />
and replaced the rain and darkness<br />
with the sunshine of a warm smile.<br />
<br />
you inspired me, reminding me of the<br />
beauty of the sunset and making me<br />
see beyond my own narrow world.<br />
<br />
you encouraged me to follow my dreams<br />
and even when the road was rough,<br />
you always cheered me along the way.<br />
<br />
you never gave up on me - not for a<br />
single second - even when I was more<br />
than ready to give up on myself.<br />
<br />
you devoted your time to me and<br />
remained a constant in my life<br />
even when the world was changing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005923633697108349.post-805822818596436902010-10-12T01:44:00.000-07:002010-10-12T01:57:36.076-07:00My Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TDmPhGMSBGoKsuiP7zSmMPehyaVc_y8Sfh58K6zOWGxe2C0V3KJbER1Bc9Z7VmhkikNru2unPclAz2LNPWSHtwynXyXcvDaXmg0_j_2NqO0ko9y0bfTXhx8vjVnHXezm2o6qvStdcAQ/s1600/rose_tattoo_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TDmPhGMSBGoKsuiP7zSmMPehyaVc_y8Sfh58K6zOWGxe2C0V3KJbER1Bc9Z7VmhkikNru2unPclAz2LNPWSHtwynXyXcvDaXmg0_j_2NqO0ko9y0bfTXhx8vjVnHXezm2o6qvStdcAQ/s200/rose_tattoo_01.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>By Kiarii Wainaina<br />
<br />
A sprout, frail and green,<br />
Into a firm stem grows.<br />
Such promise it shows,<br />
When a bud is first seen.<br />
Into a rose the bud grows,<br />
And a beauty never seen.<br />
<br />
<br />
A rose, red and preen<br />
When the morning sun shows.<br />
In the moonlight it glows,<br />
Though daytime’s already been. <br />
Ever prettier it grows,<br />
A lovelier rose has never been.<br />
<br />
A fragrance for a Queen,<br />
Is thy scent when the wind blows.<br />
Thy beauty as sunset glows,<br />
Is the beauty of a teen.<br />
Endless as a fountain flows,<br />
Thy praise has always been.<br />
<br />
My rose I’ll be ever keen,<br />
Thy fountain ever flows from whence thy beauty grows.<br />
Thy petals forever keen,<br />
Never to dull their royal gloss.<br />
Though a thorn on thee grows,<br />
To hold thee I will be ever keen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16236291292429495472noreply@blogger.com0