The true worth that lies within our communities

“The human mind is our fundamental resource.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy. One’s thoughts and ideas are of so much value despite how often we disregard them. David shares  with us his thoughts on community and resource.

I think of community as  a sort of  family group at higher level where every person is accepted regardless of their social status. With this in mind,  each and every member in a family has a role to play as well as a resource to donate. 

David at the 2013 Leadership teams Launch and Community Organizing Training

Most developmental organizations  have breached and violated the value of resourcefulness and the human capacity. These values are threatened to the extent where people can barely  see the resources communities have. We often choose to turn a blind eye to what people have to offer and impose our solutions in form  of a “helping hand”. The  illiterate in the society deemed to be unable to speak for themselves and their input not considered as valid data.

I would like to part of a community where every person is treated with dignity and their thoughts considered to be eligible to be at the top of the list “Resources donated “.

 As a community organizer with Tatua Kenya, I have learned  that in our communities its not all about poverty____its about YOU, the mindset and the resource we have as a community.

David Oyaga- Tatua Kenya Community organizer.

What values do you feel are threatened in your community? What is true worth to you?

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Paradigm shift:From Scarcity to Abundance.

Community is defined by the dignity accorded to every member. Dignity is in the way we communicate and respond to the environment around us which primarily affects the people within. I want to be part of a community that understands the need to support my journey to self identity, community that builds a home and safety around me through certain shared commitments and one that seeks justice in the environs of human existence.

All this things are challenged in our society because of the “scarcity” mentality.

Every individual wants to accumulate “success” in the terms of money for power as a way of guarding safety. However, we forget that our actions have continually caused the imbalance thus the unequal distribution of resources across the globe causing so much pain and hatred. We can only respond purposefully to these challenges as opposed to the traditional “fixing” of poverty.

Tatua Kenya has me see how much there is in the world to share – enough for everyone to co – exist in the community. In the last three years, I have further looked away from scarcity to abundance, where people can establish communities founded on mutual trust, accountability and commitment and take care of each other.

Kenneth  Chomba- Tatua Kenya Co-founder.

What does success mean to you? What is your idea about the world in form of a glass, half empty or half full? Why?

My Dream Community embraces diversity

Many are the times we fail to realize how much power there is in being different. How much magic we could make by combining our efforts.” It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength — Maya Angelou “. Jacob shares with us about his dream community. One that embraces diversity among other traits.

Jacob at a leadership training as he teaches on strategy and developing a theory of change.

I want to be part of a community that genuinely cares about each other, works and  grows together. United at all times. A community where everyone enjoys and exercises their inalienable rights, and realizes their full potential. Where no voice is too small to be heard and everyone is committed to making the world  better everyday.

However, this community is challenged in many ways. Our communities have difficulty embracing diversity and generally recognizing that all community members have a right to be heard and to participate in processes that affect their lives. People are still marginalized based on poverty, disability, age, race and ethnicity.

At Tatua, I have witnessed diverse people come together to build meaningful relationships based on trust, shared responsibility and the desire to work together towards a common purpose. This has convinced me that my desired community can become a reality.

Jacob Okumu, Tatua Kenya Community Organizer.

What’s your dream community like?

 

Intrinsic “unlimited value”

At Tatua the value for human dignity and intrinsic value is very important to us for the specific reason that we are all born with different abilities. Everyone is important and of value. James reminded me of this value on his reflection on community.

When i hear of the word community I think of people who have come together and have a set of agreed norms or guidelines on how they will all commit to live by. They also hold each other accountable.

James preparing to re-paint the gate at Nyumba ya Tumaini childrens home.

My vision of the kind of a community I want to be a part of is one where  people are treated equally and  justice is at the core of its values .

In my  the community most of the values I would want to see lived into, have all been broken. One that causes me hurt involves the way people are treated   due to the colour of their skin or where they come from instead of who they are in the inside. This as a result causes injustices in form of corruption and all kinds of evil.

James Njoroge, Tatua Kenya community organizer.

What values in your community are threatened and why? When have you felt not valued for who you are in the inside?