by Gordon Nary
John: 1. B.Ed: Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota 2. M.Ed: The Catholic University of Eastern Africa 3. Ph.D. (On-going) The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Gordon: What was your favorite course, and why was it your favorite?
John: During my undergraduate studies. I liked Literature since it was like a spotlight into my life and what is happening around me and the world, At Masters I like Educational Research since it enabled me to learn, unlearn, and relearn new things and the existing ones.
Gordon: What is your profession and what do you enjoy most about it?
John: I have been an Educator/Lecturer and Teaching Practice Coordinator for the last 12 years. I found interacting with students very life-enhancing. Working as an educator was also a big learning opportunity for me .
Gordon: What church do you attend, approximately how many members are your congregation, and what do you like most about your church?
John: I am a Catholic. When at work I attend St. John’s Catholic Church in Karen which has about 3000 people and on Sundays, I attend Sacred Heart Church- under St. Ignatius Parish which has about 1000 people.
Gordon: What is your favorite sports team in Kenya?
John: My sports team is the Gor Mahia Football team which I follow but not a very ardent supporter
Gordon: What impact has poverty had in Kenya?
John: The impact of poverty is great since it affects the people socially, politically, and economically. Socially, life is so unbearable when it comes to the prices of food, basic commodities, and livelihoods. Politically, Poverty has made poor people to be slaves to the politicians by receiving handouts and forced to support the political parties due to goodies that they receive from them rather than making informed choices on the kind of leaders they want. Economically, basic commodity prices are too costly for common people to afford including health, and prices of insurance are just unbearable.
All in all, I would say that there is a big disparity between the poor and the middle class, we almost don’t have any class between these two groups. There are places with abject poverty while the cities can be compared with any cities around the world.
Gordon: Thank you for the interview and I look forward to working with you in the future.