last year during the midterm break in October my cousin my mentor and I on a
October my cousin my mentor and I on a
October my cousin my mentor and I on a Thursday somewhere during mid morning we
Thursday somewhere during mid morning we
Thursday somewhere during mid morning we were walking through the town of the res
were walking through the town of the res
were walking through the town of the res LOM and we were looking at buildings so
LOM and we were looking at buildings so
LOM and we were looking at buildings so my dad knew how much I love architecture
my dad knew how much I love architecture
my dad knew how much I love architecture and he had asked an architect to show my
and he had asked an architect to show my
and he had asked an architect to show my cousin and I around and she teaches the
cousin and I around and she teaches the
cousin and I around and she teaches the basics of architecture so as we were
basics of architecture so as we were
basics of architecture so as we were walking we passed by this area called
walking we passed by this area called
walking we passed by this area called I’m not sure at school they don’t
I’m not sure at school they don’t
I’m not sure at school they don’t remember but I called it the colonial
remember but I called it the colonial
remember but I called it the colonial district so the houses were those houses
district so the houses were those houses
district so the houses were those houses what you find in the old times when we
what you find in the old times when we
what you find in the old times when we were colonized hence the name but as we
were colonized hence the name but as we
were colonized hence the name but as we passed we saw a building set we just
passed we saw a building set we just
passed we saw a building set we just stood there and looked at it after some
stood there and looked at it after some
stood there and looked at it after some time my mentor said ill huh ands offered
time my mentor said ill huh ands offered
time my mentor said ill huh ands offered which is my cousin’s name this is
which is my cousin’s name this is
which is my cousin’s name this is progress this is our future it’s what it
progress this is our future it’s what it
progress this is our future it’s what it looks like so at first I didn’t
looks like so at first I didn’t
looks like so at first I didn’t understand what he meant and i continued
understand what he meant and i continued
understand what he meant and i continued to wonder why he had said the statement
to wonder why he had said the statement
to wonder why he had said the statement after some time we passed by this group
after some time we passed by this group
after some time we passed by this group of local people at home would call them
of local people at home would call them
of local people at home would call them was Swahili and they were just going on
was Swahili and they were just going on
was Swahili and they were just going on with their daily business but they
with their daily business but they
with their daily business but they seemed happy so I asked myself why are
seemed happy so I asked myself why are
seemed happy so I asked myself why are they happy they don’t live in big houses
they happy they don’t live in big houses
they happy they don’t live in big houses they don’t work in skyscrapers so this
they don’t work in skyscrapers so this
they don’t work in skyscrapers so this is pointless they shouldn’t be happy and
is pointless they shouldn’t be happy and
is pointless they shouldn’t be happy and I went on my way so first we’ll do a
I went on my way so first we’ll do a
I went on my way so first we’ll do a small activity I just want you all to
small activity I just want you all to
small activity I just want you all to close your eyes for a few seconds as you
close your eyes for a few seconds as you
close your eyes for a few seconds as you close your eyes try to imagine a city
close your eyes try to imagine a city
close your eyes try to imagine a city that you would like to live in the
that you would like to live in the
that you would like to live in the perfect city for you
okay now open your eyes but still keep
okay now open your eyes but still keep that image so I’m not psychic but I wish
that image so I’m not psychic but I wish
that image so I’m not psychic but I wish I was but some of the images you might
I was but some of the images you might
I was but some of the images you might be seeing in your mind right now look a
be seeing in your mind right now look a
be seeing in your mind right now look a bit like this clean rhetoric city mostly
bit like this clean rhetoric city mostly
bit like this clean rhetoric city mostly this example it’s very good it will go
this example it’s very good it will go
this example it’s very good it will go with Ambassador cause it’s a Coast City
with Ambassador cause it’s a Coast City
with Ambassador cause it’s a Coast City I think so your city’s lack the fact
I think so your city’s lack the fact
I think so your city’s lack the fact that we have built our cities and homes
that we have built our cities and homes
that we have built our cities and homes to document our progress now in the
to document our progress now in the
to document our progress now in the statement that i have just said we
statement that i have just said we
statement that i have just said we forget the key words we have built our
forget the key words we have built our
forget the key words we have built our cities together so this plan to
cities together so this plan to
cities together so this plan to modernize our cities is a new urban plan
modernize our cities is a new urban plan
modernize our cities is a new urban plan is a new westernizing plan coming up so
is a new westernizing plan coming up so
is a new westernizing plan coming up so that we can look better for
that we can look better for
that we can look better for international investors because honestly
international investors because honestly
international investors because honestly if you were an investor would you look
if you were an investor would you look
if you were an investor would you look to invest in an area that looks like a
to invest in an area that looks like a
to invest in an area that looks like a village no okay we disregard the fact
village no okay we disregard the fact
village no okay we disregard the fact that forty-five to fifty one percent of
that forty-five to fifty one percent of
that forty-five to fifty one percent of Kenya’s population alone lives in
Kenya’s population alone lives in
Kenya’s population alone lives in poverty and this poverty these people in
poverty and this poverty these people in
poverty and this poverty these people in poverty live on land that’s attractive
poverty live on land that’s attractive
poverty live on land that’s attractive to builders and architects everywhere so
to builders and architects everywhere so
to builders and architects everywhere so as we continue to build our houses and
as we continue to build our houses and
as we continue to build our houses and cities we continue to push these people
cities we continue to push these people
cities we continue to push these people away and increasing the percentage of
away and increasing the percentage of
away and increasing the percentage of people who live in these areas okay so
people who live in these areas okay so
people who live in these areas okay so on the internet I when I was researching
on the internet I when I was researching
on the internet I when I was researching what’s the purpose of a city since it’s
what’s the purpose of a city since it’s
what’s the purpose of a city since it’s the key point of my talk it said that a
the key point of my talk it said that a
the key point of my talk it said that a city is a way for a modern population to
city is a way for a modern population to
city is a way for a modern population to be organized in
be organized in
be organized in way that the person who pays your
way that the person who pays your
way that the person who pays your payroll who gives you a payroll can be
payroll who gives you a payroll can be
payroll who gives you a payroll can be able to give it to you and the person
able to give it to you and the person
able to give it to you and the person who takes away your money the taxes may
who takes away your money the taxes may
who takes away your money the taxes may be able to locate you easily in doing so
be able to locate you easily in doing so
be able to locate you easily in doing so but after i did this i started thinking
but after i did this i started thinking
but after i did this i started thinking and this was when I thought like
and this was when I thought like
and this was when I thought like Sherlock Holmes because I was like yeah
Sherlock Holmes because I was like yeah
Sherlock Holmes because I was like yeah now I know who done it because we did
now I know who done it because we did
now I know who done it because we did [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] we’re the ones who have done it to
we’re the ones who have done it to
we’re the ones who have done it to ourselves we forgot that a city isn’t
ourselves we forgot that a city isn’t
ourselves we forgot that a city isn’t actually just about the physical
actually just about the physical
actually just about the physical infrastructure it’s about what we build
infrastructure it’s about what we build
infrastructure it’s about what we build amongst ourselves it’s an area where
amongst ourselves it’s an area where
amongst ourselves it’s an area where we’re meant to live together in a cool
we’re meant to live together in a cool
we’re meant to live together in a cool harmonious way where we can share help
harmonious way where we can share help
harmonious way where we can share help and receive help from others regardless
and receive help from others regardless
and receive help from others regardless of who you are how much you have how old
of who you are how much you have how old
of who you are how much you have how old you are and yeah who you are covers
you are and yeah who you are covers
you are and yeah who you are covers gender and ethnicity so in doing so
gender and ethnicity so in doing so
gender and ethnicity so in doing so everybody would be aiming for the same
everybody would be aiming for the same
everybody would be aiming for the same goal that is to develop but together so
goal that is to develop but together so
goal that is to develop but together so one of my friends are no Sh she told me
one of my friends are no Sh she told me
one of my friends are no Sh she told me while I was practicing that maybe you
while I was practicing that maybe you
while I was practicing that maybe you should look at it like this the further
should look at it like this the further
should look at it like this the further you are the further you are from what
you are the further you are from what
you are the further you are from what really matters and they put this in
really matters and they put this in
really matters and they put this in context to skyscrapers so if you live in
context to skyscrapers so if you live in
context to skyscrapers so if you live in that upper floor up there you forget
that upper floor up there you forget
that upper floor up there you forget what’s going on down here which is the
what’s going on down here which is the
what’s going on down here which is the real meal and that that is we are the
real meal and that that is we are the
real meal and that that is we are the city the city is us and it’s not what we
city the city is us and it’s not what we
city the city is us and it’s not what we milked we can destroy it all and still
milked we can destroy it all and still
milked we can destroy it all and still be happy but together thank you
be happy but together thank you
be happy but together thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] you
”
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