POWER IN BEING AFFILIATED TO INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING

I have found great insight in a associating my self with institutions of learning whether it’s a primary school, a secondary or a university.


There is a common thread that weaves institution of learning: nurturing of brains in the process of acquiring new knowledge, debating among students and teachers on various topics, a tapestry of various personality, talents, background and age are found here; and a people with different goals towards life, creativity and innovation.


None of us should dare to underestimate the lessons that learning institution can afford, even from perceived learners and institutions whose performance can be termed as dismal according to annual ranking of schools from national examinations performance for primary and secondary schools.


I remember the time when the church afforded me an opportunity to be among the speakers of the week of spiritual emphasis at Muma Secondary School. This was one of the schools that I have never seen its name mentioned for whatever reason during the release of the Kenya national Examination council (KCSE).


Prior to this privilege I had had an opportunity to visit and spend some time with national examination giants such as Starehe Boys Centre. I had spent some time with some students in the library, yes, used to have time with its founder, Dr. Geoffrey Griffins – who took me through his administration techniques: Being a father to the students.


So, here I was to participate in the spiritual nurture of the students along side their mental development which is afforded mostly by the teachers and individual student incentive to study, social development where both the school and society plays a role in setting the moral, ethical standards (among others) and students, themselves, as they interact with others, the world; and physical development which is more than the physical education curriculum as it finds its place in what we eat, how we eat, when we eat…. I have come to find it reflected in the acronym – NEWSTART – that is: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance (self-control), Air, Rest and Trust in God.


Back to my memorable school, Muma, (it is after this stay that I composed the poem: Where Three Tribes Reside) where to my realization after two day stays that some students were marred, fathers. From this crop of students I learned the power of resilience and self reliance. They were parents, small scale (sugarcane and pineapple – prominent crops found here at South Mugirango) farmers and students determined to acquire knowledge. These parents cum students come to realize the importance of education is more than a certificate to enable one to secure a job to put food on the table.


For them, after dropping from school – and settling into marriage – it dawned that education enhances one’s daily living. Life is more than getting married and making money. Education, learning is part of it. It is in this school I realized that learning institution ignites one's aspiration and focus. Notwithstanding that some of the students had never seized an opportunity to travel beyond their community – knowledge – has blown their horizons far beyond their immediate environment.


Second lesson: What distinguishes institutions of learning from other premises are books. Withdraw books and reading from any institution and it will cease to be.Yes, if students match out our school without a culture of reading, albeit what they might have scored,then a life has been wasted - because there lies a potential that will not be exploited. What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us.The greatest university of all is a collection of books, as Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881) put it. We cease to learn and grow once we stop reading.


I recommend that if you have never read "Gifted Hands" and "Think Big" by Ben Carson you do it. For those of us who have read this books where Carson explain how reading lifted him from and idiot to a world respected neurosurgery, rereading them will be gracious.


As I often find my self in various institutions for various reasons – as students and teachers go about their business of acquiring knowledge through reading and sharing – my passion for reading gets rooted and watered. If you don’t read you have no place in a learning institution. Those who find themselves in our schools without the culture of reading are in the wrong place. They need to match out and do something else. Be sure in the present world you are designated for failure if learning,reading is not part of your life. Yesterday's knowledge is not sufficient to carry you through another day. Acquisition of knowledge should be food which is a daily need.


Third lesson: It’s here where the fortress of operation is to ask questions. From classroom to laboratory to examination hall – everything is – be inquisitive. There is power in asking questions, yes question even the obvious – the next discoveries will be achieved by individuals who are out there asking themselves questions. By questioning the obvious – why to apples fall down wards? – Sir Isaac Newton – discovered the force of gravity.


Fourth lesson, but not exhaustive, it is here where both the students are trying – putting into experimentation various us theories and concepts. Whenever people cease to put knowledge and dreams into trials, experimentation and practice – creativity and innovation ceases to be: new frontiers diminish. People become consumers of other people breakthrough. Economic stagnation takes over. Nepotism, tribalism,malice reigns.



I do believe that one of the reasons why we are lagging behind as country, Kenya, is that we hardly put knowledge into practical use. Once we will embrace this concept a new dawn will be ours in creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation, development and self - reliance; simply by putting our mind and hands in use concurrently.



Find time to visit your nearest learning institution may it be a primary school, a secondary or a college, and then numerate some of the lessons that you might learn. I believe you will realize why our homes needs to be (alpha and omega) institutions of learning too.