Nothing changes unless we change it

A week ago, I had the privilege to interview a 16-year-old girl in Form Two at Precious Blood, Riruta. She is running an interesting initiative at her school, which, for the past two months has been raising school fees for needy fellow students.

But that is just part of the story. What I found interesting and introspective is what inspired this noble cause. If you recall, you must recall, April was an especially gloomy month.

BAD NEWS

We’re used to bad news, but the bad news that month was exceedingly more than the monthly quota we’re used to.

In the midst of that assorted pot, what caught the attention of the nation were the alarming reports of young women who had been brutally murdered by men known to them. Patricia was home for the April holidays, so she got to watch these disheartening stories as they unfolded.

Ivy Wangechi’s murder especially deflated her, she could not believe that this young university student would not realise her dream of becoming a doctor. Alongside this story was that of Assa Nyakundi, the lawyer who has been accused of killing his son.

As she mulled over these unfortunate stories, it occurred to her that perhaps all these bad happenings were because Kenyans no longer had love in their hearts or in their lives for that matter.

People that have love in their hearts would not kill someone they know, or anyone for that matter, she told herself.

MISSING

Yes, it was love that was missing in the equation, she concluded. She felt that she needed to do something, but she did not know what.

Eventually, she decided to create artificial flowers with messages reading “I love you”, “God loves you” and “You’re special”, which she intended to give to random people, to tell them that someone, somewhere, cared.

When she returned to school after the holidays, the school principal, who found out about her project, was so impressed, she suggested taking it even further. Right now, Patricia’s project is helping to pay school fees for needy students in her school.

Parents buy her flowers for Sh2,500 apiece, money that goes into a kitty that offsets fee balance for students from humble backgrounds.

Not only that, she has inspired her schoolmates to save their pocket money and buy the flowers.

MURDERED

I have a question: What did you do after reading Ivy Wangechi’s story and that of other young women who had been murdered in cold blood? Sure, you must have been outraged, and even went to your Facebook page to condemn the murder. But what impact did that make? Unlike you and me, this young woman who is yet to reach the age of majority decided to go beyond the outrage and dismay she felt to actually do something that she hoped would save a life.

At face value, the idea seems naive, that a simple artificial flower bearing the words, “God loves you” would convince someone contemplating murder to change his or her mind.

GIVING HOPE

But look at what this “naive” gesture has given birth to: a life-changing project that is actually touching lives, giving hope, and telling the beneficiaries that indeed someone is thinking about them, that someone believes their education is important.

This is what inspired me about Patricia’s story, that unlike the rest of us who read and watched those stories and moved on, she did not give into helplessness, she did something. Kenya, I feel, would benefit from a few more Patricias.

The writer is the Editor, Society and Magazines, Daily Nation. [email protected]