-Fungeni Macho by Eric Wainaina
The longer I am here, the more I find myself quoting the music of this fantastic musician Eric Wainaina. This song gives a little history of Kenya. The lyrics above translated from Kiswahili to English as: "In 1963. we won our independence, The white man's flag was brought down, Africans begun to rule themselves, we were taught to say 'Pull Together'.
Harambee, or "pull together" in Kiswahili. This word is entertwined with Kenyan history. It turned into the campaign slogan and motto of Kenya's first President Jomo Kenyatta, who encouraged Kenyans to pull together for independence from their British colonialist in the early 1960s. It seems that in the nearly sixty years since Uhuru (freedom/independence) harambee has lost its luster on many facets in this country. In a country with over forty distinct ethnic groups, all with their own languages, cultures, customs, ways of life, etc. in some cases it can be difficult to pull together to be identified as one. In Kenya, until very recently and even still now, many Kenyans identify themselves as Luo, Kikuyu, Kalenjin, or Akamba before you will here them utter "Mimi ni MKenya". Even still, with years of political exploitation and encouragement in the divides between the different ethnic groups, there is one facet in which ethnocentericm can not touch: Sports.
It is sports that unites a country together with a nationalistic fervor unlike anything else can. You can argue all you want that ultiamtely sports do not matter and are just a stupid game and completley insignificant, but as far as sporting contests go between two nations, I would completely disagree with you. I got my first taste in the greater impact of sports contest in my freshman year world politics class when I read the book "How Soccer Explains the World." This is a fantastic book that for all immediate purposes changed my life in a sense that is has influenced me towards desiring to go into the field of youth development through sports and/or cultural arts programs. This book explains how soccer has impacted specific countries all over the world: How Slobodan Milosevic incited the crazed soccer hooligans from Red Star Belgrade into becoming his death squad in Yugoslovia in the early 1990s, the book expalins how Football Club Barcelona became a rallying point for the Catalonian Bacelonans against the Castillan Spanish and their dictator Franco in the 1930s, and many other ways in which soccer becomes more than just a sport. This past Jumamosi, or Saturday, I expeirenced my own "how soccer explains the world moment" and I participated in my own Harambee.
On Saturaday, a world cup qualifier match occured here in Nairobi between the Kenyan national soccer team (the Harambee Stars), and the Tunisian team. On this day, I experieneced real Kenyan nationalism. Perhaps when a nation has mechanisms from which to be divided on, it becomes even more magicial to see a whole country together in support of something. Today these people were first and foremost Kenyan, and that is all that mattered. These fans had so much spirit, dancing around the stadium, running laps around, lighting flares, emnating different rallying cries. On this day I saw more shirts that said the word Kenya on it, more flags, more of the kenyan colours: the green for the Kenyan land, the black for the people, and the red for the blood spilled for independence, than I had any other time since my time being here. Even two hours before the game started the stadium was three-quarters full, and with a half hour before the game the whole stadium was full. Tens of thousands of fans all showing their pride, chanting, doing countless waves around the stadium. (Perhaps the wave was heard in the sky as well because on this day, during the game, the long rainy season began here in Kenya as a steady rain fell through most of the game and has been falling on and off every few hours ever since). These tens of thousands of fans were all supporting not just a soccer team of the eleven guys on the pitch, but supporting a microcosm of the way Kenya should, can, and will be; with people from the different ethnic groups all working together as one team, one nation.
As far as the game went, Kenya definately exuberated its spirit that is reflective of the nation as trying so hard to change, to become better (both as a soccer team and a nation). The Kenyan national team outplayed Tunisia on every category during the game: time of possesion, field position, shots, shots on goal, socring oppurtunities. They looked very good for most of the game, but a slip up very early on about five minutes cost Kenya the lead one nothing. They tried very hard to make it up, but missed just barely on many occasions there were only about five minutes left, when they finally equaled the score. Unfortunately that tie did not last long as they were caught up in the celebration perhaps and allowed what would be the game winning goal for Tunisia only a minute after Kenya equalized. The score ended with Tunisia winning 2-1, but Kenya looked very promising for the future.
Harambee, or "pull together" in Kiswahili. This word is entertwined with Kenyan history. It turned into the campaign slogan and motto of Kenya's first President Jomo Kenyatta, who encouraged Kenyans to pull together for independence from their British colonialist in the early 1960s. It seems that in the nearly sixty years since Uhuru (freedom/independence) harambee has lost its luster on many facets in this country. In a country with over forty distinct ethnic groups, all with their own languages, cultures, customs, ways of life, etc. in some cases it can be difficult to pull together to be identified as one. In Kenya, until very recently and even still now, many Kenyans identify themselves as Luo, Kikuyu, Kalenjin, or Akamba before you will here them utter "Mimi ni MKenya". Even still, with years of political exploitation and encouragement in the divides between the different ethnic groups, there is one facet in which ethnocentericm can not touch: Sports.
It is sports that unites a country together with a nationalistic fervor unlike anything else can. You can argue all you want that ultiamtely sports do not matter and are just a stupid game and completley insignificant, but as far as sporting contests go between two nations, I would completely disagree with you. I got my first taste in the greater impact of sports contest in my freshman year world politics class when I read the book "How Soccer Explains the World." This is a fantastic book that for all immediate purposes changed my life in a sense that is has influenced me towards desiring to go into the field of youth development through sports and/or cultural arts programs. This book explains how soccer has impacted specific countries all over the world: How Slobodan Milosevic incited the crazed soccer hooligans from Red Star Belgrade into becoming his death squad in Yugoslovia in the early 1990s, the book expalins how Football Club Barcelona became a rallying point for the Catalonian Bacelonans against the Castillan Spanish and their dictator Franco in the 1930s, and many other ways in which soccer becomes more than just a sport. This past Jumamosi, or Saturday, I expeirenced my own "how soccer explains the world moment" and I participated in my own Harambee.
On Saturaday, a world cup qualifier match occured here in Nairobi between the Kenyan national soccer team (the Harambee Stars), and the Tunisian team. On this day, I experieneced real Kenyan nationalism. Perhaps when a nation has mechanisms from which to be divided on, it becomes even more magicial to see a whole country together in support of something. Today these people were first and foremost Kenyan, and that is all that mattered. These fans had so much spirit, dancing around the stadium, running laps around, lighting flares, emnating different rallying cries. On this day I saw more shirts that said the word Kenya on it, more flags, more of the kenyan colours: the green for the Kenyan land, the black for the people, and the red for the blood spilled for independence, than I had any other time since my time being here. Even two hours before the game started the stadium was three-quarters full, and with a half hour before the game the whole stadium was full. Tens of thousands of fans all showing their pride, chanting, doing countless waves around the stadium. (Perhaps the wave was heard in the sky as well because on this day, during the game, the long rainy season began here in Kenya as a steady rain fell through most of the game and has been falling on and off every few hours ever since). These tens of thousands of fans were all supporting not just a soccer team of the eleven guys on the pitch, but supporting a microcosm of the way Kenya should, can, and will be; with people from the different ethnic groups all working together as one team, one nation.
As far as the game went, Kenya definately exuberated its spirit that is reflective of the nation as trying so hard to change, to become better (both as a soccer team and a nation). The Kenyan national team outplayed Tunisia on every category during the game: time of possesion, field position, shots, shots on goal, socring oppurtunities. They looked very good for most of the game, but a slip up very early on about five minutes cost Kenya the lead one nothing. They tried very hard to make it up, but missed just barely on many occasions there were only about five minutes left, when they finally equaled the score. Unfortunately that tie did not last long as they were caught up in the celebration perhaps and allowed what would be the game winning goal for Tunisia only a minute after Kenya equalized. The score ended with Tunisia winning 2-1, but Kenya looked very promising for the future.
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