Gender on the Table: Are we becoming Lazy?

My sister having spent the past two weeks in Nairobi, came back home with a concern. Food!

Yes, it's funny how food is cheap in Nairobi as compared to here in Kisumu- and it even gets cheaper in Busia County.

But, that was not her concern-it was the fact that most families prefer to eat out or rather buy food from vendors and simply pop them in microwaves and eat. Growing up, My Father would tell us the importance of meal time. We ate as a family and every one of us helped prepare supper. It was during such meetings that we knew what happened to our lives during the day and also who had improved in saying their prayers.

But, now taking a look at what is happening in Nairobi-on every street there's the likelihood of a Fast Food Joint waiting for you. They draw you in with the scent of fried chips and chicken that are forever doing flips! Question is are we becoming lazy?

Better yet, have you noticed how fast nowadays there are women within hoods who sell cooked food?

You want to eat Githeri- simply walk out of the house and buy some. You want chapati and beans then just buy already cooked food.

So, how does Gender come into play?

Well, don't you dare give me the excuse that people are so busy making money to even think of preparing a decent home cooked meal! Fine, when you were seeking a job you knew that there'd be traffic and all that, so simply get on with it!

But- if you visit the Tuskys Mall on your way to Lang'ata, then you'll understand just how few people cook in their homes. Visit the food court at half past six and you'll find the place closed because the food is already sold. And, though some of these foods might be healthy-there's that family touch missing. Call me old fashioned, but I enjoy preparing supper however tired I am because somehow I am involved in making what I will consume. It is there that I know whether I put little salt, oil or if the ugali I make is still lacking in an area. It is also the time I can vent or let go of all the day's stress. So, have people grown lazy?

If you ask me, yes they have and it's no wonder we have time to build more gyms and shows that focus on weight loss!

So, why gender on the table?

Men and and Women are to see how wrong they are. 

If you buy food everyday, you are essentially eating out every day and that is expensive! Say, you buy rice at 200/= and some vegetable stew at 150= that totals 350/=. Now if you would buy raw rice-that amount of money would see you get a kilogram of rice , and if you visit markets like Gikomba you are bound to spend less than 150/= on an assortment of vegetables. The idea here is what my aunt Dortie does, she buys food over the weekend-cooks it and packs it and places it in the freezer. That way she has food for her family the whole week-and she works twice as hard as any hustler I could have met in Nairobi.

All you have to do is make time. Eating out is expensive and in the long run, all the money you make goes towards hospital bills for diseases that you could have prevented by preparing a good home-cooked meal.

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How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?