Ushahidi Slam Poetry - 2014

Nathaniel Manning
Mar 14, 2019

Six years ago when you said “Ushahidi” people said “Usha-what-ti?”

You’d tell them “it’s a Kenyan tech company” and they would give that look like “Man you nutty”

Fast forward six years and the world has cast a new light

Now when someone who makes fun of our name, the twittosphere screams “luddite!”

And now is our time, our moment, our fight

The stakes are higher, because we are fighting for the right to have no end in sight

Because we could be the next next biggest thing, we can soar to new heights

Not just crisis, not just Kenya, not just an aftersight

But if we look far enough into the light, and set our sights

We just might, be that group that builds something that does right

Because our stuff isn’t just an avenue

When they come to tax our brass, we yell “We are here to help the few!”

Because we are Q

See 6 years ago we knew not what we could not do

And that made all the difference when it came to

Changing the attitude from hand out, to can do

Because back then who knew that afromusing, dkobia, and whiteafrican

would be household names with more than 100k devoted fans

No no no, when the crowd hears our name it won’t follow an ampersand

See simply by being us, we are altering this world’s perceptions

Making a difference that shakes the intersections

Those crossing roads of technology and third world misconceptions

Because who would have thought that this white man

Would be working for a company with origins in East African

Let alone standing up here trying to deliver poetic slam

Now I am going to rant, Screw Spam!

And PDFs, and sharpoint, and frankly Instagram.

Because sure who doesn’t like filters like Kelvin and Brannan,

but why does this messed up system value their contribution at 3 billian.

See, Sam I am,

ready to unite the citizens.

It’s the 21st century

A time when all of us deserve to be who we want to be

A time when knowledge can set you free

That BRCK, that repo, that reaching hand from the community

They are the foundation that breeds generosity

The stepping stones for thousands who see

A better world for you and me

Because we are changing lives

And if you close your eyes

And bare with me, I promise I won’t lie

Imagine that this is your time

This year the stars are aligned

Sit down, relax, unwind

I want to tell you Why

Why I stay up late working in google docs until I cry

Why I wake up every Monday when black is still the color of the sky

Why I’m making a fool of myself with this rhyme

Because you’re the best damn team that money, really can’t buy

This year, ain’t nothing stopping your momentum

If they try to, well shoot, just let them

Because you’ve got something that will always one-up dem

You’ve got the one and only Crowdstamapperagram

Nah shoot, I joke, they are out there calling for smoor of your chocolate, mallow and gram.

Because you’ve got a pirate sword and ninja stars

A server stack, a full-time skype-line, and plenty of ARrrs

But most important, you’ve got the best darn group of misfits who will fight for your cause!

When I was a kid I slapped on my eyepatch and went in search of the damsels yelling “Save Me!”

Because what kids grows up wanting to join the navy?

Particularly, when with this crew you’ve got a 99% chance of changing the world, just maybe