Mama Shujaa

You are invited to participate in the forthcoming second Kenyan Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum to be held in Atlanta, Georgia from August 20, 2009 through August 22, 2009. The conference is a follow-up to the first Diaspora Conference and Investment Forum held in Atlanta in March, 2007 which was a resounding success. The theme of the conference is " Building a Knowledge-Based Economy in Kenya: The Role of the Kenyan Diaspora ." The conference will include an Information Communication Technology ("ICT") mini-conference, and an Investment Forum. Running parallel to the conference component will be an Expo and Career Fair. The conference will bring together policymakers from Kenya, scholars, entrepreneurs, business leaders, the Kenyan Diaspora, and the general public. This biennial event presents an opportunity through which multiple stakeholders can engage the Kenyan Diaspora and potential foreign investors on effective initiatives to build ...

More importantly, do you want to read my mind? I think Facebook does, and I somewhat reluctantly, am acquiescing. I logged onto FB this evening and viola! my home page asks me what's on my mind and honest being my middle name, I say: MJ is on my mind. S.t.i.l.l. I Know. Blame It On The Boogie. :-) Sambazaing you much love [sambaza=share] Mama Shujaa

We Had Him by Maya Angelou Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind. Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon. In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure. Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone. Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him. He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance. Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that. He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his. We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes. His hat, aslant...

Ah, but if you have no expectations, You can never have a disappointment. (Stephen Joshua Sondheim (1930- ) I am disappointed. It seems the politics did not stay out of this . We were contacted by the Kenya Embassy in Washington, D.C. and charged with nominating amongst us, Kenyans in the Diaspora (the US, Mexico and Columbia), ONE member of the Diaspora to participate in the July 29- Aug 2 conference in Nairobi. The Ambassador gave us a mandate, with very little time to complete it. We volunteered hard-found time and energy to come up with a painstakingly transparent process. After numerous meetings, conference calls, and the review of writing samples, etc., we completed the process and communicated the selection of our nominee to the Embassy well within the given deadline, June 30, 2009. After receiving no response from the Embassy, I made the phone call that would intimate that perhaps all of our hard work was for naught. Chronic Politics As Usual?! And while I'm not o...

siwezi kuamini [i can't believe it] wala sina sauti ya kuongea. Lakini nitajaribu. I am numbed by the news. Reading Anengiyefa's post helped me this morning. His question nudged me to express a little, to process now that he is (supposedly) gone, the impact MJ had on my life. Here's a comment I left in response to his question: Within seven minutes of my walking through the door from work, tired and starving. Having just washed my hands in the kitchen after popping some leftovers in the microwave - I had not eaten since breakfast. My husband walks out of the master bedroom, where he'd been watching the news, leans heavily on the interior balcony railing; and in a voice choked with emotion says "...Michael has died." I was not hungry any more. Just sad. Really really sad. Rock With You. That is the song that does it the most for me. The one that helps me remember things my soul wants to forget. Those things that make me who I am. Those occurences, the cock...

I have been conducting some interesting work: selecting one candidate to represent the Kenya Diaspora at the upcoming Biennial Ambassadors/High Commissioners Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in July-August, 2009. Just over a dozen of us were contacted by the Kenya Embassy in Washington, D.C. under three weeks ago. We were charged with nominating amongst us, Kenyans in the Diaspora (the US, Mexico and Columbia), ONE member of the Diaspora to participate in the conference. The original communique came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nairobi. Exciting stuff. As a vetting committee member, I've especially enjoyed discovering our talented candidates and their commitment to moving Kenya's agenda forward. My recommendations on who will make a candidate for the role include: - an individual who is best able to represent the aspirations and needs of the Diaspora in such a meeting; - an individual who is able to participate effectively in the meeting; - someone who is an active m...

Hi! Chidi here! I just want to let you know that I am having fun with my mom and dad. Mom will be back soon. I helped her with this video. I hope you like it. Bye, C.