- The teachers in the school play a big role, while at the same time, the other parents in the society do.
- The author points out a scenario where his father had made a deal with one of the priests to have the church sponsor his son’s high school education when he came of age.
- This book is a compass meant to guide anyone who reads it through the gaze of academic pursuits, extra-curricular activities, and personal growth.
The caning of unruly children is a tale of the past; you will all agree with me. It is sparingly applied today and not to all families.
Most families have resorted to speaking to their children, whether it’s pouring water on a broken bucket; most have resorted to doing it to save themselves the torture of an ear that will not take heed to advice.
All responsibilities of raising a young one are a burden of the parent or guardians; more so, society has always collaborated to ensure the success of children in one way or another.
The teachers in the school play a big role, while at the same time, the other parents in the society do.
The other bodies include religious institutions that would use the good book to send waves of lessons to the young ones who do not remember the prodigal son.
The tertiary unions, too, have at some point come through to various schools to shed more light on how beautiful one can shine beyond if only they got the basis right.
In my quest to grab some more skills for life, I am pushed to share the reasons why you should have a copy of the newest book in town, What You Have by Haron Suter.
Its review will have you pay for it, and I do not regret the additional knowledge in my library.
It’s a quick read, full of inspiration and relatable life lessons in schools and beyond.
It is indeed in this century that we are coming across more and more people who are selflessly sharing the lessons of their lives.
This is thanks to one of the greatest celebrated authors, one of the most sought-after neurosurgeons in the world, Ben Carson, who authored Think Big.
This book was owned by the privileged few back in our days in school.
It already had a queue of those requesting to have a read, and most of the time, you were unlucky if a fellow pupil owned it and you were not in good books with them.
Nevertheless, you had to make sure you read it somehow. That is how I developed my quick reading skills.
The author of What You Have, Haron Kimutai Suter, just happened to have quoted that most of his inspiration came from coming across this Think Big book by Ben Carson.
His book, though, speaks of how he came from being chased out of school during parade to look for a proper uniform, the thundering laughter behind him as he ran home, wondering if it was directed to him.
He acknowledged that though God answered prayers, not all prayers were answered, to hoping the ground would swallow him and to taking in the pain in his father’s face upon telling him he was ashamed of the whole parade.
His father was sorry, but then Kimutai already knew his father was doing his best as a charcoal burner.
“…upon his inquiry, I told him I was sent home because of my school uniform. He felt sorry for me upon hearing what befell me at the school parade.
I saw the dejection in his face; it reflected the story of a poor man who could not afford a school shirt for his son,” a bitter highlight from the author.
He graciously shares how he made peace with fate at every level of his life, as there was no way he would dung like an elephant being a cockroach.
His is an emotional tale of how life can dish you out on a different shore of a raging sea and still manage to find the calm shore amidst the dangers you face in the quest for that peace.
Most people would have decided to make due at that shore.
He describes himself and his four siblings as educational pastoralists or nomads of their generation, struggling to make it.
His father took an earlier retirement from being a watchman in Nandi to join his wife in the village of Elgeyo Marakwet.
This contributed to him and his siblings having to change schools.
The relatable thing is that in those days, the 8-4-4 education system encouraged a lot of repetition, which wasted one’s years in school redoing the same thing.
To the author’s advantage, he would perfect a repeat, which made him do well in his final national examination.
It is a sad reality, though, that most well-performing students did not make it to high school or university.
For Kimutai, joining high school was a dream he had started making peace with.
He was profoundly struggling to accept that fate would have him be the youngest charcoal burner in Elgeyo Marakwet.
He had decided to resort to it and help his father make ends meet.
Luckily enough, he had a big sister who would push his thinking. From the pain of surrender, his sister refreshed his dreams and that is why the book is titled What You Have.
The author points out a scenario where his father had made a deal with one of the priests to have the church sponsor his son’s high school education when he came of age.
This was before his father retired to the village. But years later, the sister and brother go back to the priest to follow up on the promise, being their last resort.
The unthinkable thing happened: the priest with whom the deal was made was already transferred.
Not to pre-empt the book, but this book is a student guide meant to empower, inspire, and help students maximize the resources they come across in their lives.
The author emphasizes formal and informal education of life, where we all get it, and how some can be overlooked from how parents and guidance have decided to shape life for their children.
This book is a compass meant to guide anyone who reads it through the gaze of academic pursuits, extra-curricular activities, and personal growth.
“As you can see from my primary school, nomadism formal schools are all the same. It does not matter which school you are in.
The syllabus is all the same.
The teachers received the same training, and the school structure was standard. You, therefore, have no excuse to blame the school if you fail your exams.
You can do well in any school; you only need to do your best,” reads part of the book.
In part, the author speaks of his love for his mother and his childhood.
The book is packaged with practical tips, relatable real-life stories, holy anecdotes and actionable strategies; it is a trusted companion to any focused student to ignite the spark to dare dream big.
Through it all, Suter is pursuing a Master of Arts in Sociology at Kisii University.
He is also the current Chairman of the Catholic Men Association (CMA) in St. Peters Kuinet Catholic Church. He works at the Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), amongst other duties.
Such books should be availed in every library for each reader, especially school-going children, to know that the Ben Carson of their villages has made it.
They should look no further than to look within themselves and wisely use the inspiration.
Just how far are you willing to push yourself?
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The book is a publication of Isahara Publishers in Nakuru and will be launched on April 5, 2024, in Eldoret.
It is available in Nakuru, Cathedral bookshops in Eldoret and Nuria store in Nairobi.
