Viazi

During the ceremony, everyone who came up to speak had the same story. This was a lady who was caring, generous and kind to everyone. Funeral ceremonies here in Kenya are long affairs where many people get to speak; it has gotten better since people are accorded way less time but still, they take a couple of hours. The stories told of a sort of saint: she was there for her family and the immediate community also benefited from her generousity; she even helped in building the local church. People also came from far and wide to tell the stories of how she helped them in one way or another.

Among the many stories that people told of her, the common phrase was “aliniletea viazi’ translated to “She brought me potatoes.” Almost all the people in attendance had gotten a taste of her potatoes one way or another. Giving out potatoes was her signature way of helping out and she gave her family members, neighbours and random needy people. I was told that I also had a meal once where the potatoes were served. I thought she must have a large piece of land where she grew her potatoes; what I was shown was a small plot of land. She shared the little she had and over the years people remembered her ‘viazi’.

It got me thinking about what we do when we are alive and what impact it has on people. Whether it is you personally or your team at work, there should be something that makes the world better. That one word that people will say when they think about you. It doesn’t have to be some grand gesture; it is the small things that count. You can call it your brand or your legacy but it is the one thing you will do effortlessly for the good of the world.

Today I ask, ”What is your ‘viazi’?”

For all my foreign readers, let me just start by clarifying that ‘viazi’ is the Swahili word for potatoes. There it is; now are on the same page and there is no one hanging. I really appreciate that my readers are from all over the world; it means a lot.

Last week, I attended a funeral with a friend; her aunt had lost the battle to cancer a few days before. As is customary, the burial was to take place at her parent’s home in the countryside. So we made the journey from the city and through scenic views of valleys, lakes and mountains. If you haven’t visited Kenya, please make a point of planning to do so; you won’t regret it. I have been going through the same route upcountry for decades but the views never get old.