When good times roll Our moods are always rejuvenated Enchanted hearts Higher and higher, they soar By the fact that light has come out victorious over darkness. Moved by our unwavering faith Road to tread in life we’ve tentatively pinpointed. We’ve devised new strategies that will keep us on the move despite our interminable tussle with hardships Notion that everything in life is viable has been engraved on the defensive walls of our hearts. Everytime our ventricles give a kick, courage steers the effort Multiple signs are send into our minds that we’ve to keep on pushing until it’s done!
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Worrywarts sometimes we become we go further to an extent of questioning the choices we made in life It has been a matter of trial and error Again, trial and error. As dusk spread its wings everyday, we retire to our beds with zero outcome. The struggles that most of us are subjected to can push our dreams to the cutting edge. Feelings of resignation can set unfair limits to each of our goals, and finally we’re forced to utter words that shut all possibilities of getting through. “Let it be over!”
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But I’m here to tell you before your fruits roll before you succeed in life Whirlwinds are there, and they lurk in every corner of our plans. But consistency, prayers and hard work will serve you good. Let the struggles, trials and failures you experience be a great source of strength, strength to carry on.
It’s now six months to the general election and politicians have started their campaigns with different manifestos. At this time, you will find them not only in the streets but also in churches. For decades, churches have been used by our aspiring leaders as one of the places where robust campaigns take place.
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With the escalation of competition from different politicians eyeing different positions, they are now paying abrupt visits to churches to lure the congregation to vote for them. Sadly, these churches have also become an arena for them to cause divisions by speaking ill of their colleagues.
Whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, we all gather as a community consisting of different tribes to worship in unity and peace.
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During these sessions, and when given opportunities, politicians hardly respect the pulpit. They cause mayhem and ignore the church guidelines. This they do by indirectly insulting communities that are against them or those siding with other leaders other than them.
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Others will shamelessly look down upon their colleagues and accuse them of being unable to develop their constituencies. This then starts causing divisions among people who were once good friends.
If politicians intend to give out money to these churches, let them do it equally for everyone to benefit or rather channel it to the church projects to avoid divisions and blame games. Those that seem to cause chaos should be banned from attending church services.
Menstrual stigmatization has become so prevalent in Kenya that girls and women have become subjects to period shaming. Sadly, Kenya is hardly the only country home to period shaming commonly referred to as menstrual stigmatization. Normally, menstruation is a healthy and natural part of the female reproduction cycle. Devastatingly, many girls during their developmental stages in the country still experience period stigma. Ending the global stigma which surrounds female menstruation and making sanitary products widely available is all important to increase women’s health, education, employment, empowerment and livelihood.
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According to UN experts, ” The stigma and shame generated by stereotypes around menstruation have severe impacts on all aspects of women and girls’ human rights’.” On any given normal day, more than 800 million girls between 15-49 years are menstruating yet the stigma still persists.
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According to research done by Menstrual Health Day, a global advocacy platform for non-profit organizations and agencies to promote menstrual health shows that 65 percent of Kenyan girls and women are unable to afford basic sanitary pads. The situation is so burning that in a 2015 study 3000 women, Dr Penelope Phillips-Howard found one in 10-15 year-old girls were having sex to get money to pay for sanitary wear. Furthermore, a 2020 study done by the population council in fire informal slum settlements in Nairobi Kenya, for example, found that the pandemic affected the ability of women and girls to buy sanitary products. One third of the women in the study said that they weren’t able to buy sanitary pads. At the same time, a research conducted by the Ministry of Education showed that girls in Kenya usually miss about four days of school each month on an average of 20 percent of the school terms which translates to two years of learning each term because they are on their periods.
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In spite of recent robust campaigns by Kenyan women in challenging menstruation taboos and increasing attention to the issue of menstruation stigmatization in Kenya, the country still experiences a myriad of period shaming cases. Due to this stigmatization and at times lack of sexual education—both from the community and school, menstruation knowledge remain limited leaving many girls with negative and unsure feelings and experiencing psycho-social stress, which impacts their stability to learn. Therefore, period stigma and taboos persist, and can undermine adolescent girl’s confidence at a key stage of development. For instance, in September 2019 a kenyan school girl died by suicide after experience too much period shaming. The 14-year-old adolescent had experienced an excessive humiliation from the teacher after being called “dirty” for staining her uniform. So menstrual stigmatization has a significant impact on the social and family life, education, work and general well-being of women and girls.
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Few years ago, the Kenyan government took steps in countering this problem. It became the first country in the world to drop taxes on imports of sanitary products for women and girls. Additionally, the government committed $3M to help distribute sanitary pads to low income communities. In April 2016, the government launched a similar funded programme to help distribute over 140 million free sanitary pads to 4.2 million girls across the country. Unfortunately, it collapsed out as supplies ran out and girls started missing classes again despite it running for four months.
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Three years ago, the head of state assented to the Basic Education Amendment Act that would have seen girls who have reached puberty across the country be provided with free, quality sanitary towels in sufficient quantities, all funded by the state. But so far little has happened on the ground. There have also been growing concerns about embezzlement of funds mend for sanitary pads. A report published by the Nairobi News showed that a supply of 300,000 sanitary napkins intended for schools had been stolen and repackaged with the intention of reselling them.
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In rural areas of Kenya, only 32 per cent of schools have a private place for girls to change and dispose of their sanitary products and those that have, are poorly maintained and unsuitable for menstrual health hygiene. Many teachers are also uncomfortable talking about or teaching menstruation. To improve on that matter, gender-separated facilities with door locks, lighting, disposal bins and washing stations with soap and water need to be constructed. Also, behavior changes and hygiene promotion campaigns incorporating menstrual health hygiene need to be undertaken, targeting teachers, parents and the larger communities.
The government should invest more funds in monitoring and surveillance to ensure that sanitary towels reach those who need them the most. In conclusion, there is also a need to further exploration of barriers that lead to period shaming and address it urgently.
Recalling any type of information when needed urgently can sometimes be a tough challenge to some of us, our friends or any other person. It depends on some of the physiological limits of how each of our memories works. Some may find it difficult to remember either names of people, places they had earlier visited, instructions given or key concepts presented in class if they were students. Even within seconds, we are likely to disremember everything we have been listening to.
We human beings possess large sensory storage in terms of capacity but we are limited in terms of length of storage. One can hold a large amount of visually unsorted information but due to that shortcoming, it later becomes difficult to recall the information again when you want to apply it somewhere.
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You now need to be prudent if you want to batten your recalling abilities. The following helpful techniques can be adopted and put into practice:
Write it down
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Most people would prefer writing it down while listening, recording or learning some concepts since it is more effective as compared to typing. Since it takes longer to write by hand, you are forced to be more selective with what you write and focus on the key information. This technique is more effective while listening to a speech or concepts being taught in class.
Use Visual cues
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With the aid of effective visual tools such as photos of people, places, maps, graphs and charts, it makes it easier to conceptualize information you visually see. They work miraculously!
Mnemonics devices
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If you want to remember a series of information, you can also consider using this technique. Mnemonic devices such as rhymes, acronyms and acrostics are helpful. For example if a student wants to easily recall the public relation process, he or she might come up with a creative rhyme. Recalling those five vital steps won’t be a hard thing for the student.
Say it aloud!
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The dual action of speaking and hearing ourselves talk helps get words and phrases into long-term memory. Our memory benefits from active involvement.
Make associations
Creating association by drawing on existing knowledge is another helpful way to recall information. You can create mental images and make connections with sounds, smell and tests to help encode memories.
If you want to make your recalling experience fantabulous, why don’t you give those five techniques a try? You won’t regret it anymore.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections transmitted by having unprotected sex with an infected partner. STIs are some most common communicable diseases particularly among young people aged 15-24 years.
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Over the past few fears, people have been fervently coming up with different theories that try to shed some light on matters relating to STIs. But there were some weaknesses as some theories were later discovered to be myths. It has now become onerous for individuals to differentiate between STI facts and myths. This draws the sense that the truth has been contradicted.
Here are compilations of 17 myths discovered and the true facts behind them.
It’s easy to tell if someone has an STI
Fact: Not every STI causes clear signs and symptoms. You cannot tell, by looking at someone, whether they have an STI or not. Take HPV, for example, a virus that can cause genital warts and even cervical cancer. Almost all sexually active people will get it at some point in their lives, but not have any symptoms.
Using two condoms is safer and lowers the risk of getting an STI
Fact: Using two condoms at once actually increases the risk of them slipping or breaking, which means less protection. Stick to just one condom. For anal sex, use extra lube.
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STIs happen to other people, not me. Besides, you can’t get an STI the first time you have sex.
Fact: Anyone engaging in certain sexual activities with someone who has an STI can contract an STI automatically, whether it’s the first time or the hundredth.
You can’t get an STI from oral sex
Fact: Yes, you can. Any form of intimacy, whether it’s vaginal, anal, oral or just genital skin-to-skin contact, can give you an STI. So always be safe when you get intimate with someone: use condoms or dental dams.
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All STIs are easy to treat
Fact: Unfortunately, that’s not the case. While some, like chlamydia, are indeed easily treatable, there is no cure for others, like HIV. But even for the curable STIs, when one delays in seeking treatment and complications set in, the treatment isn’t as simple, and one may have to live with life-long complications such as infertility.
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You can’t get the same STI more than once
Fact: Yes you can. Unfortunately having a certain STI doesn’t make you immune to it in the future. After the infection has been cured, you are vulnerable to it once again. That is why you should stop having sex with your partner(s) while you are getting treated for an STI. If you infect your partner, then he or she can pass the infection back to you as soon as you are cured.
Some STIs like Genital Herpes infect you once, then can keep reoccurring for a lifetime.
Condoms protect against all STIs
Fact: This might come as a shock, but condoms can’t prevent the transmission of all STIs. Some of them, like HPV and herpes, can be found anywhere around your genitals. And a condom won’t cover these areas, leaving you at risk of infection.
That’s not an excuse to drop the condom though!
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I’ve only ever had one partner, so I can’t have an STI
Fact: Unfortunately, even if you’ve only had one partner, you can get an STI. If both of you have never had any kind of sexual contact before, the risk is low.
But, some infections (like HPV) are very common that many people get the infection on the first sexual encounter, and can be transmitted through skin contact alone. So there is a risk of infection, even if you’ve only ever had one partner.
You can’t have two STIs at once
Fact: Yes, you can. In fact, having an STI might make it even easier to get another one. If you have genital warts or genital herpes, for example, HIV can enter the body more easily. And chlamydia and gonorrhea appear together so often, that if you have one of them, the doctor is bound to test you for the other.
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If he pulls out before he comes, I can’t get infected
Fact: Pre-cum—drops of fluid that the penis discharges during arousal—can contain HIV, other STIs, or even sperm. Several STIs that cause genital ulcers, such as syphilis or Herpes are not contained in semen, but get transmitted on genital-to-genital contact. It’s best to use a condom as soon as the penis is erect.
Lesbians don’t get STIs
Fact: All women who engage in certain sexual activities are at risk for STIs, Some STIs can be transmitted between women by genital-to-genital or oral-to-genital contact that involves the exchange of vaginal fluids or by sharing sex toys, and some can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact.
After sex, you can prevent STIs by douching, washing your genitals, or urinating
Fact: Douching can actually push germs farther into your reproductive tract rather than wash them out, and can also alter your vaginal pH, which is normally protectively low. Even washing your genitals or urinating after sex is ineffective in protecting against developing an STI after exposure.
You can’t get an STI from anal sex
Fact: The viruses and bacteria that cause STIs don’t just go for the genitals. They can be spread through imperceptible cuts in the anus, as well. Some STIs, like genital warts and herpes, can be contracted from skin-to-skin contact alone, if you are exposed to an infected area; and gonorrhea also infects the lining in the mouth and eyes as well!
Condoms are only for heterosexual sex
Fact: Condoms can be used for any form of sexual encounter, be it with sex toys, anal or vaginal penetration
Someone who has condoms is having sex
Fact: Just because someone has condoms, it doesn’t mean they are having sex. It means they are taking control of their health and the health of others.
If I am using contraception, I don’t need to use a condom
Fact: No birth control method offers protection against STIs, except the condom. Other methods of birth control like pills, rings, IUDs (the coil), and the implant do not protect against STIs, they only protect against pregnancy. So it is safe and smart to use condoms every time you have sex.
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The real thing is that having protected sex is better and it will set you free at some point. STIs don’t discriminate, anyone can get infected and slowly by slowly, your life will be gobbled.
Periods are a natural bodily function, and are a sign that a girl or woman can get pregnant and have babies. Your period is the part of your menstrual cycle when blood from the uterus (womb) passes through the vagina and out of the body. Periods are totally normal and healthy!
Periods can make a mess, especially if they start when you were not expecting it! But remember that they are a completely natural process. During their menstrual periods, girls are always advised to consider hygiene all the time—Which is for their own inarguably benefits. Due to fear of speaking out which is triggered by period teasing from male friends, stigma and lack of knowledge, most girls don’t know what to do next at the time of their periods; they end up doing the unexpected.
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Despite the challenges girls and women face everyday, menstrual hygiene management and practices matters alot. One can manage to stay clean by doing the following:
You should bathe every day as you usually do. If you can, clean your vulva (the outside part of your genitals) twice a day with water. Dry yourself and put a fresh cloth or pad on your underwear. Bathing regularly helps in cleaning your private parts as well as relieving your bad mood.
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Change your pad, cloth or tampon as soon as it is getting full. If you are using a pad, it is advisable to change it every six hours while if you are using a tampon, every two hours is recommended. The reason for this is that when menstrual blood is released from the body, various organisms are attracted to the body which multiplies in the warmth of the blood and causes irritation, rashes or urinary tract infections.
Find a good sanitary brand that works for you and stick to it. Those with sensitive skin should avoid sanitary pads with plastic lining, as they can cause rashes, itchiness, and boils when rubbing against the skin.
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Do not try to clean the inside of your vagina because it can make infections more likely. The vagina has its own cleaning mechanism that works in a very fine balance of good and bad bacteria. Washing it with soap can kill the good bacteria making way for infections. So, while it is important to wash regularly during this time, all you need to use is some warm water. You can use soap on the external parts but do not use it inside your vagina or vulva.
It’s also advised that you put on comfortable and loose clothes. Avoid tight-fitting ones like jeans. This will ensure free air circulation around the sensitive areas as well as minimize the rate of sweating.
With these five educational tips, any girl can stay clean as long as they are followed. Above all, we need to end stigmatization against our girls. Periods are a natural and healthy way of cleaning their wombs. Let’s not freak them out again.
Everytime you take a nature walk with a melophile, you’ll always hear him or her saying, ” Music gives me the energy to carry on in life”, ” Music is the soundtrack of my life “, or ” Music is the shorthand of emotion.” Their hearts get thrilled through listening to music and no doubt, they’ll ever live to be happy. One interesting fact about melophiles is that they are addicted to their favourite artist. One will say, ” Chris Brown is my favourite R&B singer”, or ” Khalid has the energy. My day kicks off by listening to his songs.”
Haha! Well, I don’t have to conceal my status anymore, I’m a melophile too! And we all have different tastes. We have several R&B artists who have been striving and for a purpose, to release their best singles and albums. They grok what’s to come next after days and nights of hard work. Singer Khalid, obviously, deserves to be called “The Big Fish”. His remarkable achievements in the music industry are encouraging.
Khalid Donnel Robinson is an American singer and songwriter signed to Right Hand Music Group and RCA Records. Born on February 11, 1998 in Fort Stewart, Georgia, he rose to fame after the release of his debut single “Location” which peaked at number 16 on the ‘US Billboard Hot 100’ chart. His debut studio album “American Teen”, which was consciously named such to combat stereotypical views on ‘Proper American’, was equally successful and reached number four on ‘US Billboard 200’ albums chart.
Khalid was raised by his mother, whose military career necessitated itinérant upbringing. He lived in military réservations in Kentucky and New York, as well as in Heidelberg, Germany, before his mother was transferred to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Throughout, music had been a constant—Khalid started singing as early as hé could speak and his mother performed with thé US army chorus—but a supportive environment at El Paso’s Americas High School nourished his creativity and boosted his confidence. While at Americas, Khalid uploaded his first recordings. They quickly reached A&R exécutive Tunji Balogan, who signed thé artist to major-label RCA.
Career
Some of the early songs that Khalid uploaded on the internet include ”Saved” and ”Stuck On You”. Eager to bring out another song before prom, he managed to contact producer Syk Sense and secured an invitation to work with him in an Atlanta studio.
He first worked on the song in Atlanta and then back in El Paso, and released ”Location”, which eventually became a breakthrough single and earned him multiple platinum certification from RIAA. The song finished at No. 20 on the Billboard’s ‘Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay’ chart in 2016 and reached the Top 10 on the ‘Billboard Hot R&B Songs’ chart on January 21, 2017.
He featured on the single ”Electric” by Alina Baraz, released in January 2016. In December that year, he collaborated with Brooklyn-based duo Brasstracks on the track ”Whirlwind” from Yours Truly and Adidas Originals Songs from Scratch series, which was played over 700,000 times on SoundCloud.
In January and February 2017, he went on his debut headlining tour, the ‘Location Tour’, covering 21 cities around the US, as well as Canada and Europe. He sold out all the venues of the 25 tour dates, including El Paso’s 1,500 capacity Tricky Falls.
After the tour concluded, Khalid released his debut studio album ”American Teen” on March 3, 2017. Supported by singles like ”Location” and ”Young Dumb & Broke”, the album debuted at number nine on the ‘Billboard 200’ and reached number four in August, and also topped the R&B Albums chart.
Kendrick Lamar’s promotional song ”The Heart Part 4”, which was released on March 24, 2017, featured uncredited vocals by him. The following month, he featured alongside Alessia Cara on the single ‘1-800-273-8255’ by Logic, which became his highest charting single, peaking at number three on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’.
He made his first television appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ on March 15, 2017 and performed the song ”Location”, backed by ”The Roots”. One of his songs, ”Angels”, was featured on the episode ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ of the ABC drama series ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ on April 27, 2017.
He began his second headlining tour, the 25-city ‘American Teen Tour’, on July 12, 2017. In September that year, he joined Lorde, who heavily influenced him, to serve as the opening act on her tour around the UK.
The following year, Khalid released the number-one pop songs “Love Lies” with Normani and “Eastside” with Benny Blanco and Halsey, both of which tied the record for longest charting songs on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and reached the top-10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In September 2018, he released the number-one Rhythmic song “Better” as the lead single from his top-10 EP Suncity.
In April 2019, he released his second studio album, “Free Spirit”, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single “Talk” peaked at No. 3 in the US and earned him a Grammy Award for Record of the Year nomination.
In July 2021, the silence was broken again with another ballad “New normal”.
On Friday December 3, 2021 Khalid released his first mixtape the “Scenic Drive” (The Tape) album which featured contributions from artists like Alicia Keys, QUIN and JID.
Major Works
Khalid’s debut album ”American Teen” received critical acclaim and was certified platinum by RIAA on October 24, 2017 for selling over 1,000,000 in combined pure sales and album-equivalent units. The song ‘Location’ from the album also received platinum certification and sold over 4 million copies.
Awards & Achievements
In July 2016, Khalid reached No. 2 on the ‘Billboard Twitter Emerging Artists’ chart and was named among top 10 new artists to watch in 2017 by several publications including ‘Billboard’, Yahoo and ‘Rolling Stone’.
In 2017, he was named the ‘Best New Artist’ at the ‘MTV Video Music Awards’ and also won the ‘Woodie To Watch’ honor at the ‘Woodie Awards’. That year, he was nominated for several other awards such as the ‘BET Awards’, ‘Teen Choice Awards’, ‘American Music Awards’ and ‘Soul Train Music Awards’.
He was nominated for a number of awards at the 2018 ‘Grammy Award’ ceremony. He was nominated for ‘Best New Artist’, his debut album was nominated for ‘Best Urban Contemporary Album’, and the single ‘Location’ was nominated for ‘Best R&B Song’.
In 2019, Khalid was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
During the BET Awards 2020 he was awarded best male R&B/ pop singer.
His song “Talk” was nominated as Record Of The Year at the 2020 ‘Grammy Award’ ceremony.
From the records, we can inarguably conclude that Khalid will still be offering good music to his beloved fans year by year.
My name is Jackson Ngari, a student pursuing an undergraduate degree in Communication and Media Studies at Rongo University. For the past two years, I have dedicated my time seeking and sharing untold stories of Kenya with a hope to improve the plight of my fellow youth men.
I believe in the transformative power of storytelling. A proud demisexual, deputy parent and a Podcaster.
What sense are you trying to bring out by calling yourself a deputy parent?
Being a deputy parent, I mean, every firstborn kid knows this, you become a second parent to your siblings. You become a caretaker when the parents aren’t around. Sometimes, you cancel your plans just to babysit–Which is the worst thing ever. You have to sacrifice getting some of the things to make sure that your siblings have them first like getting clothes, they should have them first and you have to be the understanding one. Every little thing should be done for them before us. Sometimes, it means going through the whole day hungry, just to make sure your siblings are well fed. You have to defend them everyday even when they’re getting out the right path, be their emotional supporter. Be that sister or brother that they can rely on and love more than anything in this world.
You ameliorate the the plight of your fellow youth men through seeking and sharing their untold stories. In which constructive ways do you share your tales, through podcasting?
If podcasting has taught me a thing, it’s that everyone has a story and I love to share them. But honestly, storytelling has always been a big part of the society. So when it comes to telling tales or rather banters, I’d usually go with podcasting. In podcasting, I use stories to talk about real issues and real lives. There’s lots of positives to sharing your story and, depending on what you’re cool with, there are many different ways to do it. Every story shared is a chance to make someone feel less alone.
Most of your up-building and transformative articles have been making an appearance on different magazines like Radiant Magazine, Campus Vines and Students Magazine. What pushed you to venture into writting and start fighting for the welfare of youths?
Haha! Writing is a passion, it can’t be chosen. It just pushes you to the edge and when you try to resist it, it becomes even mightier and throws you into precipitate. Some people, like me didn’t have a choice. Overall, writing is a way for me personally to convey stories, news because I’m taking Journalism, experiences, thoughts and actions are better than anything else.
And why only the youths?
Indeed, youth represent vibes, energy and take around 75% of our population, are very creative and innovative and should be beacons of hope that should always fight for the community at all times.
As one of the prolific writter and an outonomous podcaster we have so far in Kenya, which other main roles do you play in society apart from addressing matters affecting youths? And how do you balance the roles?
Well, for the prosperity and betterment of our society and as a student, I usually get involved with discussions and community works like communal cleanings, etcetera. Therefore, young men and women of all ages and proffesions should do their best to serve the society. Balancing the roles is even much easier– I usually plot or set some working hours and stick to them.
You’re also a champion of mental health. You recently wrote and managed to publish an educative article that appeared on the Daily Nation newspaper concerning it. Share with us some light about mental health and how society has been affected.
You see, what I do is that; I create personal and meaningful ways to help raise awareness of support evidence-informed education on teen depression and suicide prevention. I’m very determined in making sure that no young person ever feels alone in their depression or in their darkest days.
As a torchbearer, you’ve been illuminating all the dark areas of concern in society for the past two years through storytelling and from it, some of the societal problems are believed to have been solved. Which other specific areas do you also like talking most about may it either be in written form or the podcast that you do?
I pay attention to people’s personalities, their cries for help, their opinions, their beliefs, what they want and put solutions to their problems out there both in writing and podcasting. I enjoy putting up a smile on someone’s face.
Do you live believing that what you deliver to readers and those listening to you have got massive impact on their lives?
Yes, of course, the grand responses I get from friends is what that keeps me sailing.
What are some of the greatest achievements you have made so far as far as communication and media studies is concerned?
I’m the founder of podcast dubbed ‘4_reigners’. I got to sign in three of my best-talented friends and we’re currently doing well. I have been recognized by the @Number One podcast in the Country (No Name Podcast Ke). Also, some weeks ago I was verified by Twitter. It really doubled my glee.
Being a baptized christian, I know Bible means a lot to you. Which nourishing verse do you find it best and keeps you doing the most?
Isaiah:60.22 which says, ” The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”
What are your aspirations this year?
Just a favourable 2022. We shoot those shots and make new entries into places we never dreamt of.
My real name is Benjamin Barasa. I am 20 year old, a Kenyan by birth and my artistic name is Generic 1990, a real poet with zeal. I am also a second year student at Rongo University taking a degree course in Human Resource management.
Why tagging yourself as Generic 1990? Share with us the chemistry behind such a unique stage name.
Generic basically means a typical name that does not give a specific description of something but rather describes and looks at that thing as a whole. Therefore, in relation to that, I chose to call myself Generic because poetry is meant to impact positively all the diverse groups of people worldwide and rather not a specific group. Then I chose this digits 1990 which actually according to me is a year, the 90s in general. Main reason for choosing the year was because poetry is ancient, it didn’t start yesterday. Therefore, it is old enough to give us the best motivation and solution to deal with any emerging situation. So the picture I wanted to bring out in ‘1990’ is that poery is old and old is gold .
What was growing up like?
Growing up was cool especially being brought up in a family that embraced christianity and really held a great value in societal norms and virtues. As we all know that God is the giver of talent, I think he built it further because I always lived to pray and praise him. But as they say, there’s no good that has no bad. Our family was not that well off but atleast we afforded good nutrition. I am happy to be alive today and kicking writing about myself.
When did you start doing poetry?
I buckled down on poetry seriously when I was in highschool, that is from 2015 onwards. Actually before that, I already counted myself a poet but never really had a go for it. I guess maybe I was still growing up so as to know more. On top of that, Ralph Waldo Emerson says, every artist was fist an amateur.
What does Arts and Culture mean to you?
According to me, Art is the most powerful non-living thing. This is because of its ability to influence and inspire. Art enables us find ourselves and loose ourselves at the same time, isn’t that powerful? Yes it is! Culture is the mother of art, through culture we can be able to express ourselves in an artistic dimension.
As a poet, you’ve done a number of pieces. Which is your most favorite poem, so far and why?
There is this piece I have termed ” Medussa “. It’s a romantic piece actually and the reason as to why I am in love with it, is that the girl—Medussa was in my dream, so I decided to paint it down. Though the piece is short, but it really has the words required. I even went to an extend of doing a performance on the piece.
Some claim that writing a poem got to be hard. What’s your thought on that?
First of all, we all know that there is no mountain that got no climb, but the climb can be easier if the necessary effort is applied. This is the same with poetry, if you accept that you are a poet and you are ready to talk poetry and apply what is needed of you with passion then probably words will just flow. Writing a poem is not hard but giving the poem its self interpretation is what is hard. I think that is my self invented sensible Saying.
Which specific areas do you like writting most?
Sometimes I term myself as poet of dark and light because I write all round but I majorly write on current affairs in relation to the modern society, romance and mystery.
Poetry is said to have the power to impact people in society positively. What can you say about that?
That is true. Poetry gives the society an inner eye to perceive a situation as any other calamity that can be dealt with in the easiest way possible. A well delivered poem has the power to transform a serial killer to a serial killer dealer, wiping clean all vice in the society.
Many poets are said to have drawn their inspirations from different valuable sources. Where do you draw yours from?
Mostly I draw my inspiration from my real life experiences. They drive me to better myself, to give myself the best image the mirror will ever reflect. Ancient poets like William Shakespeare and Pablo Neruda have also inspired me a lot.
How is God blowing up your mind lately?
Honestly, God has been the producer throughout, giving me the ability to create those wise rhyming lines and plant them down on paper. All credit goes to HIM.
Tell us what happened on a day you’ll never forget in your life.
I am still growing so I think I am still young and open enough to encounter more experiences that will act as my eternal remembrance. But for now I think the day I will receive the most noble and precious award for poetry honestly, will be the day I will live never to forget.
What best advice have you ever received from your parents/guardians in regards to the poetry you’re doing?
The most powerful breathing words I have ever received are from my little sister. She said, ” You are the best poet I know, with that ability inside you I am sure the world will look at you with a smiling face.” Those are the words that inspire me to do more and to add up to the little that am doing.
What next big thing should we anticipate from Generic 1990?
I always say, in every positive step there is greatness, so expect greatness from this Penner—Generic 1990.
Here I’m again, With my compadre standing on the shoulder, I feel the energy has been replenished, I’ve finally crossed the border to another space, rich in opportunities, Six foot I buried my trepidation, I had to trudge upto this space to fullfil my dreams.
The streets have it that I’m a failure, They say I’m less productive to them, Anything great that comes out me, sounds meaningless to them, They’ve crowned me as a man of misfortunes, I’ve been slurred and devalued, Is it because of my humble background, That you have all the reasons to ostracized me? Do y’all have have to smirk and laugh at me?
We’re all transgressors, We all have equal measure before God’s eye, No power lies within us human beings to judge every individual’s state, It’s God only who can rate our states. I was bestowed with a pure Golden heart, I’ll never loathe those mockers but instead I will always put them inside my basket of forgiveness.
Hard, I’ve been taught to survive, Thus why I’m in this Dreamland space to seize every opportunity that best suits me, My dream is to change this painful reality that pinches every part of my skin, I don’t want enemies to call me a failure, The word failure doesn’t fit Mr go-getter.
Even if they call me a failure, They will have only define my outer part, Deep inside, I comprehend my full potentials and abilities, I can transform the current reality to a much preferable one, I’ve learnt to chase what best belongs to me.
Nature has given me a wonderful opportunity to explore, I won’t tire seeking for the pearls belonging to my life. During period of temptations, I will show my unwavering faith to all those mockers, Nothing but the best will come out of me in the end.
THE BLUESTAR INSIDER 