As a Kenyan, I woke up on this morning of April 8th 2009, it was not just another day or was it? I  woke up a disturbed person; no I slept a disturbed person. Watching news I couldn't help but shut my eyes from the site of massacre that was Nyeri East previous night. I refused to watch the bodies scattered on the ground that dominated the news  of the day. however, on this morning, as I was passing tthrough the streets of Nairobi on my way to work, my eyes had to remain open lest I bump into other Nairobians who are always in a hurry like I am, so I couldn't help see the headlines in all newspapers.

About 30 young men were killed. Children lost fathers, mothers and fathers lost sons, young women lost husbands..........and I couldn't help but wonder, am I safe? What is happening with my country? As I hold my pulse, I know that I am alive, blood is flowing through my veins yes, so I can not pretend otherwise.  As such, I have to face the life around me and be an agent of change.

 In Kenya of late many issues surrounding governance and leadership has affected us in different ways and whatever affects a nation, affects a woman even more; affects the young woman today and tomorrow hence each and every day there are issues of great concern to women that we must confront. A colleague shared with me the questions her daughter asked her, the daughter who is 10 years old and was trying to connect between the post elections violence, the South Africa elections and the massacre in Mathira, Nyeri. The girl wondered if "we were going to vote again"  (when she saw about South Africa elections she thought it is Kenya) and whether there will be more fighting ( yes she connects ballot and violence) and whether that is why those people were killed ( the Mathira massacre)! Yes, the young mother has to answer these questions to her daughter and explain. How can she make her daughter realize the importance of being a good citizen by voting??? How does she convince her daughter that she has a role in electing leaders for our contry and hence contribute in good governance? How does she tell her daughter that, despite the violence she still is a citizen with duties to her nation?

I wonder.

  As I look forward to the great contributions that every young woman will make in the 'Women's pulse'  blog I am sure that there is no short cut, we have to be the agents of change.  We have to address leadership issues and contribute our role in our country and continent, while we become agents of change where we have leadership. There is a phrase that I like, A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground. Then its finished, no matter how brave its warriors or how strong their weapons. By Cheyenne Tsistsistas