Manyu:

The Blame Game Should Not Be Our Game

For decades, I have heard generations of Manyu sons and daughters blame their misfortunes on others. If it is not a minister, it is a village chief that is responsible for our unfortunate fate.

             

Dr. Joachim Arrey, technical writer, journalist and translator

   If the minister or the chief is not to blame, then it is a brother or a cousin who has succeeded and who is supposed to carry the family’s burden on his head.

                If the issue is not with a brother or a cousin, then their wives are very bad or too greedy. This blame game has been on for a long time. Everybody seems to be bad except us. And if every Manyu man is bad, who then is good among us?

                If we stand in public and condemn others, who then will ever be good among us? Have we forgotten that when we point one finger at the other person, we are unconsciously pointing four of our own fingers at ourselves?

                The blame game should not be our game. It is a game for the weak. A game designed for the lazy and desperate. We don’t have to fall into that trap. It is not designed for us.

                I grew up with the mentality that in life, only two people owed me something – my father and mother. They were the two people who decided to bring me here on earth. If along the line someone decides to give me a helping hand, I would thank them and praise God.

                But I always make sure that I replicate that act of goodness without expecting any gratitude from the receiver of my act of kindness. I cannot ask everybody to be like me. I just want the world in which my children will live to be a better place than the one I met.

                The worst thing that can happen to a man is for him to spend time speaking evil about someone else. Let’s not forget that what we put out there is exactly what might come back to us.

                But how can the people of Manyu walk away from their blame game? Instead of blaming, I think we should be doing. If we think our ministers and lawmakers are not good for us, we must do something to demonstrate that we are different. What are we therefore doing to be different from them?

                We must make common cause to achieve some of our collective goals. There is power in numbers and we are many. We cannot sit and wait for others to come and bail us out of the underdevelopment that has been ours for decades. We must act. We must use our numbers to make a difference.

                The Manyu Project is therefore an opportunity for all of us to join hands and give Manyu a face-lift. We are not going to bother anybody who does not want to join, but we are simply tired being invited to be part of a blame game that has never delivered any results.

                In this regard, here is the money transfer number (237677992864) for those of us back home for us to pay in our CFAF 1,000 for multiple projects that will be implemented in various villages.

                There is another account being set up in Dublin, Ireland; another in the United Kingdom and others will be set up for those in Canada and the United States.

                Canada and the United States have well organized Manyu Associations and some members already have their contributions. The desire to join is huge and we think we can really make a difference. The account statements will be published in our Boh Manyu forum for accountability purposes.

                I am from Ossing and no project will take place in my village until other villages have tasted the milk of human kindness that abounds in us. We can do it.

                Let us be busy. The busier we are, the better for us as we will not be seeing the wickedness in others. Let us not forget that what we see in others is exactly what we are. If we see angels in others, then we are angels. If we see wicked people, then that is what we are. No human being is perfect. We must always bear that in mind. Have a great day!

        Dr Joachim Arrey in Canada