Free with Sunday Nation

Sunday Nation May 2, 2010
Free with Sunday Nation
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Whitney Wangui, 5, who goes to
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May 2, 2010
2 Sunday Nation
GUEST WRITER
Send your letters to the Editor; Young Nation,
P.O. Box 49010, Nairobi OR Email: [email protected]
Enjoy!
It pays to be optimistic
An optimist is someone who always looks
at the bright side of life. Optimism drives
away feelings of despondency that are
the trademark of pessimists – those who
see nothing but the gloomy side of life.
The wise thing to do is take what life
throws your way in your stride, do not
let self doubt - skepticism - get in the
way. Expecting the worst to happen in
a situation will sometimes influence an
outcome so that it is certain that if you
think negative, you will get negative.
Being cheerful helps. Tell yourself - I don’t
have to feel dull and lethargic. The world
offers opportunities - there are different
areas to be explored. Above all be
positive. There is this anecdote: a prisoner
looked outside the window of his cell
(down) - he saw mud and earth - whilst
another inmate looked (up) - towards
heavens and saw stars. Your state of mind
will often determine your destiny. Be
positive. It is a more rewarding attitude.
Alnashir D. Walji, Nairobi
No single item from Gusii
at drama festival made it to
nationals
I attended this year’s Provincial Drama
festival in Kisumu and I was not pleased
with the way teams that proceeded to
the national level were selected. It was
Editor:
Liz Wanjohi
team
Contributors:
Mworia Muchina, Chebet Karago, Fred
Orido, Patricia Mundia, Samuel Muigai,
Joash Osewe, John Muchiri, Tim
Kamuzu Banda, Jim Guteta
Creative Director:
Kamau Wanyoike
Chief Graphics Designer:
Rodgers Mogusu
Designers:
Mejumaa Mbaruku, Anini Andrew
What’s on…
Managing Editor:
Eric Obino
disheartening when none of the items
presented from Gusii region made it to
the nationals. Had I not watched the
presentations from Gusii, then I would
imagine perhaps what they had presented
less than average items. After what I saw,
I think it really beats all logic that all the
items from Kisii were failed at provincial
level. The participants and patrons for
such events have over the years been used
as peace and reconciliation ambassadors.
I think organisers need to look into this
matter.
Victor Nyaata, For Drama Club, Kereri
Girls’ High School, Kisii.
Do politicians really care for
Kenyans?
Kenyans must be a lucky lot as everyone
seems to have their interests at heart.
Every politician talks about defending
their rights. Every leader wants it to be
known that he/she loves Kenyans. They
all defend Kenyans, fight for Kenyans,
and die for Kenyans...name it. Who are
these Kenyans? Are they the ones that
died and still suffer in Sachangwan? Are
they the same ones who go by the label
IDPs? Are they the same ones that lack
basic needs? Are these the same people
that are hunger-stricken in North Eastern
province? Kenyans, all politicians indeed
love you.
Ashioya Edward, Kerugoya Boys School
TUNZA INTERNATIONAL
CHILDRENS CONFERENCE ON
THE ENVIRONMENT IN NAGOYA,
JAPAN, OCTOBER 20 to 26, 2010.
The United Nations Environment
Programme, in cooperation with
the Aichi Prefectural Government
and the City of Nagoya, will
be hosting the 2010 Tunza
International Children’s Conference
on the Environment in Nagoya,
Japan from 20 to 26 October 2010.
It will bring together 105 children
aged 10 to 14 years and their
chaperones from over 35 countries
to learn about the environment
through plenary sessions,
workshops and fieldtrips. The
Conference theme is ‘biodiversity’.
For more information on the
Conference, and to submit a
nomination from your organization
please visit our website:
http://www.unep.org/tunza/
children/inner.asp?ct=events&ev
=int_children_conf&conf=2010_
M
y week at the Nation
has been nothing but
a learning experience
for me. Throughout the week, I
have been able to learn what it
takes to write articles, editing
and publishing. As a guest writer,
I have come to appreciate the
need to meet deadlines in order
to ensure delivery of news to the
general public is done on time.
Moreover, I have learnt the
importance of teamwork. The
success of any newspaper is
entirely dependent on the cooperation and co-ordination of
efforts by the journalists. My
experience at the ‘Young Nation’
desk has also made me appreciate
the role of a graphic designer who
lays out stories on a page.
I would like to thank Nation
Media Group for giving me the
opportunity to get a feel of
what happens in a newsroom.
The knowledge I have acquired
through the week has definitely
challenged me to put more efforts
in my studies so that in future I
will become one of the renowned
journalists internationally.
- JOAN WANJIRU, ST.ANNE’S
GIRLS - LIOKI
tunza_conf
Nominations must be submitted
to UNEP on or before 18 June 2010
For further information on the
conference, please contact:
The Children and Youth / Sport
and the Environment Unit Division
of Communications and Public
Information
Email: [email protected]
Fax: +254 -20-762 3927
[email protected]
A
s we have always told you,
talent can take you places.
However, that is if you
identify it and start pursuing it at a
young age. Had MacDonald Mariga
not started pursuing his passion at a
young age, it is highly unlikely that he
would be playing for one of the best
teams (Inter Milan) and for the most
prestigious football league (UEFA
Champions League).
This week we meet young Shadrack
who has beat all the odds to rise
to the top. He is an orphan, was
abandoned on the streets of Nairobi
until someone came to his rescue. His
passion has always been in music and
playing the guitar. Read how he has
made it to the top as a solo guitarist
at the Kenya Nationatinal Music
Festival.
Your favourite magazine is loaded
with all the great columns to make
your Sunday worthwhile. Now that
schools will be opening very soon
for the second term, make sure you
have set aside enough time for books
and your homework. Do not take a
lot of time to settle back to school
for serious study.
May 2, 2010
Sunday Nation 3
Boy-guitarist shines
despite his troubled
childhood
By TIM KAMUZU BANDA
S
hadrack Umoya, 14, is a special
and talented boy. For two years in
a row – 2007 and 2008 - he won
the top prize in ‘Solo Guitar Performance’
category at the Kenya National Schools
Music Festival. It was no doubt a major
achievement for the Class Eight pupil
that few of his fellow competitors have
managed in the past. Those who have
watched him play say the soft-spoken boy
has great skills. He is versatile in his notes,
something very rare for a guitarist his age.
However, it is only until you get to
hear Shadrack’s background that you
appreciate the weight of his achievement.
Born in Mumias in Western Kenya,
Shadrack was orphaned at a very young
age. He doesn’t remember much about
his parents and he lived with his distant
relatives when they passed on. “I attended
early primary but I was in and out of
school because of fees. I dropped out in
Class Four,” he recalls.
In 2007, an aunt living in Nairobi asked
his relatives to send him over so that
she could help him. “I was put in a bus
without even knowing where I was going
or who I was going to meet. When I got to
Machakos Bus Station, no one turned up
to pick me,” he recalls.
Poor Shadrack spent his first night in
Nairobi at the cold bus terminus. When
hungry, he would end up in the litter bins
just like the other street children he had
met. However, one-day help came from
a Good Samaritan. He bumped into
Moses Ndung’u and shared the sad
story of his life just to get some food.
Incidentally, Ndung’u was already
operating a children’s home in Nairobi’s
Kawangware area known as Children’s
Garden Home and School. Although
the numbers at the home were already
unbearable, he made a resolve not to
leave Shadrack on the streets.
“Not many street children you meet
want you to give them any help other
than money and food but you could
tell that Shadrack was a genuine
case in need,” says Ndung’u, founder
and director of the children’s home.
Shadrack found the place home and
easily got on well with the other children.
He also got the opportunity to go back to
school.
And it was here that the music bug
bit him. “Some visitors would come to
the centre and one in particular would
play the guitar. I watched him keenly for
over a year and that’s how I learnt,” he
recalls. Privately, he would try and make
a homemade string guitar with a can at
the top and two strings. When the visitor
noticed just how keen Shadrack was, he
offered to help him and even donated to
him an old guitar. “We used to fight him
to put the guitar down but he was so
attached to it that when someone finally
donated a proper guitar to him is when
we realised that it was his calling,” says
Ndung’u.
Shadrack went on to form a choir at
care. May you live to blow 1001
candles. Best wishes from our dad
Thomas, mum Hilda, sis Sein, our
grandparents, aunties, uncles and
from all our relatives.
ELSIE STACY AMUKUNE
You are so pretty that your birthday
cannot pass unnoticed. Your
laughter and smile brightens even
CINDY MMBONE
Happy birthday as you turn one.
May all our dreams turn into
reality. Warm birthday wishes from
the dullest day. As you turn five
today, may God shower you with
lots of blessings and may all our
dreams come true. Warm wishes
from dad Steve Amukune, mum
Cathy Munga, the Shilabulas, the
dad Joram, mum Rose, uncles,
aunties, cousins, friends and your
grandparents.
Mungas, and all your friends.
PATIENCE LESIYALOI
Beloved little sister, you are a
precious little angel as you turn
two years. May God bless you and
MOSES WANGANGA WAINAINA
As you turn five, may you grow up
healthy, bright and a God-fearing
boy. You are a source of joy and
keep you in his tender and loving
happiness to us. Warm birthday
Left: Shadrack Umoya plays the guitar.
Above: He shows Youth League UK executive director John Kamau Wainaina a few skills on how
to play the instrument.
Photos/Dennis Okeyo
the children’s home and in the process he
would hone his skills further. “The boy is
self-driven and when he decided to try
his luck at the music festiva, we had our
reservations but he sailed all the way to
the Nationals,” says Ndung’u.
Shadrack’s star is about to shine even
brighter. Recently, John Kamau Wainaina
who is the Director of Youth League
UK, a UK-based youth organisation, was
touched by Shadrack’s story and his
achievements against all odds that he
decided to support him. “Our work is to
identify and help disadvantaged young
people in Europe and Africa to discover
and exploit their talents and Shadrack’s
case is just one of those that fits within
our work,” said Wainaina.
Youth League UK has paid for Shadrack
a full scholarship to professionalise his
talent on the guitar and other instruments
wishes from dad Joseph, mum Leah
and sister Wamboi.
SHEILA NYAMBURA GICHUHI
Happy birthday Sheila as you
turn three. May you always be an
obedient girl. We pray that you
live to celebrate many birthdays.
Wishes from dad Ben, mum Grace
brothers Alfred and Victor and all
cousins and friends.
FRANCO MAKMENDE
Happy birthday as you turn 14.
May you live to blow 1001 candles.
Wishes from Mark, Lennox and all
the pupils of class 8 Blue at Arya
primary, Kisumu.
MARY WANGUI MWAURA,
STELLA K.WAMBUI AND
SPARKYPHINE TERESIA
at the Muziki Tele School of Music in
Nairobi. Other than giving his already
celebrated skills a professional touch, it is
expected that Shadrack will interact with
other professionals in the field.
“We are also hoping that after he is
through with it, we can take him for an
exchange program with his counterparts
in the UK,” adds Henry Otiende, Youth
League UK representative in Kenya.
Shadrack says that he is lost for words but
promises not to let the people who are
supporting him down. In the meantime, he
says he will concentrate on teaching other
children at the children’s home how to
play the guitar.
[email protected]
WANGINA
Dear friends. Your birthday is a
special day and since you are
also special to me it goes without
saying. May you celebrate the
starting of yet another year with joy,
hope, love and God’s protection.
Best wishes from Nics Wangare.
SHANTEL JOHNSON
As you celebrate your third
birthday, we thank God for you are
a blessing in our lives. Our prayer is
that our good Lord be with you all
days of your life. Best wishes from
Lejas Ndung`us family, your dad
Johnson and mum Pamelah.
MARVIN KUNGU
As you turn eight, may God guide
you and bless you abundantly. Best
wishes from mum Njoki, Mami,Guka
,uncles Mwangi and Dan.
JUNIOR ELISHA BRUNO
Happy birthday Junior as you
mark your third year. Best wishes
from your mum Susan, dad Isaac,
grandmother Margaret Wanyama
and aunts. May you grow up to be
a God-fearing boy. God bless you,
happy birthday.
DANIEL ONYANGO (DANNY)
I thank God for you are a precious
gift to us. May He give you life,
good health, strength and wisdom
always to carry on the challenges
of life. Best wishes from your
dad Julius, mum Alice,sis Maggy,
grandma, aunties, uncles and
friends.
May 2, 2010
4 Sunday Nation
Carol Nyambura, 11
I would like to become a
driver when I grow up.
This is because driving is
interesting. I feel good
most of the time I travel
by bus. In future I will
buy one and drive my
friends.
What I would
like to be when I
grow up
Simon Irungu , 9
Last weekend, we visited children at
KENWA Children’s Home in Murang’a.
They talked about their future dreams.
Interviews by ANTHONY OMUYA
Mary Wanjiku, 11
When I grow up I
would like to be a
teacher because
teachers are respected
people in the country.
I will be able to interact
with many people.
I would like to be a
flying doctor to help
the sick in rural areas
where such services
are not available
especially for suffering
chidren and women
David Mutuku, 10
Lucy Muthoni, 12
I would like to
become a pilot after
I have completed my
education. It is fan and
interesting to fly in the
sky. However, I will
use that opportunity
to visit the less
fortunate after buying
my own small plane. I
am longing to become
one. In school I will
continue working hard,
to achieve my dream.
Grace Wamucii , 12
I want to be a community
worker. This is because
many community
workers have
supported me. I will
return the support and
guide others in our
beloved country. This
will help me make many
friends especially kids.
I would like to be a
community health
worker to support
poor kids and
their mothers in
various parts of
the country and
even other parts of
the World. This will
make me give back
to the society what
I have been receiving
from others.
[email protected]
Children and the law
By Patricia Mundia
Law Student at Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Know your rights
Sunday Nation 5
Elijah Ng’ang’a, 9
I would like to be a
community worker
so that I can help
children like me in
the society. This
will give me an
opportunity to
support the less
fortunate in our
communities. I have
seen good work being
done by community
workers.
A
May 2, 2010
Adoption rules in Kenya
doption refers to the act
by which an adult formally
becomes the guardian of a
child and incurs the rights
and responsibilities of a parent. At the
conclusion of the formal process, a
legal relationship between child and
guardian will have formed. Under the
Children’s Act, regulations are provided
under sections 154 to182 (Part XII). All
adoption proceedings are to be heard
and determined in chambers and the
identity of the child and the applicants
are kept confidential. Adoption Orders
are issued by the High Court of Kenya
only, and not any lower court (s154).
Once issued, the order is served on
the Registrar-General (Marriages
and Adoptions Office) for entry into
the Adopted Children’s Register and
issuance of the Adoption Certificate.
The Adoption Order must be
accompanied by the original birth
certificate of the child. In the case of
abandoned babies, for whom no birth
certificate is issued, documents from
relevant authorities proving that the
child was abandoned must accompany
the Adoption Order. These may include
a police report, Children’s Department
report and a letter from the children’s
home or hospital that held the
abandoned baby. The fee payable for
the certificate is Sh100.
The Registrar’s Office then confirms
the authenticity of the documents from
court and liaises with the Registrar of
Births and Deaths to have that birth
entry marked ‘ADOPTED’.
Who May Adopt?
Section 158 provides for persons who
may adopt and they are;
1.A sole applicant or jointly two
spouses where each or one of them is at
least 25 years old and at least 21 years
older than the child.
2. A relative of the child.
3. The mother or father of the child.
Section 158(2) provides for persons
who may adopt under special
circumstances which they must satisfy
the court exist, these persons are;
1. A sole male applicant in respect of a
female child.
has or both have attained 65 years.
4. A sole foreign female applicant
Section 158(3) provides for persons
who may not adopt and they are;
1. A person who is not of sound mind.
2. A person who has been charged or
convicted previously of a child abuse
offence
3. A homosexual
4. Joint applicants if not married to
each other
5. A sole foreign male applicant
Before adoption is effected, consent
is required. For those children living with
guardians, relatives or persons having
parental responsibility; the consent of
those persons is required. For children
who do not live in Kenya, the consent of
their courts or competent government
authority is required and for a child
who has attained the age of 14years,
the consent of such a child is required.
However, consent can be done away
with in cases of parents who cannot be
found, have abandoned their children or
if they withhold such consent.
FRENCH FRIES
It is believed that the third President of
the United States, Thomas Jefferson,
played a role in introducing the term
French fries in America. Jefferson was
born on April 13, 1743 and died on July
4, 1826. When he was Ambassador to
France between 1785 and 1789, one
of his favourite foods was French fried
potatoes.
When he returned to America, ‘French
fried potatoes’ were added to the
menu in his home. By 1900 everyone
in America was eating French fried
potatoes. The name was shortened to
French frieds in the 1920s and in the
1930s the French frieds became known
as French fries. In the 1960s the name
French fries was shortened to fries.
Both terms are in current use around
the world. In Kenya and most of Europe,
fries are also known as chips.
3. An applicant or joint applicants who
[email protected]
My parents
won’t let me talk
to friends
Dear Liz,
I am 14 years old and in Form One.
My parents don’t want me to live
like a normal teenager. They don’t
allow me to talk to my friends
and visit them all in the name of
reading. For heaven’s sake I am
on holiday! I feel like I am being
imprisoned in my own home. This
is not fair and I hate coming home
and I hate them too. What am I
supposed to do? Please help.
R. Rono,
Kapsabet
Dear Rono,
You are probably feeling all grown
up and especially now that you
are in high school, and that your
parents should leave you alone. I
believe your parents love you very
much and they wouldn’t want you
to get into any danger. That’s why
they want to know where and
whom you are with and for how
long. They should know if you
are secure or strong enough to
stand up to peer pressure and not
put yourself in danger. And it is
because of their support that you
have got where you are.
Remember you are still your
parents’ baby and they are bound
to protect you. The only way to
solve these thorny issues is to
talk them. Avoid defying their
rules and it doesn’t help to sulk
or throw tantrums as these could
only make things worse and you
end up losing your freedom to
visit or chat with friends, or just
be on your own without them
keeping a watchful eye over
you. Try talking to them calmly;
express your disappointment
about not being allowed some
independence. When you break
their rules, even the ones you
think are unfair, you betray their
trust and yet your efforts should
focus on winning them to your
argument that a little freedom
will not hurt. Talking things out
will convince them to relax their
rules a bit and therefore give you
a chance to prove that you can be
trusted.
While they may give you a bit
of the freedom, they will still have
rules like curfew and you should
respect these. Always remember
that it is your parents’ right to be
fully involved in your life even if
you feel you are grown-up now.
My mum
ignores me
Please send comments or
contributions to [email protected]
Nairobi
Dear Naomi,
It must be painful not to have
a good relationship with your
mother. But I must commend
you for seeking advice because it
means you want your relationship
with your mother to improve.
You have not said if this is how
things have always been with your
mother. If it is something that
started recently, you may want
to find out if you were the cause.
Are you an obedient girl? Are you
rude to her? The best way you can
handle this is to talk to relative
and ask him/her to intervene.
This way, if you were the cause
of your mother’s indifference
towards you, then your relative
can help you rebuild your
relationship with your mother.
There is no reason why you
should not get along. You must
be prepared to apologise though,
in case you were the cause of her
behaviour and demonstrate that
you can be a good and trusted
child again. She may also not be
aware that she is hurting you. But
this you will discover after you
have consulted a relative. If she
really did not mean to hurt you,
she will surely apologise.
Dear Liz,
When I talk to my mum she
ignores me. When I ask her a
question she doesn’t answer me.
But when my big brother asks a
question, she is very much willing
to answer. Why does she ignore
me? What shall I do?
Naomi,
Ann: What do you do if a bull charges you?
Lizz: You pay him.
Loise: What room do ghosts hate the most?
Joyce: The living room.
What did the wall say to the other wall?
‘Meet you in the corner.’
Chris: What is the longest word in the dictionary?
Mark: Smiles because it has a mile in the middle!
Roy: What did the daddy chimney say to his son?
Mike: ‘You’re too young to smoke.’
Roy: Yeah, I guess.
Kate: Why was the orange blind?
Mike: Because it was low in Vitamin C.
2. A sole female applicant in respect
of a male child.
Tom’s embarrassing
experience
Email your questions to
[email protected] or egi
[email protected] Or
send to Auntie Liz, Young Nation,
Box 49010, 00100, Nairobi
Sports Quiz
He was born on August 21, 1986 and is a sprinter and a
three-time Olympic gold medallist. He holds the world
record for the 100 metres, the 200 metres and, along
with his teammates, the 4x100 metres relay. He also
holds the Olympic record for all three of these races.
He became the first man to win three sprinting events
at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, and the
first man to set world records in all three at a single
Olympics. In 2009 he became the first man to hold the
100 and 200 metres world and Olympic titles at the
same time.
At the Beijing Olympics, he ran 100m in 9.69 seconds
to break his own previous record of 9.72 second
and at 200m he took 19.30 seconds better than the
previous record of 19.32 by Michael Johnson at the 1996
Olympics in Atlanta. His world record over the 100m
and 200m stands at 9.58 and 19.19 seconds respectively
at the Berlin World Championships.
1. Who is this athlete?
Teacher: What language is at the end?
Peter: Finnish, the language in Finland!
2. Which country does he run for?
- SHEILA KIMANI
Answers on page 8
By EDWIN M.
MWANIKI
T
om was our
neighbour in
Gumba estate.
A dancing contest was
going to be held in the
estate and Tom was
among the entrants. He
practised day and night to
perfect his moves and on
the day of the contest, he
decided to get a hair-cut
at the shopping centre.
He was dressed in a shiny
purple silk shirt and tight
jeans. Everyone marveled
at his glamorous outfit as
he swaggered towards the
barber’s shop.
He sat down and the
barber started shaving
him. After a while, the
barber switched off his
machine, unplugged it and
walked out with it without
saying a word. Tom felt
the top of his head. It had
been shaved clean like he
had requested. After a few
minutes he looked at his
watch. He was impatient.
The contest was going to
start in less than an hour.
He decided the barber
was done so he might
as well leave. He placed
his payment on the seat
and hurried towards the
contest venue.
On the way, he noticed
that people were giving
him puzzled looks and
some were laughing at
him. He ignored them
and he got to the contest
just in time. While he sat
waiting for his turn, his
fellow contestants started
laughing. When he asked
his friend James who was
also an entrant what was
wrong with everyone,
James explained that his
hairstyle was what was
funny. Tom rubbed his
clean shaven head and
was horrified when he felt
the back of his head – he
touched a big patch of
unshaved hair!
Before he could get
over his shock, the barber
came running in and said,
“Oh Tom. I’m glad I’ve
found you. You left before
I was done shaving your
hair. Well, you see, my
machine malfunctioned
so I rushed out to borrow
another one from my
friend. When I returned,
I found you were gone.
Come, it will only take
a second, I will remove
that tuft of hair.” Tom
had no choice but to
accompany the barber.
Hair shaved, he returned
to the contest. Although
he won the contest, Tom
considered the day the
most embarrassing in his
life.
1. According to latest
research, only 17 per cent
of the population in the
world surf the Internet.
2. Only 19 per cent of all
internet users are from
the United States of
America.
3. The country that has
the highest percentage
of internet users is
Sweden. Over two thirds
of all population uses the
Internet.
4. In Africa, only three
per cent of the people
surf the web. It is only
in Africa that the cost
of using the Internet is
highest on the planet.
-Mercy Gakii
May 2, 2010
4 Sunday Nation
Carol Nyambura, 11
I would like to become a
driver when I grow up.
This is because driving is
interesting. I feel good
most of the time I travel
by bus. In future I will
buy one and drive my
friends.
What I would
like to be when I
grow up
Simon Irungu , 9
Last weekend, we visited children at
KENWA Children’s Home in Murang’a.
They talked about their future dreams.
Interviews by ANTHONY OMUYA
Mary Wanjiku, 11
When I grow up I
would like to be a
teacher because
teachers are respected
people in the country.
I will be able to interact
with many people.
I would like to be a
flying doctor to help
the sick in rural areas
where such services
are not available
especially for suffering
chidren and women
David Mutuku, 10
Lucy Muthoni, 12
I would like to
become a pilot after
I have completed my
education. It is fan and
interesting to fly in the
sky. However, I will
use that opportunity
to visit the less
fortunate after buying
my own small plane. I
am longing to become
one. In school I will
continue working hard,
to achieve my dream.
Grace Wamucii , 12
I want to be a community
worker. This is because
many community
workers have
supported me. I will
return the support and
guide others in our
beloved country. This
will help me make many
friends especially kids.
I would like to be a
community health
worker to support
poor kids and
their mothers in
various parts of
the country and
even other parts of
the World. This will
make me give back
to the society what
I have been receiving
from others.
[email protected]
Children and the law
By Patricia Mundia
Law Student at Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Know your rights
Sunday Nation 5
Elijah Ng’ang’a, 9
I would like to be a
community worker
so that I can help
children like me in
the society. This
will give me an
opportunity to
support the less
fortunate in our
communities. I have
seen good work being
done by community
workers.
A
May 2, 2010
Adoption rules in Kenya
doption refers to the act
by which an adult formally
becomes the guardian of a
child and incurs the rights
and responsibilities of a parent. At the
conclusion of the formal process, a
legal relationship between child and
guardian will have formed. Under the
Children’s Act, regulations are provided
under sections 154 to182 (Part XII). All
adoption proceedings are to be heard
and determined in chambers and the
identity of the child and the applicants
are kept confidential. Adoption Orders
are issued by the High Court of Kenya
only, and not any lower court (s154).
Once issued, the order is served on
the Registrar-General (Marriages
and Adoptions Office) for entry into
the Adopted Children’s Register and
issuance of the Adoption Certificate.
The Adoption Order must be
accompanied by the original birth
certificate of the child. In the case of
abandoned babies, for whom no birth
certificate is issued, documents from
relevant authorities proving that the
child was abandoned must accompany
the Adoption Order. These may include
a police report, Children’s Department
report and a letter from the children’s
home or hospital that held the
abandoned baby. The fee payable for
the certificate is Sh100.
The Registrar’s Office then confirms
the authenticity of the documents from
court and liaises with the Registrar of
Births and Deaths to have that birth
entry marked ‘ADOPTED’.
Who May Adopt?
Section 158 provides for persons who
may adopt and they are;
1.A sole applicant or jointly two
spouses where each or one of them is at
least 25 years old and at least 21 years
older than the child.
2. A relative of the child.
3. The mother or father of the child.
Section 158(2) provides for persons
who may adopt under special
circumstances which they must satisfy
the court exist, these persons are;
1. A sole male applicant in respect of a
female child.
has or both have attained 65 years.
4. A sole foreign female applicant
Section 158(3) provides for persons
who may not adopt and they are;
1. A person who is not of sound mind.
2. A person who has been charged or
convicted previously of a child abuse
offence
3. A homosexual
4. Joint applicants if not married to
each other
5. A sole foreign male applicant
Before adoption is effected, consent
is required. For those children living with
guardians, relatives or persons having
parental responsibility; the consent of
those persons is required. For children
who do not live in Kenya, the consent of
their courts or competent government
authority is required and for a child
who has attained the age of 14years,
the consent of such a child is required.
However, consent can be done away
with in cases of parents who cannot be
found, have abandoned their children or
if they withhold such consent.
FRENCH FRIES
It is believed that the third President of
the United States, Thomas Jefferson,
played a role in introducing the term
French fries in America. Jefferson was
born on April 13, 1743 and died on July
4, 1826. When he was Ambassador to
France between 1785 and 1789, one
of his favourite foods was French fried
potatoes.
When he returned to America, ‘French
fried potatoes’ were added to the
menu in his home. By 1900 everyone
in America was eating French fried
potatoes. The name was shortened to
French frieds in the 1920s and in the
1930s the French frieds became known
as French fries. In the 1960s the name
French fries was shortened to fries.
Both terms are in current use around
the world. In Kenya and most of Europe,
fries are also known as chips.
3. An applicant or joint applicants who
[email protected]
My parents
won’t let me talk
to friends
Dear Liz,
I am 14 years old and in Form One.
My parents don’t want me to live
like a normal teenager. They don’t
allow me to talk to my friends
and visit them all in the name of
reading. For heaven’s sake I am
on holiday! I feel like I am being
imprisoned in my own home. This
is not fair and I hate coming home
and I hate them too. What am I
supposed to do? Please help.
R. Rono,
Kapsabet
Dear Rono,
You are probably feeling all grown
up and especially now that you
are in high school, and that your
parents should leave you alone. I
believe your parents love you very
much and they wouldn’t want you
to get into any danger. That’s why
they want to know where and
whom you are with and for how
long. They should know if you
are secure or strong enough to
stand up to peer pressure and not
put yourself in danger. And it is
because of their support that you
have got where you are.
Remember you are still your
parents’ baby and they are bound
to protect you. The only way to
solve these thorny issues is to
talk them. Avoid defying their
rules and it doesn’t help to sulk
or throw tantrums as these could
only make things worse and you
end up losing your freedom to
visit or chat with friends, or just
be on your own without them
keeping a watchful eye over
you. Try talking to them calmly;
express your disappointment
about not being allowed some
independence. When you break
their rules, even the ones you
think are unfair, you betray their
trust and yet your efforts should
focus on winning them to your
argument that a little freedom
will not hurt. Talking things out
will convince them to relax their
rules a bit and therefore give you
a chance to prove that you can be
trusted.
While they may give you a bit
of the freedom, they will still have
rules like curfew and you should
respect these. Always remember
that it is your parents’ right to be
fully involved in your life even if
you feel you are grown-up now.
My mum
ignores me
Please send comments or
contributions to [email protected]
Nairobi
Dear Naomi,
It must be painful not to have
a good relationship with your
mother. But I must commend
you for seeking advice because it
means you want your relationship
with your mother to improve.
You have not said if this is how
things have always been with your
mother. If it is something that
started recently, you may want
to find out if you were the cause.
Are you an obedient girl? Are you
rude to her? The best way you can
handle this is to talk to relative
and ask him/her to intervene.
This way, if you were the cause
of your mother’s indifference
towards you, then your relative
can help you rebuild your
relationship with your mother.
There is no reason why you
should not get along. You must
be prepared to apologise though,
in case you were the cause of her
behaviour and demonstrate that
you can be a good and trusted
child again. She may also not be
aware that she is hurting you. But
this you will discover after you
have consulted a relative. If she
really did not mean to hurt you,
she will surely apologise.
Dear Liz,
When I talk to my mum she
ignores me. When I ask her a
question she doesn’t answer me.
But when my big brother asks a
question, she is very much willing
to answer. Why does she ignore
me? What shall I do?
Naomi,
Ann: What do you do if a bull charges you?
Lizz: You pay him.
Loise: What room do ghosts hate the most?
Joyce: The living room.
What did the wall say to the other wall?
‘Meet you in the corner.’
Chris: What is the longest word in the dictionary?
Mark: Smiles because it has a mile in the middle!
Roy: What did the daddy chimney say to his son?
Mike: ‘You’re too young to smoke.’
Roy: Yeah, I guess.
Kate: Why was the orange blind?
Mike: Because it was low in Vitamin C.
2. A sole female applicant in respect
of a male child.
Tom’s embarrassing
experience
Email your questions to
[email protected] or egi
[email protected] Or
send to Auntie Liz, Young Nation,
Box 49010, 00100, Nairobi
Sports Quiz
He was born on August 21, 1986 and is a sprinter and a
three-time Olympic gold medallist. He holds the world
record for the 100 metres, the 200 metres and, along
with his teammates, the 4x100 metres relay. He also
holds the Olympic record for all three of these races.
He became the first man to win three sprinting events
at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984, and the
first man to set world records in all three at a single
Olympics. In 2009 he became the first man to hold the
100 and 200 metres world and Olympic titles at the
same time.
At the Beijing Olympics, he ran 100m in 9.69 seconds
to break his own previous record of 9.72 second
and at 200m he took 19.30 seconds better than the
previous record of 19.32 by Michael Johnson at the 1996
Olympics in Atlanta. His world record over the 100m
and 200m stands at 9.58 and 19.19 seconds respectively
at the Berlin World Championships.
1. Who is this athlete?
Teacher: What language is at the end?
Peter: Finnish, the language in Finland!
2. Which country does he run for?
- SHEILA KIMANI
Answers on page 8
By EDWIN M.
MWANIKI
T
om was our
neighbour in
Gumba estate.
A dancing contest was
going to be held in the
estate and Tom was
among the entrants. He
practised day and night to
perfect his moves and on
the day of the contest, he
decided to get a hair-cut
at the shopping centre.
He was dressed in a shiny
purple silk shirt and tight
jeans. Everyone marveled
at his glamorous outfit as
he swaggered towards the
barber’s shop.
He sat down and the
barber started shaving
him. After a while, the
barber switched off his
machine, unplugged it and
walked out with it without
saying a word. Tom felt
the top of his head. It had
been shaved clean like he
had requested. After a few
minutes he looked at his
watch. He was impatient.
The contest was going to
start in less than an hour.
He decided the barber
was done so he might
as well leave. He placed
his payment on the seat
and hurried towards the
contest venue.
On the way, he noticed
that people were giving
him puzzled looks and
some were laughing at
him. He ignored them
and he got to the contest
just in time. While he sat
waiting for his turn, his
fellow contestants started
laughing. When he asked
his friend James who was
also an entrant what was
wrong with everyone,
James explained that his
hairstyle was what was
funny. Tom rubbed his
clean shaven head and
was horrified when he felt
the back of his head – he
touched a big patch of
unshaved hair!
Before he could get
over his shock, the barber
came running in and said,
“Oh Tom. I’m glad I’ve
found you. You left before
I was done shaving your
hair. Well, you see, my
machine malfunctioned
so I rushed out to borrow
another one from my
friend. When I returned,
I found you were gone.
Come, it will only take
a second, I will remove
that tuft of hair.” Tom
had no choice but to
accompany the barber.
Hair shaved, he returned
to the contest. Although
he won the contest, Tom
considered the day the
most embarrassing in his
life.
1. According to latest
research, only 17 per cent
of the population in the
world surf the Internet.
2. Only 19 per cent of all
internet users are from
the United States of
America.
3. The country that has
the highest percentage
of internet users is
Sweden. Over two thirds
of all population uses the
Internet.
4. In Africa, only three
per cent of the people
surf the web. It is only
in Africa that the cost
of using the Internet is
highest on the planet.
-Mercy Gakii
May 2, 2010
6 Sunday Nation
It’s story time
The hen and the hawk’s razor
L
ong ago the hen
and the chicken
were living happily
together. They never
scratched the ground and
garbage for food because it
was easy to come by. One
day the hen wanted to give
her chicks a clean shave of
their heads. But she had no
razor. So she borrowed one
from her friend, the hawk.
The shaving exercise
started in earnest. But while
shaving the second chick,
the hen remembered food
was cooking. It dashed to
the kitchen to add more
firewood. Meanwhile, the chicks started playing
with the razor and in the process lost it. When
the hen returned from the kitchen, to her dismay
she found hawk’s razor was missing.
The hen did not, therefore, return the razor so
hawk came by to collect it.
“I’m sorry one of my chicks lost the razor,” hen
tried to explain. But hawk would not hear none
of it.
“Ehee! You must be kidding, you hen. I gave
you this razor in good faith now you tell me this
crap!” The hawk said with raging anger. Hen
tried to plead with the hawk but all her pleas fell
The jackrabbit
is a hare and
not a rabbit
T
on deaf ears. “I’m going away and I want you
to look for my razor. When I come back and I
don’t get it, I will take one of your chicks,” hawk
vowed and flew away. Hen left with no otherwise
started scratching the ground, rubbish, and grass
in desperate search for the razorblade.
When hawk came back, she found her valued
razor still missing. And true to her word, she
snatched away one of the hen’s chicks. Since
then, hawk comes and picks hen’s chicks.
And from that time hen and her chicks keep
scratching the ground in search of hawk’s razor.
- WANGULU KHAYONGO
Send us an interesting, ‘It’s Story Time’ to Young Nation, P.O. Box 49010, 00100, Nairobi or email at [email protected]
&
Compiled by
MWORIA MUCHINA
he black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus
californicus) also known as the desert hare,
is found in the deserts of United States of
America and Mexico. It has distinctive long ears,
and long powerful hind legs. Jackrabbits are
hares, not rabbits. Hares are larger than rabbits,
and have taller hind legs and longer ears. They
drink very little, getting most of their water from
their food, which include cactus.
Like most hares, black-tailed jackrabbits do
not use burrows, but rest during the day in a
shallow hollows dug into the soil and usually
under the cover of vegetation. They rely on their
acute hearing and speed to evade predators,
which include hawks, eagles, coyotes, foxes,
and bobcats. They can run for over 64 to 72
kilometres an hour and can leap 5.8 metres in a
single bound. Females can give birth to several
litters a year, each with one to six young. The
young mature quickly and require little maternal
care.
Bark,
silly.
Bark!
What
What
do
call
do you
you call
the
outer
the outer
cover of
cover
of aa
tree?
tree?
Er,
I don’t
know..
KENYA’S HERITAGE
SERIES
�����������������
[email protected]
Sudoku
Crossword
Easy Sudoku
CROSSWORD CLUES TO
The rules of Sudoku are quite simple. You are presented with a 6x6
grid of boxes, some empty, some filled with numbers in the range of
1 to 6. That gives you 2 rows, 3 columns and also 2 larger squares of
2x3 boxes.
The idea of Sudoku is to completely
fill the empty grid squares with
numbers in such a way that the
following conditions hold true:
1) Every row should contain the numbers 1
to 6 but should not repeat the numbers 1 to
6 at any point within that row.
2) Every column should contain the
numbers 1 to 6 but should not repeat the
numbers 1 to 6 at any point within that
column.
3) Every 2x3 square should contain the
numbers 1 to 6 but should not repeat the
numbers 1 to 6 at any point within that
square.
1
YN 0046
ACROSS:
1. A solemn promise
especially one made to or
before God
3. Not firm or stiff
5. Member of race that
originated from the Middle
East or N. Africa
6. Charge or duty on income
levied by the Government
8. Street, road, path, or
passage
9. Small venomous snake of
N. Africa
11. A jewel
13. To gain as profit
2
14. A piggery
15. Container from
ashes or the dead
6
DOWN:
1. One who treats
diseases and
9
injuries from
domestic animals
2. A solid yellowish
substance
secreted by bees
14
used for making
candles etc
3. An enactment
by a legislative body
4. To decrease in intensity
etc
7. A valuable thing or
3
4
8
7
1
11
12
13
15
attribute
10. To settle a debt
11. The wildebeest
12. A male human being
May 2, 2010
Sunday Nation 7
Be the next Google winner
G
Title: Dear Miss Winfrey
Author: Helen Brain
Publisher: Hodder Education
Reviewer: NYANDUAKI OKONGO SHEILA
O
n the February of 2007, an
orphan from a small village in
rural South Africa begins her
letter, ‘Dear Miss Winfrey, my name is
Thandeka and I am thirteen years old…’
This becomes the first of many more
letters written while on her hospital bed
and addressed to the popular television
icon with the hope that she would
be accepted into the Oprah Winfrey
Leadership Academy for Girls near
Johannesburg. The reality though was
that the Academy was already full and
the waiting list for hopeful entrants was a
long one. Yet Thandeka kept writing.
These letters that form this book unfurl
the life of a girl who even though she was
among the brightest pupils in her village
school, is denied a chance to apply to the
prestigious school but still manages to
keep her dream alive. How she ends up in
hospital with a broken leg, why she keeps
lying to the doctors by forging amnesia
and how she came to know about Oprah
and her newly-opened school, are all
revealed in these letters that the nurse
posts for her.
Thandeka does come out as a strong
6952904R.pdf
4/29/10
4:33:05 PM
willed persona who would go
to the moon and back so as to get a good
education that she believes would be
her toehold to greater things in life. One
cannot help but admire her. I must say
that it was quite unexpected how things
turned out after all as chronicled in her
last letter to Oprah dated March 1, 2007,
where she finally says goodbye to Oprah
and leaves the hospital with complete
satisfaction of something new that she is
about to embark on. The book exhibits
simplicity at its best and is splashed with
comprehensible illustrations to make a
great read for all this holiday.
[email protected]
oogle, the internet
company, has announced
an international competition
for young people in Kenya titled
‘Doodle 4 Google - I love Football’.
The competition targets children
aged between four and 17 years
from around the world. Entrants are
required to design their own Google
logo.
Five years ago, a Kenyan, Lisa
Wainaina won in the ‘Doodle 4 Google
school challenge’ held for London
schools in the UK. This will be the first
time for the African countries will take
part.
The global winning Doodle will
be displayed internationally on
the Google website for a day on.
Submitted doodles will be judged on
artistic merit and creativity revolving
around the ‘I love football’ theme.
The Google employees will select the
winning Doodle from Kenya and will
be put to public vote alongside other
It is not work that kills, but worry.
- African Proverb
Nothing can stop the man with the
right mental attitude from achieving
his goal; nothing on earth can help the
man with the wrong mental attitude.
- Thomas Jefferson
Procrastination is opportunity’s natural
assassin.
- Victor Kiam
winning Doodles from other countries.
In the National category, the
winning doodle will be displayed
on the Google’s homepage for that
country, the winner will win a framed
copy of his/her doodle and laptop and the runner up will win art
supplies.
In the global winner category, the
winning doodle will be displayed
on the Google homepage globally
for 24 hours on July 11, 2010, the
winner will win a holiday to South
Africa offered South Africa Tourism
Board. The runner-up will win two VIP
tickets to a Premiere League football
match in the UK offered by Sports
New Media, including international
flights, domestic transportation and
accommodation.
Interested young artists can send
their Doodles to Google Kenya,
P.O. Box 66217-00400, Nairobi. The
deadline for all submissions is May 18,
2010.
The history of the world is but the
biography of great men.
- Thomas Carlyle
The truth is that our finest moments
are most likely to occur when we are
feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy
or unfulfilled. For it is only in such
moments, propelled by our discomfort,
that we are likely to step out of our ruts
and start searching for different ways
or truer answers.
- M. Scott Peck
May 2, 2010
8 Sunday Nation
SOLUTION
Making golf their favourite sport
By CHRIS MUSUMBA
G
irls, unlike boys, are still
alienated from golf. It
is from this picture that
one of Kenya’s professional
golfers Rose Naliaka opted
to improve the situation.
Through her Rose Naliaka
Golf Foundation, she has been
successful in bringing on board
several young girls to learn
golf skills - including polishing
their swings, drill or putt.
She launched her golf school
at Kenya Science Teachers
College, before it was moved to
Golf Park.
One of the young girls keen
to learn the new skills is 12year-old Serah Kanyereri. Unlike
many children who still have
are yet to play basketball or
netball or compete in athletics,
Kanyereri prowess in handling
the golf clubs has given her an
edge over others and she hopes
to join the professional ranks
one day. The Standard Six pupil
at Jamhuri Primary School,
Kanyereri developed an interest
in golf when she was eight
years old through the influence
of her classmates who had
been attending Rose Naliaka
foundation tutorials.
Rose Naliaka foundation students learn
putting skills from Betsy King of Golf of
Africa Organisation at Golf Park.
Right: Ashley Awour follows the
flight of her shot.
Photos/CHRIS OMOLLO
“I usually practice golf on
Saturdays from morning hours
until evening with the help of
golfer Jacob Okello who is the
local club professional together
with Naliaka, who are supposed
to train the junior players,” she
said.
It is while at school that she
got lured to golf. And as they
say golf is addictive. During the
break time, she, together with
the others peers, would move
to the green, a standard grass
pitch
used for
football,
and try out
their shots. “My
favourite subjects in
school are English,
mathematics and
CRE. But I too love
watching football
during my free time
and reading story books.
It is my ambition to be a
professional golfer; but I
still have a long way. I must
improve my skills and English
through reading and training,”
said Kanyereri.
But the rivalry and challenge
in the club has helped many
players hone their skills. Such
players include Ashley Awour,
8, and a Standard Three pupil
at Jamhuri Primary School.
“My aim is to become a
professional golfer.
It feels good to be
odd one out in the
society because
not very many
people have
a clue on
what golf
is about
especially
when they are still
young,” she said.
Awuor likes
Mathematics and
English and was
introduced to golf
early this year, when
she joined the
foundation. Now
after four months of
training, she hopes
to fill her trophy cabinet,
but first she must make
it to the academy
team and take
the challenge to
other players in
other clubs.
Crossword
Crossword
SOLUTIONS TO YN 023
SOLUTIONS TO YN 0046
ACROSS
ACROSS:
1.Arc
3.Dub 6.Obese 7.Pal
1. Vow 9.Ole
3.Lax 11.Urn
5.Arab13.Decor
6.Tax
8.Net
8.Way 9.Asp 11.Gem 13.Earn
14.Dot
15.Eon
14.Sty 15.Urn
DOWN
DOWN:
1.Asp
3.Denture
1. Vet 2.Collect
2.Wax 3.Law
4.Abate
7.Asset5.Bet
10.Pay
11.Gnu
12.Man
4.Use
9.Odd
10.Leo
12.Nun
Sudoku
ANSWERS
Sports Quiz
1. Who is this athlete?
Usain Bolt
3. Which country does
he run for?
Jamaica