Sunday, 22 June 2014

Unsung Heroes By Watiri Mwangi

Unhappy, the land that is in need of heroes.

To many, heroes are iconized individuals who have been the hallmark of humanity. They create an overbearing illusion of an absence of human flaws. On a global scale, the list entails Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Unknown to many, every society has its own set of heroes and heroines. They are the regular John and Jane Doe, lady living down the street or the man treading down the road.  However, what remains significantly mysterious are their acts of heroism and the numerous lives they save.



They live amongst us, with no aliases or titles performing small selfless acts. Their acts remain unceremonial, unnoticed even but they have changed lives and made an invaluable difference in society. History only seems to highlight the role played by individuals who are widely acclaimed for their actions. However, unknown to many are individuals like Maria Feodorvna, wife to Tsar Alexander who altered a death sentence with the stroke of a comma. This saved the life of a prisoner on death sentence.

Today, they are the men and women who employ their limited resources, skills and talents to transform the Kenyan society. I seek to target these individuals and tell of their heroism and extraordinary acts of humility. To highlight the issues that are affecting the Kenyan society and individuals who have opted not to resonate to the status quo and transform society. Individuals who in the face of adversity and opposition have risen above these obstacles to perform an extra ordinary feat. They stand for their chosen cause not expecting to be thanked, rewarded or even recognized.

In a society where big names reign, our truest and most invaluable heroes tend to be anonymous. Individuals who are virtuous, self-motivated and little-known prove to be our unsung heroes. These are the teachers, doctors, firemen, honest officers, social workers, mothers, fathers, single parents, foster parents, volunteer-hard workers at unglamorous, lonely, regular and underpaid jobs. They affirm the verb that is hero, they are the unsung heroes.

UnSung Heroes: WanaKenya

This blogpost was prepared by Watiri Mwangi, a political science student and one of the founding members if BAMU.


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