EL SUFRIMIENTO.

Cuando uno pregunta que es sufrimiento seguramente se liga al aquella que nos trae dolor y tristeza. Esto quiere decir que, aunque de alguna manera queramos cerrar los ojos al dolor y tristeza, que nuestro ser en la carne nos depara, qué duda cabe entre nosotros hay muchos que sufren, sean donde sean, religiosos religiosas, o laicos. Es decir sin frontera de la respuesta vocacional de cada cual. Pues el sufrimiento es nuestra carga cotidiana, y por esta razón no hay hombre que no sufra sobre esta tierra. Sufren los niños y los ancianos, los jóvenes y los adultos, los de una y otra posición social.

Hablar del sufrimiento se trata de un mal universal del que nadie puede librarse. Pero, aun aceptando este hecho indiscutible, es preciso reconocer también que hay personas que sufren más que otras, bien sea por causas personales, sociales o de convivencia. Entre estos podemos señalar, por ejemplo, los pobres e indigentes, los explotados, los marginados de la sociedad y los incomprendidos, los que no tienen puestos de trabajo y los que padecen disgustos familiares y comunitarias, los que experimentan el fracaso en la vida o los que son maltratados y perseguidos por causa de la justicia….

Pero ¿donde están aquellos que sufren?, pues no hace falta ir lejos, ellos están aquí con nosotros en nuestra casa, comunidad quizás somos nosotros mismos, puede ser aquellos ancianos, Jóvenes, enfermos, lindos, feos, Obispos, Cardenales, curas, monjas, benditos, malditos, altos pequeños, rojos, negros, etc.… a pesar de las apariencias y ritmo de vida, más allá de lo que se percibe y se ve, hay muchas veces un dolor o un problemita escondido que camina junto a nosotros y en nosotros, cuyo rostro parece estamos obligados a ocultar a los demás, porque sospechamos que a los demás no les interesa mucho.

¿Qué decir del sufrimiento de los enfermos nuestros? La enfermedad es una prueba mucho más dramática que las otras pruebas de la vida del un ser. Normalmente, las dificultades que el hombre debe afrontar son de orden sentimental, profesional, económico, político, comunitaria, religiosa, afectiva o sea secundaria a la persona misma, de manera que podemos decir que teniendo salud , puede decirse que todas ellas pueden ser superadas. Por algo antes de las desgracias y embarradas, de todo ellas, nos repetimos una y otra vez.

Pero frente a la incapacidad somática, o en este caso enfermedad o dolor físico, la cuestión es diferente. Esa sí, es un mal más radical. Porque este es un dolor ajeno a nuestra voluntad, cuya superación no está en nuestras manos, en la mayoría de los casos. Este afecta al hombre en su mismo ser, en aquella realidad corpórea, física y psíquica, individual y comunitaria o mejor dicho comunitaria.

Esta sufrimiento es mas profunda que otro tipo de sufrimiento de cualquier índole. Por los siguientes razones:

1. Es un sufrimiento integral, que afecta a todo el hombre, en su realidad física y psíquica, conmoviendo todo el mundo de sus relaciones, aunque el dolor se percibe en un miembro determinado, pero sí que duela la persona en su totalidad.

2. Es un sufrimiento intransferible. Es decir que nadie puede sufrir por mí.

3. Es un sufrimiento amenazante, que supone alejamiento de las seguridades en que normalmente se desenvolvía la vida. 4. Es un sufrimiento dependiente, donde se vive en dependencia de los demás de una forma especial.

Pues como comunión o mejor dicho comunidad, quienes más sufren no pueden no gritarnos a los otros. Su grito es callado, en unos casos, resonante en otros. En él va implicada una llamada de mil tonos: a la Justicia, a la libertad, a la ayuda, al servicio, a la comprensión, al Consuelo, y sobre todo a su bienestar de la salud.

Es verdad que as soluciones ante el dolor pueden ser muy diversas, sea cual sea su origen o su causa: la rebelión, el replegamiento sobre sí mismo, la desesperación que en muchas ocasiones es la cuestión, o la angustia . sin embargo siempre hay algo que permanece insoslayable para quienes perciben el dolor de los demás.

Estamos obligados a ayudarles a salir de su dolor, tenemos el deber como personas y como hijos de Dios, y más aun como personas apartados, de luchar con ellos contra el mal, poniendo los medios que en concreto conducen a superarlo. El dolos de los demás o puede dejarnos indiferentes. Nos interpela y nos reclama.

Y si esto debe ser así en cualquier caso, mucho más debe serlo en el caso de los enfermos y los que padecen de una manera u otro un dolor o sufrimiento y a su impotencia. No hay mayor soledad que la de aquel que grita en el dolor y no se le escucha. Los que sufren por causa de enfermedad o por causa de lo que sea son nuestros hermanos que en su vitalidad dieron lo pudieron. La misión nuestra es estar con ellos sin importar ninguna otra misión que estar con ellos. De manera que, nuestra misión primordial es acompañar a nuestros hermanos y hermanas inválidas, y en un sufrimiento u otro hasta el punto que el dolor se supera.

Como no podemos pensar que el cuidado de los afligidos nuestros, es un nuevo areópago? Que hace que mi predica sea cristiana si no me comprometo a gastar mi tiempo y energía acompañando un hermano o hermana en su dolor? Que me hace más Cristiana, buscar a los que sufren fuera de mi puerta o atender el que sufre dentro de mi misma cas?

La Vocacion a la Vida

EL olvido es propio de los hombre. A veces se olvida lo que se desea recodar, y otras veces se recuerda lo que se desearía olvidar. Hay cosas que olvidamos sin querer, y no tienen mayores repercusiones en nuestra vida, poqeu se trata de algo accidental y sin importancia. Pero hay cosas que olvidamos queriendo y su trascendencia es enorme, porque son fundamentales en la vida. Cuando se da estre olvido, voluntario podemos decir que es un Olvido escandaloso.

Pero en el Corazon nuestra queremos vivir. Este no es el grito de los hombre desesperados en situaciones de anormalidad. Es el grito latente o manifiesto de todos los hombres que han pasado por la tierra, de todos cuantos hoy, junto a nosotros, luchan y trabajan, se alegran, o sufren, pero en el fondo de todo es tapizada con el anhelo de vivir, y vivir feliz.

El vivir entonces es el deseo más profundo del hombre, que siente en sí mismo una ansia inscaiable de vida, de permanencia de felicidad. Vivimos abrazados a la vida y quisiéramos que este abrazo no se acabara nunca. No queremos dejar de ser de esta forma, porque tememos la aventura de comenzar a ser otra forma nueva, porque tenemos miedo a que detrás no haya nada.

Bueno ¿que será la vida entonces? la vida es nada más que, una gracia. La gracia se entiende como aquella de lo cual rebimos gratuitamente y sin merito. Eso quiere decir que o depende de lo que somos. Pues lavida para el hombre es un don inapreciable, que ni él tiene derechi a despreciar o maltratar, ni los demás tienen derecho a arrebatarle. El derecho a la vida, como el derecho a la ibertad, son inalinables, tanto desde un punto de vista cristiano cuanto desde un punto de vista humano.

Esa vida pues debemos vivirlo, y vivirlo no de cualquier manera, sino:

1. Vivir con dignidad, con liertad, y justicia;
2. vivir, gozando de los bienes que nos satisfacen sobre la tierra;
3. vivir, disfrutando y gozando, divertiendo y pasandola bien.
4. Vivir entregándose gratuitamente al servicio de los demás y cuidando la naturaleza.
5. vivir amando hasta el extremo dando lo mejor de nostros.
6. vivir es proyectarnos hacia un futuro cada ves ´mejor.

Pues vivir para el hombre es un continuum proyecion hacia el futuro. El pasado viene a ser el signo de lo perecedreo y perentorio, de lo insuperbale o superado. Pero el Presente es la experiencia de lo transitorio , de lo que está pasando, con suss gozos y exítos, ciertamente, pero tambien con sus dinsabores y fracasos. El futuro es precisamente ese momento que queda por llegar, y donde se espera queden superardas las ambivalencias del presente y puedan cumplirse las esperanzas del pasado.

Los deseos de un mundo y un futuro mejor son la proyeccion viva de un presente incumplido, que hoy quiere vivirse con plena intensidad, pero que se experimenta no se llega a vivir suficientemente. Quizas por elo nunca como hoy se vive tanto de planes y proyectios de futuro, de promesas para el mañana. Siempre se espera que algo nuevo llegue y susceda, porque la vida siempre se escapa de las manos sin que tenga lugar todo aquello que se desea.

La Proyeccion hacia el futuro es una forma de afirmación de la vida, al no conformarmnos con la forma de vida que poseemos.

El Olvido.

El olvido es propio de los seres humanos. Aveces se olvida lo que se desea recordar, y otras veces se recuerda lo que desearia olvidar. hay cosas que Olvidamos, sin querer, y no tienen mayores repercusiones en neustra vida, porque se trata de algo accidental y sin importancia. pero hay cosas que olvidamos queriendo y su trascndencia es enorme, porque son fundamentales en la vida. Cuando se da este olvido voluntario podemos decir que es un olvido escandaloso.

Pero al fondo del corazón del hombre es el ansia y busqueda de la felicidad. Eso sí es uno de los deseos más profundos. Es un ansia insaciable de la vida, de permanencia, de felicidad. vivimos pues abrazados a la vida y quisieramos que este abrazo no se acabra nunca. No queremos dejar de ser de esta forma, porque tenemos la aventura de comenzar a ser de otra forma nueva, porque tenemos miedo a que detrás no haya nada.

History of the Nandi

THE HISTORY OF THE NANDI PEOPLE AT THE TIME OF KOITALEL ARAP SAMOEI

Like many of indigenous cultures, several Kalenjin prophets foretold the coming of the white man. Among the Nandi, the prophesies of Mongo and Kimnyole are best examples. However, it was only Mongo who foretold the arrival of white people who possessed a great power, and warned against fighting against them.

Kimnyole, before his assassination, only predicted that the confrontation would have a significant effect upon the peoples of Nandi. Flushed with the victories against the other tribes and Arabs, the Nandi warriors believed that they would succeed in protecting their homeland. This faith was substantiated in November 1883 when a European caravan under Joseph Thomson crossed Masailand into North Nandi. Thomson was part of a Royal Geographical Society expedition that numbered 100 men in a pioneer company. The confused and sketchy evidence of this expedition stopped the dispatch of European caravans from Mombasa from 1883 84. Evidently, Thomson had negotiated the west wall of the Kerio Valley and reached the top of the Elgeyo escarpment shortly after leaving Njemps on 16 November 1883.

Thomson sent out scouts to prevent his caravan from being surprised as he continued forward five days without contacting any Nandi. However, the column must have been attacked by Masai seeking revenge for the cattle disease spread from European bovines in the area. This insignificant event attributed to a Nandi attack, actually broke the back of the Masai without any acknowledgement. Thomson returned to Naivasha in March 1884, and Nandi remained a blank spot on the European colonial maps. The next European to cross Nandi was James Hannington, the first Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa.

Hannington was an experienced explorer and employed the aid of other explorers like Thomson and Jones. The caravan left Rabai in July 1885, and arrived in Kabras on October 3. He left soon after to enter Nandi, but never returned. Thinking that he was opening a road to salvation for the Buganda, he could not know that his christian goals were the cause of his murder.

The Mwanga believed that such an establishment of contact would open the Buganda to an invasion from the east. Independently, Dr. Gustav Fischer entered North Nandi unobserved and passed through unmolested in March 1886. This was the first German expedition into Nandi and was so rushed that no notes were kept regarding the Nandi. The German Colonial Office also launched a powerful caravan led by Count Teleki and Hauptman Hohnel in 1887-88 that turned back before entering Nandi. Three small European caravans had entered Nandi, but the only solid information was gathered from the Masai who Hannington related regarded the Nandi tribes "to be the most difficult to deal with from its fighting powers." Seven years passed before the next Church Missionary Society (CMS) caravan crossed Nandi. Part of the reason that the Nandi were ignored during this period was that Emin Pasha and Stanley had to be retrieved and that used up the military, porters, and supply available in the area.

Another part of the reason was that the British sphere of influence beyond the land of the Masai was being attempted. The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEA) launched a 535 man caravan led by F. J. Jackson into the unexplored area on August 6, 1889. The Sotik were friendly at first, but later attacked the caravan. The Sotik were defeated losing 40 warriors and forfeiting 170 head of cattle and 2000 sheep and goats. Jackson then continued to Mumias on November 7, 1889. Refusing to help the Mumia against the Ugenya, Jackson continued to Turkana to collect ivory to defray the cost of the expedition. When the Jackson expedition reached the land of the Sebei it became acquainted with the Nandi.

The expedition happened to be in the exact area that was being raided by Nandi kiptaiyat numbering possibly 1000 warriors. The Nandi attacked several Sebei villages and carried off 200 to 300 head of cattle in one day. The villages attacked were destroyed and the inhabitants killed. The expedition's hopes of being attacked by the Nandi never developed, and with the area devastated, the expedition had no hopes of remaining. It returned to Mumias on March 4, 1890. It was at Mumias that Jackson negotiated a treaty that replaced the German flag with the British flag. In 1892, the railway survey party was appointed to determine the possibility of expanding the rail system through Nandi. The survey went slowly as the surveyors were in constant peril. It was estimated by some that "men armed with Winchester rifles would have to be stationed at every 100 yards in order to keep off the attacks of the natives." The Europeans created a large amount of movement on the periphery of Nandi between 1890 and 1895. For instance, in 1894 twenty-six caravans passed through North Nandi and in the latter half of 1895 more than forty passed over the same tracks unmolested.

The Nandi may have ignored this movement because it didn't directly threaten them or because the caravans did not offer enough plunder to make them worthwhile attacking. However, the Nandi watched the caravans with a suspicious eye. The coming of war was only a matter of time.

UN PREDICTED WAR

The unlikely beginning of a war began with two British adventurers, Peter West and Andrew Dick. West arrived at Mumias on March 20, 1895. He was a continual drunk and had been accused of being a gun-runner. He entered into a trading partnership with the choleric Dick who had already established a chain of stores and transport posts from the coast to Lake Victoria. These two men set about to independently establish domination and a trade monopoly with the Nandi. The two began this escapade on June 23, 1895 by organizing two caravans. The expeditions began poorly when three rifles were stolen from Dick by the Kikelewa and one of West's men was murdered. Dick drew first blood when two Nandi warriors surrendered and he had them whipped. Later, Dick had the warriors bound and drowned. A Nandi reconnaissance party was later fired upon by Dick and dispersed after losing one warrior.

While Dick was busy antagonizing the Nandi, West had pitched his camp two hours from the nearest Nandi houses. West's total arms included fifteen guns, two privately owned rifles, and a revolver. West unsuccessful attempted to negotiate for the ivory that he sought upon his first contact with the Nandi. Although warned of the Nandi, West persisted in his attempts to negotiate by treating the Nandi delegates well. West's efforts were repaid at two o'clock on the morning of July 16th, when the camp was rushed by Nandi warriors and all but eight of the expedition were killed without a shot being fired. West's last words were reported as, "Give me my gun." West's unprotected camp of fifty individuals, twenty-five head of cattle and forty-six sheep and goats had occupied the unprotected camp in safety for twenty days. West's death can only be contributed to his partner being a Dick.

The East Africa Protectorate, Foreign Office, and missionary societies administrations had no choice but to react militarily to West's murder. All roads bordering the Nandi were closed until military escorts could be organized from the scant resources at Mumias and Ravine. This disrupted several commercial enterprises and two major missionary efforts. Before West's murder the various European administrations were content to ignore the unknown Nandi, and the Nandi were content to ignore the Europeans. After West's murder, the Nandi tribal morale and self-confidence increased.

The Nandi warriors had proven that the European guns were no match for the Nandi spears. The warriors must have believed that the Laibon had rendered the guns useless. Maybe the ancient prophesy meant that the Nandi would begin the end of the "white man" in sub-Sahara Africa. This idea was reinforced by the reactions of neighboring tribes, most notably the Wanga and Kabras. The other tribes to join included the Kamasia, Kitoch and Kikelelwa. The Ravine garrison received news of West's murder on July 30, 1895. The commander, Martin, had only a staff of forty invalided porters and a partly completed fort defended by ten askari. Fearing an attack, J. Martin enlisted seven Sudanese "settlers" and sent for help from Mumias. C. W. Hobley at Mumias could not comply because his scant military assets were being thinly spread. Port Victoria under A. Brown of Smith had been attacked on July 13, 1895. Hobley was forced to send twenty five askari of The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) to support Brown of Smith. William Grant had been ordered to assist Hobley, but Grant was busy restoring order in Kavirondo. F. J. Jackson at Entebbe was also able to offer little help.

Acting Commissioner Hobley did put together fifty Sudanese askaris of the IBEAC and some Baganda irregulars who he sent to aid Grant. Twenty-five reservists were enlisted in Singo to replace those men sent to Grant, and Singo became defended by released prisoners from Kampala. This was all that could be done. Meanwhile, the Nandi roamed freely seeking likely targets. On July 15, a caravan under G. W. Lewis of Smith, Mackenzie and Company left Ravine with two European mechanics, twenty Indian artisans and over 400 porters. The caravan finally reached Mumias on July 26 having lost over twenty loads to a Nandi attack on the Uasin Gishu Plateau. Another Nandi ambush captured two rifles, a shotgun and a loaded donkey from the Uganda Commissioner's caravan near Kabras. Still another ambush on Bishop H. Hanlon's caravan captured the religious relics of Father Prendergast.

News of these ambushes did not reach Ravine in time to stop a small advance party of the Boustead, Ridley and Company from departing with beads to purchase food for the Church Missionary Society main caravan of T. Munro and urgent letters for Mengo. The advance party consisted of twenty-five contract men and six porters. Two hundred Nandi warriors ambushed the unprotected camp at 2:00AM on August 22. Only seven members of the party survived and reached safety. By July 30, the IBEAC agents knew that the Nandi had been incited to a war and took the appropriate measures, but could not warn other caravans in time. On October 2, a caravan under Mohamed Bau consisting of thirty rifles, two loads of spare ammunition, fifty head of cattle and twenty sheep and goats left Guasa Masa for Ravine. Two days out from Ravine the caravan was attacked during the night by ten Nandi warriors and suffered the loss of eight porters and a woman. Six men were wounded and four guns captured with 250 rounds of ammunition after only ten shots had been fired. Forty-two of the cattle were captured with the small stock and mail. The mail was returned sixteen days after the disaster. Another well armed caravan under F. Pordage of 160 men were threatened by a large Nandi kiptaiyat on October 13 at their camp on the Kamasai River.

During the night of October 14-15 the camp was surrounded by Nandi warriors, but Pordage was up to the task and order three volleys fired into the darkness by his askari. The result was the confirmation of two dead Nandi and several blood trails. After leaving Guasa Masa, ten Sudanese askari joined the caravan on the 15th and when the Portage caravan camped, several Nandi were discovered attempting to set fire to the grass surrounding the caravan. During the afternoon of the 16th a water porter party was attacked by thirty Nandi warriors, but the rush was stopped by a volley from the five askari escorting the party. The Nandi retired without loss and contented themselves to watch the progress of the caravan outside of gunfire range until it reached Ravine on October 21, 1895. Although there was one more successful attack by the Nandi on a fortified Kabras village, the Nandi appear to have been content with the success of their raids on the Uganda Road. The operations had been well planned and executed as the warriors had defeated several European caravans with the loss of only two warriors. When provided the opportunity, the warriors had decisively struck. When the Europeans had the advantage, the Nandi warriors possessed the discipline to avoid a costly attack. And all this was accomplished by raiding parties, not the combined might of the Nandi tribes.

The last months of the IBEAC forces was expended against the threats from tribes neighboring Nandi. The Protectorate military establishment numbered 1,200 Sudanese troops, 250 of which were reservists. The porter establishment was chaotic, and the arms and ammunition supply system was forwarded through Mumias from German East Africa or Kampala. Food stuffs were an entirely different problem as local purchases were minimal and the arrival of caravans was haphazard. The Nandi clearly presented a threat that the IBEAC could not effectively counter. Investigated by. Kiptum Araap Too (Clarius)