Cocks outing

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Cocks outing - Report

COCKS’ HAIKU CLUB OUTING CITY PARK, NAIROBI
28 JANUARY 2012

The Cocks’ Haiku Club had its first outing and first official meeting at City Park, Nairobi, on 28 January 2012. The outing was the result of a recommendation made by the patron, Caleb Mutua, to the Kenya Saijiki Moderator. Instead of providing an internet fee, available funds should be used towards the group’s outing to a local park or other place the group might deem suitable for an outing.

For the first of such outings-cum-meetings, the group decided to visit City Park. Among other items, the group planned to assess their progress in the Kenya Saijiki forum, play games and pursue other activities that would bring them together and strengthen the mutual bond in the group, and to have a haiku walk later in the afternoon.

The Cocks met at the Tom Mboya Statue near the Kenya National Archives at 9:00 hrs in the morning. A photo session followed for about 20 minutes, while waiting for everyone to arrive.
The group then proceeded to City Park, which they reached at around 10:00 hrs. They looked for some shade, spread a lesso on the ground and settled down for their meeting.


The Cocks arriving at City Park

The following were the group members present :

1. Kelvin Mukoselo
2. Khadija Rajab
3. Catherine Njeri Maina
4. Barack Elung’ata
5. James Bundi
6. Caleb Mutua
7. Martin Kamau (new member)
Absent with apology
1. Winslause Yamame (up-country)
2. Hussein Hadji (working)
3. Beryl Achieng (working)

Introductions
The meeting started with introductions and icebreakers. Each group member told the others their name, when they had started writing haiku, when they had graduated from secondary school, what they are currently doing and what motivates them to write haiku.

Khadija Rajab hit with vitality and enthusiasm. She entertained the group with jokes and energizers she had learnt from her acting group, Mabingwa Production. She told the group that her current job, Cyber Café attendant, really kept her busy. She also confessed that she lacks motivation to write haiku. She said she was happy to be there and she hoped that after today, she would be able to actively participate in Kenya Saijiki and Cock’s activities. After she had finished, she invited Kelvin Mukoselo to introduce himself.

Kelvin Mukoselo was brief. He said that he is currently looking for a job and even though his contribution to Kenya Saijiki is inconsistent, he has always enjoyed reading what other haijin have written.

Barrack Elung’ata was next. First the group sought to know where the name Master Bee came from and after a comical explanation he said that he was currently staying in Kangemi, and that he is learning how to cut keys and repair padlocks. The group appreciated his efforts to remain active in Kenya Saijiki. He invited James Bundi to introduce himself.


Barrack Elung'ata introduces himself

James jokingly said that he was fresh from high school and waiting for his results. He is currently the caretaker in their apartment. The group formally welcomed him and appreciated his efforts to stay active in Kenya Saijiki.

Martin Kamau was next on stage. He is a former Bahati Secondary School student and was a member of the Bamboochas Haiku Club until 2007, when he finished school. He is currently training to be a security guard at a local college in Nairobi. The group welcomed him to the group. He then invited his niece, Catherine Njeri Maina to the stage.

Catherine thanked her uncle and the group in general for the day and said she was so happy that finally the Cocks had managed to meet. She apologised for her tired looks, saying that she had been working all night. The group appreciated her efforts to avail herself in the meeting and her consistent participation in the forum.

Finally, Caleb Mutua took to the stage to introduce himself and to welcome the group to their first meeting. He started by thanking all the group members who were able to make it today and also thanked those members who were absent with apologies. He shared with the Cocks a congratulatory message from the Kenya Saijiki Moderator, Isabelle Prondzynski, who had expressed her appreciation for the Club’s efforts in the forum and her good wishes for the day’s activities.

He also thanked the members for occasionally finding time to write haiku and to respond to what other haijin had written. He then asked the group members if they thought the group was “visible” in Kenya Saijiki. The members agreed that it was time for the Cocks to be recognized in the forum. He then led the group into a discussion on what could be done to revitalise the group and its members. He talked about how haiku had changed his life for the better and motivated the other haijin to always include in their CVs and interviews that they are poets and they are passionate about conserving the environment.

He told the group that haiku has brought them together and they could seize that opportunity to do many things as Cocks. He was happy that each member of the group was doing something and urged the group members to strengthen their friendship bonds with each other. He also shared with the Cocks his idea of founding a Haiku Society of Kenya and promised to keep them updated on progress. He closed the meeting by acknowledging the moral and financial support that Kenya Saijiki had continued to give the Cocks.

Environmental Conservation and Games
The next agenda item was games. The group divided into two halves and started to collect plastic bags in the park. The idea was to use littered plastic bags and sweet wraps to make two balls.

At the end of 30 minutes, the group had two balls. They played among other games, football, volleyball and a game commonly known as “kati.” Playing “kati” is like playing frisbee except that it is played by three people at a time and a ball is thrown instead of a concave plastic disk. Two players stand 20 or 30 meters apart trying to aim a small ball, which is normally the size of a tennis ball, to the player in the middle.

The player in the middle is supposed to catch the ball. If the ball hits him or her and falls down, they give the opportunity to another player. If the middle player manages to catch the ball then he or she earns points. This is regarded as a girls’ game and it was real fun seeing young men play it too.

Lunchbreak
At exactly 13.00 hrs and after their strenuous games, the Cocks were starving. They packed up and went to the big fruit and vegetable market at the entrance of City Park for lunch. Having found a stall selling hot food, most took rice served with beans, sukuma wiki, cabbages and potatoes, while a few decided to have ugali served with beans, sukuma wiki, cabbages and potatoes.


The Hawkers' Market with its mouth-watering offerings


Haiku walk
After lunch, the Cocks returned to the park and enjoyed some ice creams before the ginkoo (haiku walk) began.

Their Patron asked them to remain vigilant and to avoid secluded paths to the interior of the park because this area was notorious for thugs who terrorized people and disappeared in the trees.

Each person was to write at least two haiku and they were all to meet again at exactly 15.00 hrs.
The following are the haiku written during the walk :

lunch break --
a City Park hawker
selling ice cream



Ice cream for all before the ginkoo


lunch break --
a man feeds a monkey
off his shoulder

~ Catherine Njeri Maina


holding tight --
a monkey carries its young one
on the lawn

playing
under a thick tree shadow --
City Park forest

~ James Bundi


City Park Market --
a monkey runs away
with mango pellets

City Park --
a chattering monkey makes others
jump on trees

~ Barrack Elung’ata


January prayers --
they hold hands
in City Park bushes

fun day --
laugher and screams
in City Park bushes

~ Martin Kamau





missing the catch --
a monkey jumping from a tree
falls down

City Park monkeys
scratching one another—
bush life

~ Khadijah Rajab


January --
two monkeys swing
on a loose jacaranda branch

City Park --
a father feeds a monkey
atop his head

~ Caleb Mutua


under a tree….
monkeys scratching
each other’s back

silent park…
a man kneels down
to pray

~ Kelvin Mukoselo


Recommendations and conclusions

1. A few members suggested that the group might change its name to a more gender sensitive one.

2. All members recommended that the group start a Google Group that will allow them keep in touch through instant free SMS notifications and Google Docs that allows group discussions and comments when working on a document

3. The group will also allow members to post job opportunities for the benefit of the others.

4. Members recommended that the group hold many more meetings to motivate and encourage each other

5. The group pledged to do more voluntary work in hospitals and schools in the effort to spread haiku and give back something to society.

6. Members recommended they invite friends with a passion for poetry whom they have met in colleges or in their work places to the group.

7. The group concluded to be more active in Kenya Saijiki.

8. The group concluded to discuss the issue of changing the group’s name with the other members before deciding.


Report written and compiled by
Cocks’ Haiku Club Patron, Caleb Mutua,
University of Nairobi, School of Journalism and Media Studies.

© Cocks Haiku Club

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Related words

***** - The Haiku Clubs of Nairobi -


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