Kapyemit Primary School- Njoro

Five monkeys were placed in a cage as part of an experiment. In the middle of the cage was a ladder with bananas on the top rung. Every time a monkey tried to climb the ladder to get to the bananas the experimenter sprayed all of the monkeys with icy water. Eventually, each time a monkey started to climb the ladder, the other ones pulled him off and beat him up so they could avoid the icy spray. Soon, no monkey dared go up the ladder.

The experimenter then substituted one of the monkeys in the cage with a new monkey. The first thing the new monkey did was try to climb the ladder to reach the bananas. After several beatings, the new monkey learned the social norm. He never knew why the other monkeys wouldn’t let him go for the bananas because he had never been sprayed with ice water, but he quickly learned that this behavior would not be tolerated by the other monkeys.

One by one, each of the monkeys in the cage was substituted for a new monkey until none of the original group remained. Every time a new monkey went up the ladder, the rest of the group pulled him off, even those who had never been sprayed with the icy water.

By the end of the experiment, the five monkeys in the cage had learned to follow the rule (don’t go for the bananas), without any of them knowing the reason why. If we could have asked the monkeys for their rationale behind not letting their cage mates climb the ladder, their answer would probably be: “I don’t know, that’s just how it’s always been done.”

That is how , and profiling get established and followed.

Think twice before following a tradition, religion or negative ethnic profiling. It would make more sense if you get your own understanding to it!

Have an isolated and informed perspective on all decisions that govern and determine the way you live your life.

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Mbugua John, Shalkido Dng, Claire Wanjiru, Maggy Margaret, Iucy Mumba, Sylvïä Mäïñã