21/04/2021
TuMaInI tSuNaMi
Welcoming Remarks!
April 21, 2021
Amosou ni okweuru Nyikwa Ondo, how are you, everybody. Oh, you can do better than that. How are you again? You have always done so well when it gets to being a Kon’gondan, you wore yourselves out especially last year (2020) burning in fear, death, uncertainty, hopelessness, disease and merely cheering for the others while yours is darkness. Peace be with you and restore and keep you all giving hope for the future every day henceforth.
It is my pleasure this day to welcome you all here and kick off the Quest for Excellence program for the digital cluster, Waondo. I'm going to make a confession.
In 2004, I had the privilege and honor of piloting a Community Strategy and Reach project and registered it in December 2004 at Mbita with the D.S.D.O. In 2006, it was officially launched at Obambo Primary School. Again in 2006, it opened its office doors at Kamsama (Ogango Dani Plaza), it was an outstanding project. I know some of you may have been aware while others may not. Others may have interacted with us while others may have not. Many may have benefited while many not have, but all in all, thank you are here and I beg if you joining me now.
But what we're about to do today is actually one of my favorite events of all. And the reason for that really comes to the essence of the TUMAINI Phylosophy. This is because we have grown to learn from those model activities which were really recognized for achieving much incredible state of high performance.
If you can still lend me one more minute then or two but at most 21;
The Tumaini Quest for Excellence is the place where we come together and exchange ideas and best practices so that we can all benefit and improve the Waondo spirit for it to eventually arrive at the zenith of expectation of the Chie Ondo Seer Okech wuon Ombewa and his chief armor-bearer Ajwang’ Rapasia, wuon Oporo Ouma Ombewa and Army Commander Asowa Ondiek and the rest of those who first settled at the Kisamaba Citadel, that of accommodating even the weakest and bringing them to level-playing ground, AND THAT IS SAFE GROUNDNYITHINDWA. And there is energy in this community that I find infectious and compelling.
Quickly let me mention that IT WAS NOT a short journey and neither was it easy,
Every one of us is here today because we believe in the power of positive change, and the Ondo Spirit process is about systematically understanding our customs and ourselves so that we can implement that to affect promised change.
You know that even without reminding you, it is only Waondo that was fielding Senatorial Candidates for the entire County’s eight constituencies, but why? As you listen to yourself and answer, you will be stricken by hearing the diversity of organizations that have recognized the potential of the seed of the Waondo as a people. We have health care, engineering, education, philanthropy, politics, farming, and consulting, publishing, longevity among others trailing you with success. This is an enormous spread of the great Waondo spirit in terms of missions, products, services, and organizational needs and sizes. And all of those organizations utilized the spirit and philosophy.
But what struck me was they each did it in their own way. Each leader had found the right path to inspire their ways up, the right things to measure their performance, for the right reasons, and the right way to reach out to their destinies, the right way to develop within ranks and rising to their current or highest leadership roles who brought about the changes and the strong organization that we have today.
Snapshot of Mileage by the Great Soldiers of the Waondo People - 21 of the best
1- Ker Okech wuon Ombewa
2- Ajwang’ Rapasia – Jating’ Ndaye
3- Ouma Ombewa – The Trumpet Man
4- Asowa Ondiek – Commander
5- Apamo Ounga – the Fireman
6- Adundo Oiki nyakisamba
7- Ogego Ouma
8- Kinoro Ouma for the Great Gembe Fame
9- Thadayo Odoyo Ruodh Gembe - Rip
10- John Kogo Achieng –Rip; Provincial Probation officer – senior most officer to come from Waondo
11- Commissioner Mike Kimoko – First D.O, Waondo
12- Sen. Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ – First MP, Minister and Senator, Waondo
Let us push to reach 21
Tumaini is fundamentally about getting results, and it's easy to make the case that it works. Waondo got more and more, you and me together and all. These are the Ng’onda "Ninjas," the best of the best. All have WALKED the soil of Kong’onda for all the years, resulting in what Waondo currently is up from where it was 50 years ago. At the same period of time, their peers are here for us to see and compare.
Recent results record Moses Otieno Kajwang’ is current Senator for Homa-bay, a feat that is not easy among equals and is equally impressive.
All basic comparative surveys would point that they (Ondo Boys and Girls) have outperformed other neighbors on nearly all performance measures.
Researchers even if they conduct an at overall socio- economic impact study would find that the cost-to-benefit ratio for the Ondo population in Kenya and Diaspora is 10 to 1, and is rising, may even arrive at 100 to 1 or even 820 to 1. This is astoundingly anti the original Ondo SPIRIT and performance, and it doesn't even include the overall benefit to the economy from the added opportunities background notwithstanding, the enhanced productivity, the better service and livelihood, and other key results.
In short, we're here today because TUMAINI has created within here a program that has proven its worth year after year for an enormously diverse group of organizations, thought patterns and they all use them to strive for performance excellence for themselves, but also for Waondo and the nation as a whole.
The benefits we are seeing are both benefits for each individual themselves, but also benefits that we all share in terms of better economy, more jobs, better health care, better education—you get the picture. It's really important.
One of the things I want to do here is extend a very special set of thank you's.
As many of you know, project funding for community based organizations just like Tumaini projetc is been adversely affected by the Covid pandemic and most support terminated last if not this year, and this has been a period of great uncertainty for everybody in the kenyan family—both within and outside of the country.
And I am really excited, because out of this year of enormous uncertainty, TUMAINI as an organization and our other friends—have recommitted and rededicated themselves to the program. Several of you though in private and in diverse forums have committed and re-commited to support the Initiative in diverse and various ways and means, in kind and in material towards the final journey of sel-actualization as an organization and thank you all in advance for your spirit of all-inclusivity Starting 2021 going forward. And from suggestions from some quarters, I have they have just embarked on a new fundraising campaign to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Tumaini project goes well beyond.
As the Head of Tumaini, making this Announcement here, reiterate my confidence in the ongoing transition to a sustainable project model for this generation. This model will be based on fee-based products and services and an enhanced unified role of brotherhood.
I am deeply grateful to the Waondo community for the warmth they have shown, and I would like really to recognize them for each action to the Amolo Ouku Family (Especially from 2018 January) today.
Quite simply, Tumaini Foundation works, for all of our families of Waondo, for our county and the entire country of Kenya. So I want to thank you for all that you do by reading this script and giving your input, and I want to thank you all for your continued support of this program.
Thank you, and enjoy the conference.
Dan Amolo Ouku, Esq.
