Help Kenya Break A World Record….. in Reading!

I mean how can I just start writing a piece about a world record attempt here, in Kenya, in Nairobi, just like that? Well 26 and a half minutes later (make that 28 after typing the above sentences) and I’ve come up with nothing. I guess no words are cool enough to completely grasp the awesomeness that is the Kenya Reading Revolution. So, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to start from alpha.
We have all heard of the phrase “Kenyans don’t read” right? It is everywhere everyone is saying that Kenyans have no reading culture, that Kenyans can’t really claim a seat among intellectuals, well there are a couple of people who beg to differ. Starting with this world record by led by Storymoja, Kenya has been engulfed by a revolution. The climate in the entire country is about to change. Yes, it is a revolution by all senses of the words and I hope you are ready for it, for the Reading Revolution.

Okay, away from all the melodrama, I’m sure many of you are sitting back and thinking, “Sure Kenya doesn’t read we have gotten by thus far haven’t we?” Well who is ready to be content with getting by? It is about time we started to prosper, in order to prosper we need to be thinkers, and we all know that readers have a greater chance of being thinkers than none readers. Don’t believe me? An study by IBM released in January 2010 said the most important factor in success is creativity. Reading is one of the things that increase creativity. If really nothing else reading about places that you have never been and even seen opens up your mind to cultures that you wouldn’t have even have known about. It shows you the world from several perspectives. Also, if you want to be Obama, you should read or at least that’s what Michelle said while addressing some students: “Read, write, read, read. If the President were here — one of his greatest strengths is reading. That’s one of the reasons why he’s a good communicator, why he’s such a good writer. He’s a voracious reader. So we’re trying to get our girls, no matter what, to just be — to love reading and to challenge themselves with what they read, and not just read the gossip books but to push themselves beyond and do things that maybe they wouldn’t do. So I would encourage you all to read, read, read. Just keep reading.” Reading is cool.

So I have told of the plan to get the whole of Kenya ablaze with the hunger to read and how we will get the whole country to thirst for knowledge. The question then arises, where will we begin? I mean, every good fire needs a spark to kick it off right? So here’s the plan, On June 16th 2011, Kenya will attempt to break a Guinness World Record in reading – this will be the first time in Africa that has ever been attempted. On this historic occasion, we will try to unite 25,000 Kenyans on June 16th, the Day of The African Child to put Kenya in the history pages. The World Record that we will be attempting to break is; Most Number of People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in a Single Location,” which is currently held by Turkey at 22,000 people. Don’t raise your eyebrow like that, haven’t we broken world records before. Okay not – strictly speaking – we, but our runners break world records that include immense physical prowess. Now we need your help to prove our mental prowess.

So here’s what you are going to do: you will go to the reading revolution website and register, although you don’t have to register that will be preferred. Now the next one we strongly advise you do, go to Facebook , Twitter or both and find us then tell your friends, who will tell their friends, who will tell their friends… I think you get the picture. Finally, the one you absolutely have to do, on June 16th at 9.00am find yourself at Nyayo Stadium for the world record attempt. The reading itself starts at 10.00 so you have to be there by 9.00 to be counted. Drag along as many willing, and unwilling, friends (or enemies) and read aloud with us. We will provide a book worry not. You have to join in, it’s a revolution!