Kenyans in NE unite at Madaraka Day celebrations in Boston
A section of the large crowd that turned out for the first Annual Madaraka Day celebrations and mark the birth of the new Kenyan civic organization in the region dubbed "New England Kenyans Association" (NEKA) , stand still as the Kenya National Anthem is played in the background. pic by H.Maina/Ajabu Media
by Agneta Muka, Jasmine Mutuku and Harrison Maina,Ajabu Africa News, posted June 11, 2011
LOWELL, Mass., In a far cry from events in the recent past, over 300 hundred Kenyans of all ages and walks of life from many cities in New England gathered and mingled freely at a park in Lowell, on Sunday June 5, 2011 to mark the 48th Madaraka day.
The spectacular show unity by Kenyans patriots of all ages, professions, religions , tribes and social backgrounds cast a brighter future for the Kenyan community in New England which has previously been dogged by divisions, infighting, and lack of a cohesive platform to advocate the common Mwananchi (Swahili for Citizen).
Ordinarily Madaraka day, which marks the day Kenyan attained internal self rule from the British colonial masters in 1963 is celebrated on June 1st back home, but pushed to Sunday June 5 in the US when most Kenyans were off duty.
Older Kenyans, middle aged parents, upcoming youths, teenagers and even toddlers had a field day as they mingled and socialized brother to brother, sister to sister and vice versa while listening to great speeches by the invited guests of honor.
The proud patriots were treated to the traditional delicacy of Nyama Choma (roasted goat meat) which topped the menu among other treats. A horde of 1st generation Kenyan American children from various cities mingled and bumped into each other playfully in jumping castle strategically was set up on the field for entertainment with their parents keeping a bird’s eye view in case of trouble.
The event was organized by the newly formed Kenyan civic organization, dubbed New England Kenyan Association (NEKA) with support from Kenyan owned businesses, churches, the local government (Lowell city council), and other well wishers.
It took place at the South Commons Park in Lowell which was provided for free by the board of recreation at the Lowell city council.
Victor Rie, acting Chairman of NEKA
The event started with prayers led by Rev. Joseph Waiyaki from the CCF church in Lowell followed by a brief but empowering speech by the acting chairman of the self-driven organization, Victor Rie from Worcester.
During his speech, hailed by many as uniting and inspiring for it’s focus on the gains a community can achieve in America if it acted on sincere unity, the soft spoken Rie urged all Kenyans to shed their past differences and conflicting Egos for so as to pool their efforts and resources under an umbrella body such as NEKA which is open to all.
This, the acting chairman said, would allow a good platform for generating and acting on ideas that would enrich the Kenyan community in any way possible for everyone irrespective of background or other special affiliations.
“What we are trying to do is create a platform which can give everyone a voice in improving our civic affairs”, said Rie.
Rie quoted results from an online survey recently carried out by Ajabu Media that indicating that a vast majority (over 80%) of Kenyans in New England desired to have a civic organization that can carry out important community development functions that are generally outside the domain of the members of the clergy.
This, many believed, would avoid overburdening their spiritual leaders and free up space for them to attend to the spiritual needs of their faithful while giving other talented Kenyans a chance to contribute to the advancement of the rapidly growing community far from home.
A team of boys and girls put together by the Kenyan community in Worcester, together with a coach, Fidelis Gacheru, stage an exhibition game as other children play in a jumping castle in the background.
However the acting chairman was quick to point out that new organization was not created to conflict with other existing organizations but rather to complement them.
Rie urged all Kenyans and existing organizations here to step up and support NEKA assuring them that working together as a community can and will yield faster gains by Kenyans in the Diaspora as a community.
He added that a larger voice is more effective than a lone voice, saying that there were very many highly educated Kenyans who are alumni of Universities and colleges in the US and if the community was operating under an umbrella civic organization, those individuals would find it easier to approach some of their schools to donate resources to the Kenyan community.
Waweru also said that since many Kenyans owned properties and were tax payers, it would be easier to lobby for services from the Government and other administrative bodies, which are beneficial to the community.
Cautious not to alienate any Kenyans, Waweru said that NEKA was there to create a platform for Kenyans to plug in ideas, education, skills, training and other resources which they possessed regardless of their ethnic, social, political and religious affiliations or economic status.
Volunteers help serve the delicious goat meat to the big crowd of Kenyans who turned up for Madaraka Day celebrations.
“The sole qualification is that one should be a Kenyan”, emphasized the acting chairman.
He added that NEKA was like small little heart asking the community “Can you please give me life?”
Waweru told the crowds that he understood that when something new comes, people tend to be skeptical and some even get scared.
However he encouraged people to step out beyond their fears to get ‘interest’ just like the first and second servants in the parable had done in risking their talents.
Recognizing that sometimes it is easy to forget part of our history especially when one stays away from home (Kenya) for extended periods of time, Jacqueline Nyamumga, a young patriot from South Boston , read a brief history of Madaraka day celebrations which began over 45 years ago.
Among the guests of honor to grace the occasion was Torli Krua, a member of Liberian community in Boston said that the life of an immigrant in America is always full of struggle and therefore coming together as a community of people from a certain area provides an important safeguard against those who may be going through a hard time.
A Baptist minister, and community activist, and the Director of the Universal Human Rights International Inc http://www.ishcc.org , Krua said that Liberians began immigrating into this country about 100 years ago and experienced a lot of hardships resulting from lack of legal documents to work and earn a living.
However, according to Krua all this began to change with the help of the African Association Center where they were able to get the government to give legal working papers to at least 7,000 immigrants who had been in the US for over 10 years.
Torli Krua from Liberia introduces Rep. Benjamin Swan (D) Massachusett who addressed the Kenyans via a speaker phone on his cell phone.
He challenged Kenyans who may be interested in leadership to sign up for the 6 month Initiative for Diversity Scholarship program going on at Suffolk University in Boston which helps train interested people to become US representatives.
According to Krua, the course is offered to any interested legal immigrant and it would help train them to become US representatives who can represent those who are illegal immigrants, and assist push laws to help them become legal immigrants.
The combative activist urged Kenyans to help build NEKA into a trusted organization that can assist them here in the US.
During his message, Krua introduced Representative Benjamin Swan (D) Springfield, MA who gave words of encouragement to Kenyans gathered via a speaker phone.
Rep. Swan has visited Sudan and Liberia respectively and has fought for immigrant rights in the Massachusetts Senate.
He assured Kenyans that they all had the support they needed from the recently unveiled New Americans agenda in Massachusetts and the office of Immigrants and Refugees Organization as well as the democratic caucus.
Speaking during the same event, Apostle Dr. James Nganga, a pastor who was in the USA on a preaching mission, thanked Kenyan immigrants in the US for keeping in touch with their families back home and supporting them financially.
However, the cleric reminded Kenyans that it is extremely important to pray for the money before they send it home as well as save some for a rainy since most of the money is squandered bytheir families and friends.
“If you form a habit of sending money frequently to your people back home, some of that money does not last one day since they know you will send more”, said the man of God .
Two Kenyan Pastors ( center) catch up with old friends as Event Engineer, Charles Ngeene (left with notes) consults a community activist, Kibai Gikuyu.
He decried the problem where some Kenyans, upon arrival to the US, totally forget their loved ones back home and do not even bother to call them at all, citing an example of a mother from his village who asked him to look for her daughter been in America for seven years without communicating with her family back home.
“This mother told me to ask her daughter to call home and at least let them know she was okay”, lamented the preacher.
"Kumbuka nyumbani ni nyumbani (remember home is home) and it’s only God who has a plan for you", added the senior pastor of the Neno church based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The man of God asked asking all Kenyans to support the NEKA organization so as to start building better hope for our country’s future.
The event included lively entertainment to Kenyans led by the Jamhuri Jazz band which thrilled revelers with nostalgic Kenyans nationalistic tunes.
Getting into a celebratory mood, the visiting Kenyan preacher, Apostle Dr. Nganga of the Neno Church based in Nairobi Kenya joined the Jamhuri band at entertaining Kenyans with several gospel tunes.
The band later continued with nostalgic Kenyan nationalistic tunes followed by a secular performance by Mary Ngeene, a young an upcoming R&B artiste from Everett.
Apostle Dr. James Nganga, (center) joins the Jamhuri Jazz Band to entertain Kenyans
Surprising Kenyans with fluid moves reminiscent of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, a 10 year old Kenyan boy Mark Bibiu, of Worcester danced to the “Beat it” Tune in a lively performance that earned him a thunderous applause.
“That was really entertaining and a very good idea” said Gregory Njuguna, the Kenyan DJ who made headlines last year when he consumed the tasty but contaminated goat meat that landed him in an ICU.
“NEKA can also provide a platform for those Kenyans who have received help from the community and would like to give something back in return, whether in cash or by community service”, he added in a post event interview with Ajabu Media.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by the master of ceremonies, Peter Karugu to all Kenyans and well wishers who came out in such large numbers in support of the event and the new organization.
He also congratulated event organizers for the remarkable work they did to prepare for the celebrations.
Other pastors who attended the event and mingled freely with fellow countrymen included Pastor David Kahura of Hosanna Gospel Church in Worcester, Pastor Sarah Kibiri of Jamhuri Gospel church, also in Worcester , Pastor Stephen Njau, visiting from Missouri together with his wife, Mary Njau, a popular gospel artist.
Nelly Ngeene an upcoming Kenyan R&B artiste performs.
Other notable guests at the event included gospel artists Sarah Mbogo, Peris Mbaria and Chege “Sheii”, the 2011 Boston marathon masters category champion, Titus Mutinda , as well as Joseph Koech, also a 2011 Boston Marathon participant.
Mary Njau and Sarah Mbogo sang together as a team in a closing performance of the day.
As darkness fell in the park, many countrymen and women congregated near the grilling platform to finish off the still tasty goat meat while meeting new people and old friends for socializing.
And at long last, many Kenyans at the event said they left feeling more patriotic and with hope that a new day and a new way of dealing with Kenyan affairs was on the horizon, powered by the Kenyan themselves!
