The Kenyan education system fights against memory, against acknowledging our past. But we need to recognize our pasts to grieve them, and in doing this work, we must tell these stories ourselves. For a long time, most of the narratives we have had about ourselves and our histories have either been the sanitized narratives of the neo-colonial state or the white-washed versions given by our colonial masters, and a lot has been lost in these versions. The stories we tell ourselves shape our esteem, decisions, and ultimately our destiny.
Thus, we must revisit our histories and uncover the various hidden truths that have long been buried. The past is all pervasive- we cannot escape it. It is part of who we are; our cultures, our behaviours, and manifests in all aspects of our day-to-day living. Knowing our true history connects us to our past and tap into a dimension of longitudinal meaning over time. Because of this, learning our true history is essential; history gives the past and the present visible form and meaning.
In doing this, history also allows us to see into the future by offering precedents for current behavior and forewarning us from repeating previous mistakes. But in a neoliberal education system, education is framed around investments in students as human capital, and the value of education is tied to the student’s prospects for future earnings. Such a limited approach to education raises concerns about the purpose of education and the relationship between schools, state governance, and democratic life.
Beyond education, neoliberal governance also results in the privatization of other public institutions and processes including urban planning. Harvey (1989) famously abstracted the spread of neoliberalism into urban planning as a shift from urban managerialism to urban entrepreneurialism. Whereas managerial cities had been primarily concerned with providing services and facilities to the urban population by the local administration, entrepreneurial cities in an era of increased interurban competition, had to focus on attracting investment and employment more than ever before.
The consequent de-democratization of urban policies has left out a big chunk of the urban population from decision-making processes. This population continues to be threatened by unaffordable urban developments in the form of evictions and neglect. It is against this backdrop that Mathare, the urban bastion of the anti-oppression struggle in Kenya, exists.
Despite its role in the fight for Kenya’s independence and the post-colonial struggles for liberation, Mathare’s story is often overlooked. As Gathanga writes in his book, most people outside the settlement associate the name Mathare with the mental hospital bordering the settlement. For others, their narrative of Mathare is one of pity, considering that the place is known to house the urban poor.
Chief, the NuriaStore bookseller –
A novel by Japanese writer Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Its a Bitter-sweet Japanese style story.
Even though the concept is good but writing could be more interesting, there could be more twists and turns. I couldn’t find writing very appealing. maybe because book is more like a playwright. but its a good read.
Story is kind of old age fantasy time travel not sci-fi. There is underground café in small alley, windowless, in working for more than hundred years. It has 4-5 tables and very few customers. Even though it was famous for providing unique experience to customers.
In this coffee shop we meet four customers, who get to experience time travel. there are four short stories interconnected to each other. “The lover” about confronting lover who left them, “Husband an wife” about receiving letter from husband whos losing his memory,
“The sisters” about sisters want to meet for last time, “Mother and child” about meeting daughter they never got chance to know. Only limited characters and single place, so story is light weight.
There are certain rule to go to the past. There is particular sit in café that takes you to your past, and you have to return to the present before coffee gets cold. both person going to past and person they want to meet should have visited that café before and many more.
The chair which takes you to past is permanently occupied by a women in white dress and the only way to sit on chair, when that women gets up to go to bathroom.
With all the rules for time travel, Its seems pointless to go to past. what if you lose track of time and your coffee got cold. and even if you go back to past, whatever you do, It will not change present.