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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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Don't blame the youths. They have nothing yet.

My friend will buy a gun at 35 if he does not get employment or have capital to start an enterprise. I told him that my case will be different. At that age, I will count my losses and get the best Synethesia which I will overdose and sleep sweet. He warned me of throwing myself in a well or going for drugs as two of our friends recently did after campus and now are in graves. We are both 25.

We may agree that we have been caught up in what is described as a quarter life crisis. Or refuse. Our hopes and expectations are doubtful. There are no (few) people who can offer assistance. The best place to be is among your peers and the best time is to laugh and have drinks- get high. Relationships are daily abused and the best feeling and thought is to get out of your job/school/home and go away. Away!
Life as a youth is full of uncertainties though the society kinda has already regulated what you can do and not do during the period. There are schools to make you immobile, confined and occupied against your late adolescent. And there are a number of proverbs warning youths to respect the elderly, obey the present laws and other things with a ready punishment for going astray.

I did a poem a few days ago about the joy of a youth. (here) 

A new report commissioned by the East African Institute (EAI), the Kenya Youth Survey Report, revealed that 50 per cent of youth in Kenya do not care what means one uses to make money as long as they do not end up in jail. I agree with the report. Why should I be found in traffic when there is a motorcycle? Why should I queue when there is an agent who can take tea?

Seemingly there is a shock of a misinformed past that education is the way to a brighter future. They should have said that as a mental breakthrough and not physical need providence. Most of our parents, caught up in generational poverty strived to send us to school not really to make our lives better but to put us in the battle field. To give me a job, anyway is like what my friend termed a wheelchair offer. It won’t compensate the pain, hunger, canes, early wakes and all the school struggle.

It is good to have knowledge and skills but when systems frankly compromise by absence of opportunities or resources, a weakling as a youth won’t fail to compensate by compromising through feudal means like crime. Who made law anyway? Virtue is the result of abundance. If corruption got my friend a job at a certain company, why should I not get a job too? You are always a straight man before a dilemma comes along. You will get clean once, not always.

I won’t defend the youths to death anyway because they have their shortcomings like impatience. My view would be to understand the pressures of their time and give them support understanding that they are inventors of no vices but products of them through mangled institutions of families, schools and jobs.


Are you a challenged youth? Take heart.

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