This appeared in a newspaper interview I did for the local Magazine EVE which is no longer being published.

THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT ESTHER PASSARIS

1. Five people she would love to invite to dinner: Nelson Mandela, Daniel arap Moi, Wangari Maathai, Mother Teresa, Oprah Winfrey.

2. One great thing she would still love to do: Get married

3. Her dream job would be: The president

4. Favorite movies: Real life stories of great people and even greater achievements

5. Favorite foods: Anything tasty

6. Favorite perfume: Paris

7. Book currently reading: The secret of Rhoda Byrne

8. Achievement most proud of: Saying no to corruption

9. She is inspired by…: My children

10. The best city in the world: Rome – full of history

11. Living motto: Be the best that you can, you are your thoughts, keep it real

12. Favorite place to unwind: My bedroom

13. How does she unwind?: Nice movie

14. The most daring thing she’s ever done: giving birth naturally

15. What songs always makes her cry?: I don’t cry that easily but our national anthem gives me goose bumps as those who wrote it had such vision and most of those led have no idea what the vision is.

16. The most inspiring person: Nelson Mandela – A true statesman

17. What does she treasure most in life?: My children, my family

18. What’s been the most humbling experience of her life? Being hugged by total strangers and being told I am their role model

I want to apologize to the Grant applicants for July, 2009 for the delay in reverting back to all of you. I shall be contacting you for a get together to make the award via mail to your respective addresses.

For those Kenyans interested in being assisted in their project via a grant please continue to visit Esther Passaris website and complete the application form. There will be a cut off on 31st August, 2009 for the August applications. If you have applied you need not apply again as all applications stay in the pool.

Shortages, Shortages, Shortages. That is what we are beginning to experience as the the drought lingers on. Last night the electricity was not back at 6 pm as they had promised. The excuse was a transformer had blown. I went to bed before power came and woke up to no water to bath. This is a sad affair and if you take it a notch higher and you find many people don’t have a home, land, job or food and poverty is everywhere! We as a country need to address these shortages.

When there are shortages, no one is immune to the suffering it causes. When a Nation like Kenya or a society is mismanaged not even the leaders or rich are immune to the effects of the suffering. Looking at crime, road carnage, aids, etc when all hell breaks loose it knows not class… or status. It gets everyone, the degree and speed will vary, but let no one think its not affecting everyone me included. WHY LIE ? To me it is a WAKE UP CALL?

The media does set the mood of a country. From my own experience the media fuels perceptions that lead to talks which people then run with or without even knowing the person they are talking about.

Is it me or is the media is still stuck on warlike utterances like we were in election mode?
They need to set the tempo with topics that are very much in the hearts of most Kenyans. The direction should be one of change, forward planning.

Time is precious and the reason Kenya lacks behind is all the booze and wasted talk. One thing you note is a constant battle of divide and rule with politicking while Kenya people want change, hope and a positive way forward.

We need to rally and infuse a sense of Patriotism to cope with the myriads of issues we are facing and will encounter in the future.

Yesterday I met the Nairobi City Town Clerk Philip Kisia. I have known Kisia from his days at the Nairobi Central business District Association (NCBDA) . Then he defended Adopt A Light.

When we sat to talk I admired his professionalism as he got an internal lawyer to give him an opinion on the matter at hand between my company and the council.Then he called in the other employees and for the first time it was my pleasure to hear an employee of the council being bold enough to stand up and say, “we are wrong, we have treated this lady and her company unfairly while breaking the law”.
Wow, This definitely made my day and a Hope for Justice!

Last week was one long and educative one, mainly on how to trade with the US, with ourselves and with Africa. I have gathered a lot from African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Foum, but it took my whole day and by the time I got home I could do nothing else.

We have received the grants applications for July 2009 and I will be arranging a meeting with all the Entrepreneurs Grants applicants sometime mid next week. Please check this blog often for the details of the meeting where the winner of July grant will be announced .

Clutter clutter clutter, while I am chatting I am de- cluttering my cupboards by putting the clothes I do not wear that often into storage and those that I know I will never wear I give to my employees.

Do you know we also need to de-clutter our minds through breathing and meditation. Is there anyone who has reached absolute peace through meditation? Remember you can only know and trust God in total stillness.

I have been through an ironic court moment. The application was meant to lift the order that Justice Khaminwa issued to Magnate Ventures stopping the arbitration.

This arbitration was meant to be stopped while my competitors continue with their hostile takeover and Nairobi City Hall continue to destroy us.
The court declined my request however the end was achieved in that the court of appeal interpreted the ruling to not have stopped the arbitration in the first instance.
Hence we won while we lost. Gods hand at work?

The other day while watching the news my heart was disheartened by the news article of the little girl who was chopped and her maid.
One person can be insane but when three collectively gang up to commit such an atrocity on an innocent soul, I find it way beyond insanity. My only peace is in believing that the little angel is at a better place.

My prayer goes to the little girl’s parents and relatives. This is just too painful for them to bear, to accept and move from.

I do not know what drives someone to such insanity. Could it have been drugs, hatred, greed, jealousy? What would surely justify such an act?

While en route coming home I decided to stop in Dubai at the Atlantis Hotel. It is amazing how many young Kenyans are working and earning a living that pays them double if not triple of a similar job back home.
But more than that it gives them an opportunity to work and earn an honest living. This is the resilience you find with Kenyans.
It is nice that they are so happy to see fellow Kenyans which reaffirms to me that our bond as a people is being Kenyan. It is not in our tribe or party? That is the patriotism that we should preach and practice back home, that we are one people united by the same values each of us hold dear in our heart!

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• Grace Wanjiku : Kenya (kiva.org)