CAUSE Kids: A Campaign to "Save" Africa

I don't usually post twice in one day but I just had to. Check it out.

"The perfect gift will not be under your tree this year, it will be in West Africa. Give the gift of lasting joy to an African family." (http://www.causekids.ca/christmas2008)

It's outrageous I know, but it is also a real advertisement. Targeted at "good" Canadian families who "really want to make a difference" and "help save Africa." Well, you know what? We don't need saving, let alone "lasting joy" from you! A couple of months ago, the New Scientist Magazine (not that I'm a big fan of science) reported a survey on the happiest people in the world and you know who they turned out to be? Nigerians! YES! Surprise surprise! NOT North America, or Europe or Australia, but NIGERIA! So really, African families don't need your gift of "lasting joy" ok? And then the BBC article on the survey says "The survey confirms money does not buy happiness." As if we didn't know that already. Unfortunately, CAUSE Kids is not the only problematic organization around. I see so many advertisements like these on an everyday basis calling out for people to help and save Africa. Most international and non-governmental organizations have very problematic ideologies that only feed and foster the oppression of people from non-western countries. And frankly, I'm getting really sick of it. If you want to take a look at the article on the survey I've posted a link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3157570.stm

Riding the Rocket is NOT the better way!

NO ONE should have to wait one whole hour for a bus! Especially on a cold cold snowy winter's night! Yuh heard?! Last night I thought my toes would literally freeze up. And they almost did. This particular bus that I take home everyday is notorious for keeping people waiting but yesterday I think it must have hit it's best record yet with ONE HOUR! Well, in actuality there were two buses in one hour. The first one arriving after thirty five minutes quickly filled up as was to be expected and who knew the next one would take so damn long?! Downtown for goodness sake? And what makes this whole thing worse, is that it is not an irregular occurrence. Some particular streetcars are also infamous for this! Arriving after half an hour and all three of them turning out to be suddenly full! It's absolutely ridiculous! Can anybody say structural violence?? The TTC system really needs to be revamped so that it can actually work! Because as of now, it's not working and Riding the Rocket is definitely NOT the better way! I don't know why anybody who has the power to do something about it, does not realize this. Probably because they don't have to take the TTC on a regular basis. I am up to my neck sick of waiting and waiting in the cold for that long! Especially now that temperatures are dropping. What are people supposed to do? Seriously, the TTC needs to get it's act together! The current one is growing old and it won't be too long before people have had enough.

The World’s Greatest Poet

You say the World’s greatest poet is William Blake
I say the World’s greatest poet is a sistah with no name

You say the World’s greatest writer is Shakespeare
I say the World’s greatest writer is Zora

You proclaim Karl Marx to be the World’s greatest theorist
I proclaim Audre Lorde

You say the World's greatest speaker was Martin Luther King
I say it was Sojourner Truth

You insist on giving me Rudyard Kipling and T.S Elliot and Walt Whitman
But what about all my African sistahs whose voices were stolen from them?
What about the pieces of scrap paper on which they struggled to write on?
While their husbands beat them mercilessly
And their colonizers brutally raped them
What about them?
What about them?

You say the World’s greatest poet is William Blake
I say the World’s greatest poet is a sistah with no name

YES! You heard right...I'M BACK!

Alright. I know that some of you out there (I won't mention any names Karen) are kind of annoyed with me for not having written in so long and gosh where do I start? Well, I think filling y'all in on my life since August will take me a couple of blog posts so let me just start by giving an apology for my unintended and abrupt absence. I've never had a year like this one at school where I am actually fighting for time to breathe. It's crazy! Anyway, I'm just glad because it's my last year and after this I'm free baby! Well, not so much but you get my drift. So anyhoo, I'm very super excited to be catapulted back into the blogging sphere now that I have a three week break! Yay! And for now, I think I'll just wish my fellow Kenyans a happy Jamhuri day! Oh yeah and Congratulations President Elect Obama! YEA-UH!