Ukereketwa aka Advocacy

Advocacy...I was introduced to this big word in 1998 when I joined COVAW ...the organisation worked on womens human rights and the basic assumption was that everyone in the office was an activist...even if you are the Adminstrator!!

So here I was, a young impressionable lady....and activists like Hon Millie Odhiambo, Hon Adelina Mwau, L. Muthoni Wanyeki, Atsango Chesoni, Anne Gathumbi, Jackline Anam, Antonina Njau were the board members and the kind of hands on people who  called often and asked for this and that to be done. First of all, since this was not my circle before joining COVAW, I really didnt consider them big wigs in advocacy!!

Years later, is when i came to realise that I was among greats!

My initial encounter with advocacy work was the 1998 16 Days campaign...that was in November and I had joined two months earlier. The work we had to do...goodness!! The press statements had to be done and words/ phrases like 'condemn in the strongest possible terms' ...'demand that'...were the order of the day. I used to wonder whether a small agency like this can make such demands to big government offices! Dont they risk arrest or something serious like that?

Now the landscape has changed. Human rights are being violated left right and center; the press statements we used to write could get to the concerned public officer but not always to the public. The best we got was a mention in an article in the newspaper...sometimes depending on the issue, the entire Media brief is published! we celebrate....but honestly nothing visible was seen after that..almost like a PR stunt....that we didnt keep quiet when the issue was 'hot'. Today we tweet and the issue can easily trend globally - concerned officers dont want their names splashed all over the internet as being unconcerned

Today I make a statement #IamWillie...I may not be able to go on the streets but am with the wakereketwa 150%. May Justice prevail

#JusticeforWillieMwendaMuiruri