THE YEAR 2020 CLUB
Introduction
There was a song in 1970s/80s on the "year 2525". I think the song is still available. The song makes the predictions on how the world will be like in the year 2525. I think the song writer was fascinated by the odd number 2525 and wondered, giving his imaginations. It is almost 500 years to come before we know what the world will be like in the year 2525. Kenya has equally been inquisitive as to what the year 2030 will be like. Consequently, about 15 years ago, a Government program was set up to formulate goals that could be achieved by the year 2030. Already some of the programs are underway to try to make the year 2030 different from the rest.
The year 2020
The year 2020 also shares such odd fascination of numbers. The repeated numbers 2020 for a year is unique. It will be over 100 years before 2121 comes along. I am told that the Christian Missionaries arrived in Kenya and embarked on converting people to Christianity around 1900. In my village, my father, who at 12 years old, had been taken by European wild game hunters as a Kitchen boy, returned to the village. Due to his exposure to the "Wazungu" culture, was among the first persons to do a Christian church wedding. This happened in May, 1919 at the village. He always talked about the year 1919 as the year of his family. Unfortunately my step mother died and my father went on to do a second Christian marriage in 1956. But did not live to see the year 2019 nor 2020. God bless his soul. Indeed few people are able to live through 2 double numbers, 1919 to 2020. Most of those who will celebrate 2020 will not be able to see the year 2121.
The Year 2020 Club Membership.
The uniqueness of two double number year is a wonder! It is, therefore, my wish to prepare and encourage those who will be there in 2020 to form a special ("The year 2020 club"). I suggest to involve two groups of people whose celebrations will fall within the wonderful combinations of the two main numbers 02 and 20. For example, there are those whose main celebrations fall on 02-01-2020 (2" Jan 2020, 02-02-2020 (2" Feb 2020, 02- 03-2020) and so on up to December. Each month there will be a combination of 02- and 2020. Similarly there are those whose celebrations will fall on 20th January 2020 (20-01-2020). Each month, every 20th, there will be people celebrating something during the year, 2020. The most interesting are those who celebrate on 02-02-2020 (2nd Feb year 2020) and 20-02-2020. The proposal is to get two groups. Those who celebrate on 02 every month of 2020 and those of 20t1'— 02- 2020 every month. The 02 group to come to celebrate together. They are "The 02 Year 2020 Group" The other group is the 20th celebrants who will come together every 20th of the month. They form "The 20 Year 2020 Group."
What to Celebrate?
The two groups form "The 2020 club" The celebrations may be for various anniversallies, e.g birthdays, arrivals abroad, date got a good job, graduations, marriages, deaths, date when a certain activity was launched, e.g formation of Companies/Organizations/ businesses ,purchase of vehicle or winning a lottery- Indeed any memorable event that made a change in ones life. We all have such occasions. If it happened on the 02nd or 20th of any month of the previous years, the year 2020 will be a wonderful celebration of the event. You are welcome to join " The Year 2020 club" . During the months of January, 2020 to December, 2020, we shall only add 01, 02, 03,04 - 12 in the wonderful unique combination of 02 — 2020 or 20, -, 2020. We must celebrate together for we shall, most likely, never see the double number, after the year, 2020. In some Countries the presence of double numbers calendar is considered "GoodLuck" The date is celebrated. Example is 7th July, in Kenya (07 -07) or 8th August in Tanzania (08 -08), 1st January (01- 01) internationally. When it includes the year, it is even luckier. So we look forward to, forming "The Year 2020 Club".
Official Registration. The process of forming "The year 2020 Club" will be easy. It is like forming any other social club It may include:
(i) Registering the name of the club
(ii) Asking an initial group of members to join.
(iii) With 25 members we can draft a constitution for the proper functioning of the club.
(iv) Registering the club officially
(v) Recruitment of members.
(iv) Official launching of the Club.
It is suggested that February would be most appropriate. 02-02-2020 and 20-02-2020. The members can celebrate the two dates for the two groups together or separately. We have about 8 months in 2019 to set up and plan the main activities of -The year 2020 Club".
Financing.
Financing the activities will mainly be individual or self. However, the club may decide to hire a venue. Cost of that may be shared in order for the members to meet. Also that means "The Year 2020 Club" may have several branches in major towns or cities. Thus a National Committee will need be formed to coordinate the branch activities. Depending on the aims and objectives of each branch or the National committee, funding and donations will be requested from organizations that would like to support this noble idea and even assist the activities of The Club.
Club Activities.
The activities of the Club may include assisting the destitute, the vulnerable and the poor of the poor members of society. The needy cases may include education, food, water, shelter, agricultural, production, and environmental protection, emergency relief, youth employment and the disabled, etc. The Year 2020 Club is a noble idea that need your support. Let us do something for this odd 2020 year. The next double number year is one hundred years away!
John Wanjau Njoroge.