There was some benefit
This is going to sound strange, but in a way I am not too sad that the Europeans came to our country.
Yes, there was and still is the exploitation of our people and land. Yes, we were denied of our rights for generations. Yes again, terrible things that were done to us and our forebearers like my grandparents being forcibly moved from their ancenstral homes and planted in the Rift Valley. The slave trade etc etc.
But now, I cannot imagine my life without coffee, cigarettes and BLOGGING. I shudder to think what my life would have been in those old days - child bearing, co-wives,working in the shamba, carrying water from the river (tried that once and nearly broke my back!!) fendidng off raids from the Maasai and the Kambas.
What would I do without my books and the TV, movies and travelling?
Them old days are all very well and good for the romantics, but the realist in me is glad not to live in them. I am happy to be a child of the 20th century, to be a Christian. I am happy am independent and have been able to make my own choices, and to have been spared of that life.
Yes, there was and still is the exploitation of our people and land. Yes, we were denied of our rights for generations. Yes again, terrible things that were done to us and our forebearers like my grandparents being forcibly moved from their ancenstral homes and planted in the Rift Valley. The slave trade etc etc.
But now, I cannot imagine my life without coffee, cigarettes and BLOGGING. I shudder to think what my life would have been in those old days - child bearing, co-wives,working in the shamba, carrying water from the river (tried that once and nearly broke my back!!) fendidng off raids from the Maasai and the Kambas.
What would I do without my books and the TV, movies and travelling?
Them old days are all very well and good for the romantics, but the realist in me is glad not to live in them. I am happy to be a child of the 20th century, to be a Christian. I am happy am independent and have been able to make my own choices, and to have been spared of that life.
posted by Uaridi at 8/23/2005 01:24:00 pm
10 Comments:
You just got me - with coffee, fag in hand and the posts all laid out waiting to be read! So true...
Amen!
kama now I'd be done rounding the mbuzis after a long day of kulaing miwa and spitting by the roadside and looking forward to a very entertaining night of removing jiggers from my toes.....and I'm the gistiest jama in the village.
I am with Wambui (without the fag, of course) but we wouldnt know otherwise, would we?
"fending off raids from the Maasai and the Kambas" - not saying anything, but I giggled, if that is an answer in itself LOL
@Sandman -"looking forward to a very entertaining night of removing jiggers from my toes....." - that is just cruelly funny, dude!
As an American, I've always had mixed feelings. When I think about how the Europeans nearly exterminated the Native Americans, and we know so little of their history and culture - they were here for thousands of years before we came. And the unimaginable beauty of this land at that time! I've read enough to know that some of the Native American leaders were very wise, intelligent, spiritual people - Tecumseh, for example.
But what happens happens, I suppose. But I do bear in mind how we changed the whole continent, and really don't know how much we destroyed, and never will. It does seem to have been inevitable though. The disparity in technology, and the ignorance of the two peoples of each other...
I hear you!
But let it be known- I am a product of those Kamba raids on the Kikuyu! heheheh!
Nice post.
Blue
@Sandman - woman you crack me up!
Blue - yani no comment;-)
who knows me have still progressed in some way.Maybe the arabs would have taken over inland and we would all be waswahili muslims.
Acolyete, welcome to my world, and thanks for the comment. I for one am glad that did not happen!!
Hmm I can't believe I'm reading this!! I understand that you've put caveats - but the reality was that 99.999% of what they brought was bad and exploitative.
As for the rest - if they had left us alone (i) they would be 75% or more poorer, maybe Russia would be 'the first world'
probably the Far Easterns would have made their innovations anyway (including computers etc) and globalization would have happened anyway, as it was already doing. How else did Africans get iron, maize, and a whole bunch of other imports in past millenia?
Globalization was going to happen, and we Africans, our sweat and blood, is what made Europeans what they are. The way that it was forced upon us was totally wrong - and, worse still, those less financially fortunate like you in Africa are the victims. Before Europeans came there were no slums, no homeless people, no political famines (apart from nature's), no reliance on currency... the list grew.
Think again, no offence.
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