Finding Happiness- 'Kenya I Care' at Alpha Institute of Accounting – Kiambu County
After many weeks Kenya I Care embarked on its activities on 10 September, 2014 at Alpha Institute of Accounting in Juja town, Kiambu County. There were current and former students. Some were familiar with IofC and some totally new to the idea. The session started with the question ‘Where does happiness come from?’ After a moment of reflection participants shared stories that brought memories and true pictures of our individual personalities, aspirations, relationships and how we feel about our everyday lives. ‘Happiness comes from within and not from without’ became the theme of the session.
While we feel that corporations are controlling our choices of food, entertainment, communication, looks and associations, most of the participants shared how they have realised that personal attributes, habits, beliefs and preoccupations within (things that they would not like people to see) and those things on the outside (things that they would want others to see), impact their choices and decisions.
‘I want people to see me as I am and accept me with my defects and imperfections. I am not here to impress or make you like me! If you aren’t happy with me then it’s because we cannot share ideologies,’ one student said.
Another student shared, ‘It’s very difficult to accept my mistakes but I am very quick to see other people’s mistakes. I am very quick at manufacturing defences so that I can justify my wrongs. I will now train myself to pause and look deep inside me then do what is right.’
One of the accounting tutors shared, ‘My salvation comes first and that is my God. If I am not honest to with men I am not honest with God. My students should not try to be like me, because accepting God is a personal journey, a trying one too.’
The idea of blending in, in order to fit into society came up, and real day to day examples of compromises, temptations to accept and give favours and bribes took centre-stage. Stories and experiences were shared and many felt that globalization and efforts to industrialise our cities, governance and social media has contributed to loneliness in people. Communication has become easier and considerably cheaper but everyone wants Big, Better and More. Therefore those without the ability to live like others often feel socially and economically inadequate and not belonging. We all want to drive good cars, live in big houses, have best hairstyles to compliment our looks, own sophisticated gadgets and talk more than we should listen. We think that happiness comes from material possessions but when we have them, we are still unhappy.
When we talk to each other, we learn from each other and this came out as an essential part of what IofC should inspire in people - conversations, gatherings and platforms where stories are told.
Report by Mike Muikia and Olivia Wambui