James

MAN U VS MAN CITY

2011-10-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

Sir Alex got his tactics wrong, as he did in both the Barcelona ECL Finals. Only this time he was too offensive, rather than setting up not to lose, against Barca.

When United lose, you can usually bet that the midfield will get the blame, unless there is a defensive error or a sending off or even a referee to blame.

God bless Michael Carrick. Through Providence and Sir Alex's decision making, he didn't even make the bench on sunday. Which is lucky, because he usually gets blamed, even if he plays out of his skin and doesn't misplace a pass.

When asked for my opinion before the match on how Sir Alex would play it, I suggested that he would go for a 4-2-3-1 formation to take advantage of his strengths and give the best balance between winning and not losing.

I expected Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra at the back, Jones and Fletcher in front of them;, an attacking three of Young, Rooney and Nani and Hernandez on his own up front.

This formation would have had a number of virtues. Jones has shown he can attack as well as defend; Fletcher is usually Mr Reliable. Rooney is, I believe, the successor to Paul Scholes, in the way he used to play 10 years ago, and it would keep the game narrow.

Furthermore, having seen all City's games this season, I expected Mancini to set up with this formation, and so it proved.

Instead, Sir Alex went with a 4-4-2, and the rest, as they say, is history. But that wasn't the only reason United lost.

LIFE IN NAIROBI

2010-04-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

I am now three months old in the capital city of Kenya Nairobi. At first it felt strange but with time I have gotten used to system here. I am feeling more comfortable than ever since I have already to the lifestyle here.

The new position is amazing and giving me new challenges which I am gladly tackling. My sincere appreciation goes to repacted.org a dynamic youth group in Nakuru that mentored me into what I am today. Led by their charismatic leader Collins Dennis oduor. You can also check out their blog spot repacted.blospot.com

Have a lovely time everyone as your read this story.

WATER

2008-10-24T23:37:00.001-07:00

water

To the kings and queens,

Of our beloved state,

Who drinks from wells granted?

At the expense of the villagers,

Who languish in gallons of poverty

Weeks do pass by,

Without a drop of life

With nothing to calm our thought

As we slowly swim towards;

Towards end of days

With what we manage to save

Is drained by high bills

Resulting from poor management

While our dues are squandered

Draining the only well of hope left

We struggle from dusk to down

To make every land cultivated

At the expense of everything

While heavy rain erodes the silt

And clog the reservoir within

Jeopardizing our environmental well being

At the expense of our well being

But with a mirage of hope

And stagnate in pools of lifelessness

But now beyond the rays of hope we see

The hope to uphold ourselves

Together to desilt the dams; we do

To enhance our water reservoir

And boost our irrigation system

And restore the shamba system

To maximize our production agriculturally

To upgrade selves economically

And use the natural resources practically

To enjoy the restoration of our reality

As we wave goodbye to the ideal

We are revived and repermpered

With low water bills to cater

Prompt and continuous water supply

To jack our economical rocketing

As we briskly hold heads high

Let’s join to uphold laws

To maximize water consumption

Maintain our water sources

And preservation of wet land s

To restore the exotic nature

A nature that is admirable

A nature that is fascinating

A nature that’s breath taking

For our eternal survival

Kings and queens that’s new Kenya

WORTH THE WAIT

2008-10-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

WORTH THE WAIT

You are a person of great worth

A sex pet not, so on and forth

Your eyes is truly a gold field

So your dignity you have to build

You and H.I.V. the sure way to meet

Not abstaining gives those who transmit

The ugly opportunity to use you as they defy

But with integrity and dignity these defy

Tell mea baby still you are

Do you want to daddy, mummy to become

Tell me you are still being looked after

Do you want to become a bread winner?

Pretend that you don’t feel guilty

After community sex sin so weighty

Thilly be assured what you are doing now

Eventually will find you out and put you low

Are you really ready for clinic results?

As a woman to be repairing to give birth

Say no to this unwanted interference

Interference with your young life

When schemers plan to trap you

Remember tour worth and remain true

True to the decision that you shall wait

For your spouse who shall please you

Run away from romantic and pornographic materials

In print audio or visual

They will do you no good

For they fire you up for discussion

Company on company I tell you

You are what you eat they say

I add you what your friends are

Check those who take sex for they are no friends

What is wrong in rejecting cross generation sex?

What about transaction sex

Ah, why go into incest and rape

Oh my, reject all these

Mount your dignity integrity and self esteem

CORRUPTION

2008-10-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

CORRUPTION

Fight it

Corruption corruption

Stop (command)

As important as is breathing of air

War against corruption is fair

As bad as is robbing your neihghbour

A thought of giving a bribe don’t harbor

As greedy as is eating all the food

Bribe taking robs people a livelihood

For honesty never kills but builds

Indeed integrity never destroys but makes

Oh yes, hard work hard work always pays

Don’t you see you are being selfish?

When you stretch your hands

Asking for a bribe to do your duty

Don’t you see you are stinking selfish?

Don’t you know you are corrupt

When you deep your hand in the pocket

To bring out that filthy money

To bring out that strained money to get a privileged

Why on Earth are you so terrible

To want what is not yours

And you know by making someone

Someone in position with a blind eye

Oh shame on you as you bribe

Yes shame on as you take the bribe

Pooh! Shame, shame shame shame

As you does all that pertain to corruption

Really know corruption crowns you with shame

POLICE HARASSMENT IN NAKURU

2008-10-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

It is early evening at around seven thirty when armed policemen leave their stations for the night patrol. They leave in groups in of three or twos. The police in Nakuru have been harassing young people as early as this time. They start arresting them at this time not with the intention of taking them to the station but getting bribes from this young people. I have severally witnessed this happening with the police beating up mercilessly those that do not give something. One amazing thing is that when the thieves are terrorizing residents of different estates at the wee hours of the night they are no where to be found. One asks himself a question where are they when this all happens? They arrest innocent young people very early into the night and leave the guilty to reign at the very late hours of the night.

They need to change this habit if their image in the society is going to improve. The society has a very negative attitude towards the police and it is supposed to be the opposite since we are supposed to have confidence in them because they are the law enforcers in the country. The police should stop harassing young people very early into the night when some of them are leaving from their places of work. It is high time the police commissioner and the minister of internal security do something about the happenings here in Nakuru. I hope after this story is read somebody somewhere will take action.

MARGINALIZATION IN NORTHERN KENYA

2008-10-14T04:48:00.000-07:00

MARGINALIZATION IN NORTHERN KENYA

I recently visited the northern part of Kenya. It is a far distance and the road is not worth mentioning. It is in a dilapidated state. The means of transport in this area is also amazing. People travel when they are on top of carriers of lorries which have either transported goods or animals. This puts them at risk since they get into contact with a lot of dust hence a health hazard. The land is very dry a big contradiction to the presence of very many bridges and many rivers which are ever dry. The people in these areas depend a lot on pastoralism where they are in transition with their animals. They live in manyattas which are temporary due to their mobile state.

People in this area say that they are not in Kenya because of their state and condition. They say that they are in Kenya B while the others are in Kenya A. The government has neglected this area which has led to these areas being termed as marginalized since they are not developed in terms of infrastructure. Moyale is a town bordering a country called Ethiopia. The town has fewer buildings and all the government offices are located in one area. The town has no tarmac road and generally it is has no life in terms of the activities taking place. The opposite to this is that once you get to the border point a stretch of tarmac road into Ethiopia begins and life changes when you get into the other side. There are people with big businesses and everyone is busy doing something with themselves.

In my own opinion the government can do a lot to help develop these areas by dedicating more resources to these areas which shall be used to drill more boreholes and build more infrastructures in these areas. These areas tap a lot of tourist catchments areas and hence when developed will bring more income to the government. The resources can be found by reducing the M.P.’s allowances and taxing their income plus other government officials whose income in not taxed. Money allocated to these areas in the budget should also be increased and after it is done we shall see development in these marginalized areas which contain a lot of potential.

SAALGA OUTREACH MARVEL

2008-10-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

SAALGA OUTREACH MARVEL WHEN THEY ASKED FOR V.C.T.

We had gone for our normal outreach at Saalga when we did our normal mobilization and performed a skit on the importance of abstinence. As we all know that this is a hotspot area for prostitutes since this is where the truck drivers rest on their long journey. The girls in this area are naïve and therefore give in to any amount of money offered to them by the truck drivers. After the outreach we did the normal one on one session where we were surprised to hear that the community members were asking for V.C.T. which is not a normal thing to hear from people in this area. We promised them for Mobile V.C.T. in a short while at which they were very excited. Following this marvel it is sign that this small trading centre is opening up and behavior change is starting to be achieved. In my own opinion the small trading centre can achieve numerous changes from its past evils to better centre with people who are more assertive.

JAMES IN REPACTED

2008-10-09T23:26:00.000-07:00

sorry for not replying to your comments on my blog. i have been out of net for the last one month and was not able to blog. i am the monitoring and evaluation officer in repacted where i am in charge of the writing of the reports of the various projects. i also represent the organization in project meetings and I also write the workplan for the various activities to held in every quarter.
i was born in nakuru and has lived there for the whole of my life. i have gone to school here and is also working here. i recently got myself another job with F.H.I.one of our funding partners where i will be supervising and cordinating youth activities in one of their networks known as y-peer. you can check this on www.youthpeer.net. i will be travelling to Albania for a job training after i start working officially. one good thing with this position is that i will still be able to volunteer at REPACTED so they will still have my services. plese look out for more interesting stories from a peace caravan that i attended in the last three weeks in the northern part of kenya where there is a lot of marginalization.

INTRODUCTION

2008-08-27T03:25:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I am James Karongo a young harworking gentleman working with a youth serving organization known as REPACTED Kenya which deals with issues concerning health such as HIV/AIDS,T.B., Malaria and Reproductive health. I have just opened a blog site and would comments from people around the world with ideas on how i can improve my blog. Hope to get comments from people. Hope to hear from you guys.