Saturday September 7, 2019
Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi and author Misky Haji during the launch of her book, ‘Reset’, at a Nairobi hotel
Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Writers and poets from Northeastern have been urged to use their skills to document Somali’s rich culture and preserve it for posterity.
Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi further appealed to the youth in Northern Kenya to focus on fixing the challenges facing the region. He spoke at a Nairobi hotel during the launch of a poetry book titled Reset. It was authored by Misky Haji, a youthful woman from Northeastern — a region less endowed in terms of resources and development.
“People with such talent require to be identified and supported to highlight our rich culture. They can be used to model others and engage them in this era of dwindling job opportunities and increasing risks to abuses related to drugs, radicalisation and other social ills,” Abdi said.
He said young women from the region have proved they can equally compete at the highest level if given a chance. The county chief cited Umulkheir Harun who was the runner-up in the recent Miss President show that was aired on KTN.
Reset is an English word that means readjust or readapt from a given original state. The title, therefore, is a call for transformation in a region that has lagged behing in development. For residents, it must no longer be business as usual.
“In a normal setup, it is assumed such work is reserved for the well-exposed and generally from the male gender, especially in a patriarchal society like ours and we are, therefore, persuaded to ‘reset’ our usual and traditional thinking,” the governor said.
“As we reset our thinking and ways of doing business to be more innovative, accommodative and productive, it is important to appreciate that Misky is an embodiment of courage and hope in a society that is very oral and relegates ladies to the periphery.
“Her boldness to put a pen to paper and generate this masterpiece of a book is enriching and, by all standards, sets the pace for a new beginning based on tapping the hidden potentials of our unemployed youths.”
He appealed to Misky not to tire and instead use her writing prowess “to be a roving youth ambassador, especially for the girlchild”.
Misky promised to contribute to the development of society “in my little ways through my God-given talent”.
“I will continue using the power of the pen to highlight the current state of our society and the need to correct the disparity,” he said.
The event was attended by leaders from the region, including governors, senators, MPs and the business community.
