The whatsap effect in mwisho wa lami

Mwalimu Andrew

As the most enlightened and travelled person in Mwisho wa Lami and its environs (after Pius), I used to think that I was living a full and complete life. That is until I was introduced to WhatsApp by Pius. That is when I realised that I had been missing a lot. Quite a lot. Based on how WhatsApp has changed my life for the last few weeks, today, I can confidently tell anyone who is not on WhatsApp that you are missing a lot in life.

And given how effectively I am using WhatsApp to run the school, in fact, the TSC must make it mandatory for every teacher to join. There is never one dull moment on this mtandao. I get to know things happening across the world instantly, I get to see the news long before they are on TV and what is more, and I laugh all day. Besides, I have been able to connect with many of my former schoolmates and class mates, and our engagement on the Mwisho wa Lami  alumni confirms that I am, intellectually, miles ahead of my contemporaries.

Two days after Pius had added me on the WhatsApp, my brother Ford, a senior prison warden at Shimo La Tewa Prison called me to ask me if I had ever bet.

“I have heard about Mr Kuya talk about SportPesa and others but I have never participated,” I told him.

“Dre you are missing lot,” he said. “People are making a lot of money na wewe umelalia masikio,” he said. “Sergeant Kirui made Sh20,000 yesterday just like that.”

“What did he do?” I asked Ford.

“He predicted football matches correctly on Sportpesa,” He also listed to me other people that he knew who had won serious money from betting! He then helped me to register on Sportpesa and told me to look out for the Saturday newspapers so that I could bet.

“Huku gazeti hufika baada ya wiki,” I reminded him.

He told me not worry.  “I will send you the details on WhatsApp,” I did not know that one can read a full newspaper on WhatsApp.

“How do I predict games and yet I dot watch matches a lot,” I asked him. It was true, I only watch when my great team Manchester United or Harambee Stars are playing. Ford told me that at the cost of Sh500, he could recommend a Sportpesa betting group. After parting with the Sh500, I was added to Sportpesa Betting. It was an interesting group, this one.
Winning big
“There wasn’t much activity on the group on Thursday when I joined, and even Friday. But come Saturday morning, the group was abuzz. The administration officer of the group started the morning by sharing the games we could bet on that day.

It was a long list and other than a few big names that I knew like Manchester United and Arsenal, there were other teams that I had never heard of.  He predicted every game that was happening that Saturday, and advised what we should bet. While there were games he said that his prediction was 100 per cent, he gave about 70 per cent for others

But he had another secret that he told us to follow.

“Please avoid betting on common England matches, as they are not easy to predict,” he added. For example that day, he recommended the group members to bet on such teams as Fleetwood, Brescia, Yeonil, Trapani and Oldham.

“I have checked the history of those teams and they have never lost against the teams they are playing against.

Ford had unsuccessfully tried to teach me about odds and bets, but within minutes, the administration officer had clearly explained what the decimals in the odds meant. I even could tell you what a multi-bet was and what a jackpot is.

I had some money in my Mpesa that day, having been paid a long standing debt by Sella. I transferred some of it to my Sportpesa account. I bet on about three games, choosing matches involving teams that I did not even know they existed.

Some games played very late that Saturday and I waited for too long to know how I had performed. I had used very little money to bet that day so after spending Sh500, I ended the day with Sh750. Not bad on the first day of betting. In the next few weeks, once I am confident, I will bet with bigger figures, and win big!

That Saturday evening, I introduced Kuya to the group and he was very happy.  “The administration officer of this group knows a lot of football,” he told me after reading the admin’s predictions. “Wait when I get some money, I will bet with a big amount and make some good money.

Life & Style
Why I need to join Kuya’s vibrant WhatsApp group
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When we got back to school on Monday, we discussed this further and Kuya told us how much he had won since the year began. He actually had won a total so Sh2,800 since the year began.

The next day on Tuesday morning, there was staff meeting at 10 am I had called the meeting over WhatsApp. By 10.30 am, a few teachers were in the staffroom and the meeting began. There was Nzomo, Sella, Lana and Mr Kuya. Lena and Erick joined us later.

Out of the blues, Bensouda arrived. No one had expected her to be in school that day. She joined the meeting immediately although she insisted that I continue chairing the meeting. During the meeting, Mrs Atika came to the staffroom, greeted everyone, took some pieces of chalk and left the staffroom.

SHOCKING DISCOVERY

“You woman,” said Bensouda, “You have no respect for staff meetings?”

“Which meeting?” asked Mrs Atika, “I am not aware of any staff meeting.”

“Then how did these other teachers know?” asked Bensouda.

“I also didn’t know there was a meeting,” said Anita. “I was actually going to class when the meeting began and I decided to sit through.|

“Dre told us about this meeting on WhatsApp yesterday morning,” said Sella.

“What is that?” asked Mrs Atika

“Check you phone,” said Sella.

“I have no SMS from Dre calling us for any meeting,” said Atika. Nzomo took Mrs. Atika’s phone to show her the message and after sometime she shook her head saying Mrs Atika’s phone did not have WhatsApp.

“But Dre wrote the invite on the staffroom WhatsApp group,” she said. “I thought we are all members.”

“You mean there is a staffroom WhatsApp group?” asked Bensouda. “Who created it? Why I am not a member?”

“We were also just added my Dre,” said Kuya, exonerating himself.  “I also thought that all teachers were members.”

My explanations that I had had challenges adding Bensouda’s number fell on deaf ears. I immediately added her.

“Thanx 4the add,” she said immediately she was added. From the day Bensouda was added, the group went quiet. The regular jokes that made the group lively stopped. The only thing that was happening were the daily Bible verses sent by Bensouda. One or two teachers would respond with ‘Amen’. The other thing would be Bensouda and me giving instructions – to which no one responded.

But I noted that teachers were always on their phones and laughing or talking things they seemed to have discussed on WhatsApp. You can imagine my shock when, after further investigations, I found out that on the day I added Bensouda, Kuya formed another WhatsApp group for the staffroom, but did not add Bensouda and I.

This is the group where the action is. Due to my closeness with Nzomo, I at times see how vibrant the group is. Even the name of the group – Young Tutors is exciting. But Kuya has flatly refused to add me, saying that I should use the official staffroom group if I want to communicate anything to the teachers.

I need to find ways of being added to this group. Does anyone know how I can join this group without going through Kuya, the administration officer of the group? Once I get in there, Bensouda can remain with the official, boring, Bible verses group. And preach to herself!