Walking The Talk

July 18, 2010 saw the birth of a talk show with a difference, an American educator George Washington Carver once said that “How far you can go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the old, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the week and strong, because someday in life you will be all these” since then Taj talk show which airs on KBC channel one every Sunday at 6pm, has lived true to its slogan TOUCHING LIVES.

Taj show being a pioneer revolutionary youth talk show in Kenya has become a platform to discuss grave issues and at the same time provide solutions. Drug abuse, child abuse chronic diseases such as Leukemia, Disability,HIV-Aids and many more societal issues has found audience on the show.

It is said don’t look down at someone unless if you are lifting that person up, during the teenage pregnancy show, we encountered young girls who had become pregnant as early as years as 13years.One of such girls was Esther Almulim,who having been abandoned by her parents and left under the care of her aunt life became unbearable and she even spent 1 year in the forest feeding and living with Apes, she was later rescued and when she went to Naivasha to become a house help she ended up becoming pregnant at 13years, with lack of formal education, parents and counseling Alimulim was all alone and she ended up again pregnant with a man who disappeared on her after realizing she is carrying her baby. But then again after a dark cloud rainfall beckons, Almulim has found a new lease of life after hope 4 teenage mothers a Non-governmental orgarnizations took Alimulim to a dressmaking course she is now completing her course and Taj show on its part we looked for sponsorship for Alimulim 2 girls- Cynthia Hatrane and Juliet Ayanae, at Uteule children’s home in loitoktok where not only they have food, clothing and shelter, they also have an education.

Albinism is also another topic which was both to us enlighten and heartrendering,most people disown their children when they are born and they come out with the white skin, we later learnt that albinism is caused by mutation of one or several genes that results to lack of melanin and that Albinism is not a curse as it is regarded in our society, and also the best way to refer to them is people living with Albinistic condition and not Albinos for the latter is derogatory, during the research of the same we met John Patrick whose parents had divorced upon his delivery and he was abandoned by the father and lives with his elderly grandmother who couldn’t afford his secondary education, by the time we were airing the show we had managed to admit John Patrick at Heroes Of the Nation High school in Nyahururu and he successfully sat for his examinations last year. C

H.I.V-AIDS has claimed the lives of many people worldwide, it is estimated that 1.9milion people are living with H.I.V AIDS in Kenya alone, this has also led to an increase of number of orphans in the country. Last year we produced a series of programs on the same during the month of December in tandem with world Aids day. The show on Affected we featured children who have been left under the care of their grandparents and wellwishers.The Staara women group in Kibera has been a beckon of hope to the homeless, orphaned children due to lack of funds they can only afford to take them up to standard 8.Taj show had promised to sponsor the best two pupils in last years K.C.P.E and thus how Mary Kwame and Kevin Azingare ended up at son of King Jesus in Kajiado and Heroes high school in Nyahururu respectively. Our sincere gratitude to Mrs Chomba of sons of king Jesus and Mr.Gitonga of heroes of the nation and we would urge you to continue with the good work and encourage you with Hebrews 1:2 which says “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares

Female Genital Mutilation among the Maasai community is real,it is termed as a barbaric act and apractice which has been overtaken by events but iosis real and still in practice,The storyOF tawanga women group and how they rescue the young girls attracted sympathy from viewers and Riara group of schools was touched and in june we visited kajiado with the girls fom Riara with gifts and books for the rescued girls it was an eye opener to both the Riara girls and the Taj crew as well.

Having touched several lives directly or indirectly for the past one year, we are looking for another great year of Taj show which will change lives and demystify myth, throughout the year we have put faces to disabilities, gave hope to the hopeless and to our sponsors who believed in us when no one thought of partnering with us, Green foods company-manufactures of Sunripe juices, International Youth Generation for change (IYGC), DJ Ruffcut, Tumaini Supermarkets is a big Asante and remember to love the earth and sun and animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, standup for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labour to others, And your very flesh shall be a great poem says Walt William an American Poet.

Finally it will not be final if we won’t be able to acknowledge all the organizations and individuals who volunteered their stories for the success of our show, TAJ show crew-Irene Simyu, Becky Ndungu, Gory Wycliffe Fanon Themo, Wawira Mutaley, Maureen Twailah, Jose Kanyari, Hilary lisimba continue with the superb work ur doing.We would also like to wish our pioneer presenter Muthoni Methu aka TAJ all the best as she lives taj show to pursue greener pastures, we are truly grateful for your passion, sacrifices and dedication you made towards the show.As I sign out let us all remember Mother Teresas words that At the end of life,we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have achieved,how many money we have made,how many great things we have done.We will be judged by I was hungr and you gave me food,I was naked and you clothed me,I was homeless and you took me in.Hungry not only for bread-but hungry for love.Naked not only for clothing but naked for human dignity and respect.Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks-but homeless because of rejection.Shall We