[kictanet] On the subject of Kenyan Languages

[bitange at jambo.co.ke]

Matunda,
Norway like its neighbours decided to embrace social democracy which ensures that everyone is taken care of and that there is less income disparities.

This is not easy since you have to socialize everybody to respect and relate to each other as equal human beings first.  Here you find a plumber neighbours a doctor.  A graduate woman marrying a male mechanic and living comfortably.  Language becomes the common thread that weaves the society together.  This leads to a common value system and philosophy.

Our confusion emanates from lack of common values and a false class system.  Most of us are working to belong to a class higher up than what we are.  Even in Church, I see people try to identify with those who have either socially made it or are powerful.  

It is common knowledge that we do not identify ourselves with plumbers, masons, carpenters as other normal equal human beings unless when we need their services.  This is why our youth shun employment in these skill sets yet we do not have such craftsmen in sufficient numbers as we suffocate in unemployment. 

We must therefore try to re-build our language as a basis of our culture.  It is the only thing that brings us together on the same table whether we are plumbers or doctors.  I have noted in all marriage ceremonies how people want to belong and trying to dig into our common values irrespective of our backgrounds.

Technology has enabled us to build repositories of our languages and culture.  We must now develop content with the languages.  Like Ngugi wa Thion'go, academics must begin translations of their works into vernacular and develop institutes of each language at all universities.  Without this, we shall all fail.

Ndemo.
 
Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Matunda Nyanchama <mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com>
Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.keDate: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:12:45 
To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Reply-To: Matunda Nyanchama <mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: [kictanet] On the subject of Kenyan Languages

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