Disability is not Inability

:: Leadership
22nd May 2007

“The problem with current leadership is that you do not know if the people you think you are leading are following you or chasing you”

This banner found in a certain cybercafé in Nairobi, sets pace for a sober review of leadership in transitional Kenya. At a time when all people think its only the politicians who are messing Kenya.

After Thursday’s Newsline on KTN on Leadership, I got thinking about my country Kenya and the fact that leadership starts with where you and I have been given an opportunity to work. This led me to the questions about leadership and where they are.

Are there leaders outside politics? Are for example entrepreneurs also leaders? are juakali men and women also leaders. is the head of a family or a single mother not a leader?

Who is a leader and what contribution Re they or could they provide in their small ways to build this county...

If we could “show leadership in our small areas of work, we could create the necessary change this country so dearly needs” a Newsline panelist said.

Since the popular Kenyan television civic education programme is (big THANKS to URAIA) translated into Sign language, I was happy that a significantly inclusive majority of Kenyans benefited. More so, because leadership equally lacks in the Kenyan disability community.

Hence, there will be no more of that common excuse that “we didn’t know…” My prayer is more focused discussion will result for these community among others, in relation to this topic. This is the only way some serious progress can be made beyond the rhetoric.

According to some school of thought, Leadership begins with a desire to solve a problem. That leadership is tree grown from the seed of desire to alleviate a people from a never ending vicious circle of suffering, disease and death (if we are to give it a local definition).

This is what encourages the leader to try and find out where we are in a the process identify himself and his people where they are going and what we need to reach there. So is she a leader? Women are increasingly being called upon to take up the role of leadership in their many participatory activities. Are you a leader? What stage of leadership are you? training stage, on job or school, what have you done to grow your leadership skills?

In the words of a dear deaf friend this may involve many sacrifices to the leader. As a deaf person with much desire to see the improvement of the livelihoods of her fellow community members; a leader must asks herself "what ails us"?

A critical evaluation of what ails us as a community of course with much consultation from various sector leaders you will begin to build an exhaustive profile of what we are. This enables the leader to identify with what beneficial opportunities and realtionships for us as a country a region or a community living with disabilities.

:: Leadership 2.

:: Leader's meditation

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